Ballot Fight Over Car-Free JFK Moves Ahead

The fight over JFK Drive is heating up again after four members of the Board of Supervisors submitted a ballot measure that would keep the current street closure in place. 

The measure, sponsored by Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Dorsey, Myrna Melgar and Hillary Ronen was filed Thursday in response to another measure filed in early June that would repen the Golden Gate Park road to cars. 

With four supervisors sponsoring, the measure will appear on the November ballot. Its competition still needs to get the 9,000 signatures required to qualify for the ballot. 

The supervisors’ initiative targets keeping the current street closures in Golden Gate Park only, in contrast to the competing measure, which calls to reopen roads to cars not only in the park but also on the Great Highway. 

The text includes a key clause that says the supervisors’ measure would overrule the competing measure if it gets more votes. To pass, either measure would need more than 50% support on the ballot. 

Also submitted by Mayor London Breed this week is a ballot measure that would dissolve the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority and have the city’s Recreation and Parks Department take over ownership of the Music Concourse Garage, which was central to the fight over closing JFK Drive and the potential loss of parking and access for people with disabilities.