Council receives letters raising accessibility concerns at Sunset Dunes/Great Highway and requests for more curb‑ramp funding

The Mayor’s Disability Council read three letters during its Sept. 19 meeting documenting pedestrian access concerns at Sunset Dunes and the former Great Highway and urging more funding for curb ramps.

Council staff read a May 16 letter from Nancy Federico who described difficulty using paths near the Lower Great Highway with a cane and asked who is assigned to monitor the area. A second May 16 letter from Tony Villa said the reconfigured Great Highway felt dangerous to walk with a cane because of motorized bicycles and scooters, asked for ADA access points and accessible parking near park entrances, and called for shuttle service similar to Golden Gate Park. Both letters asked the city to prioritize safe, ADA‑compliant access.

A third, longer letter dated July 15 from Howard Chabner focused on curb ramps, noting a long history of advocacy and urging the city to increase funding for curb‑ramp construction and maintenance. The deputy director said the letters are on file and that the agencies have discussed the topics cited.

Deputy Director Debbie Kaplan read the correspondence and told the council that slides and presenter contact information would be posted on the MDC webpage. Council members asked about timing and noted public safety and access issues raised by letter writers.

The presentations and correspondence were followed by discussion of follow‑up avenues, with ODA and council members encouraging residents to post specific locations and to work with city departments on remediation.