By Tomasita Medál and Nicky Tresviña : eltecolote – excerpt
San Francisco needs to be more accessible as a city, not less so, write guest commentators on Propositions for the upcoming election.
There are two items on this November’s ballot that greatly impact our community’s ability to have equal access to all of the amenities along JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park as well as easy access to Ocean Beach and the VA Hospital coming from the Mission, Excelsior, and Bayview on the Upper Great Highway.
Proposition I would restore car access to JFK Drive and Upper Great Highway to pre-Covid days, keeping JFK Drive accessible to everyone 24/7, except Sundays and holidays and some Saturdays in Spring and Summer. This returns JFK Drive to the SHARED space initiated in 1967.
Proposition J would close JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park 24/7 EVERY day of the year, permanently. It reserves JFK Drive only for the exclusive use of bicyclists! The road was designed to bring everyone to the Rose Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Dahlia Garden, the Rhododendron Dell, the waterfall, the Academy of Sciences, and the deYoung Museum. Since Mayor Breed cited the pandemic as a reason to close JFK Drive 24/7, countless families from distant neighborhoods, with elders, disabled members, and young children have been excluded from all of the amenities along JFK Drive. These include winter night sights such as the Conservatory of Flowers light show and the “Enchanted Garden” neon forest installation…
We are saddened to see how our city has become so uncaring about the impact of these road closures on our vulnerable communities.
It’s easy for the able-bodied to dismiss the needs of those with disabilities, but we will all become elders eventually. Please have compassion for those more vulnerable than you. For these reasons, we urge you to register to vote and vote Yes on I and NO on J. This vote will impact generations to come.… (more)
Neighbors to the south of GG Park are adversely affected. When one street is closed to cars, the adjoining streets are more congested, including MLK, Chain of Lakes, etc. J permanently imposes closures, while I permits future changes if legislated. Park and Rec and MSTNA impose an unrealistic panacea on those who use and live near the park while ignoring neighborhood concerns. As a walker, bike rider AND motorist, I urge yes on I, no on J. John Barkan