Some 59% of San Francisco voters said yes to Proposition J on Election Day, cementing John F. Kennedy Drive’s status as a car-free roadway for skating, cycling and walking. And on Wednesday afternoon, a small group of those voters gathered along JFK Promenade to celebrate its passing with games and chocolate cake.
Jeffrey Tumlin, SF’s transit director, applauded the success of what he called a “relentlessly positive, joyful campaign.”
“I want to really thank every single one of you that were out there on the streets, talking to strangers and opening up people’s minds,” said Tumlin.
For David Miles Jr., the city’s “Godfather of Skate,” election night was a real nail-biter.
“How many of you were up last night, refreshing your computer?” he asked the crowd. But with the win cemented, he’s ready to take a breather: “I’m good for a while, to tell you the truth!”
The opposing proposition, Prop. I, would have mostly returned JFK Drive to pre-pandemic norms. It came in at 39%, and the campaign issued a statement of defeat late on Tuesday evening.
Nicole Jung-Alexander, a mother of two, recalls JFK Drive filled with cars, and is glad that reality is now only a distant memory.
“There was always a lot of traffic going through here, it wasn’t as accessible by walking,” she said.
