Mayor and supervisors spar over future of pandemic street changes; public provides mixed testimony

Supervisor Connie Chan asked Mayor London Breed at a Jan. 11 special appearance what the city envisions for pandemic street measures — specifically Great Highway, JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park and the slow‑streets program — and pressed for transparent, inclusive processes that account for access and equity.

"There has been a lot of attention on the future of road measures put in place during the pandemic," Chan said. She told the mayor that last September the Board unanimously passed a resolution calling for a "beach‑to‑bay car‑free connection through the park" if access needs at Eighth Avenue and the parking garage could be addressed.

Breed said the city will rely on departmental analysis and public outreach before adopting long‑term policy. "At the start of this pandemic, our decisions were about prioritizing the health and safety of our citizens," she said. "As we start to look beyond the pandemic, we need to think about what we should continue and what we should reconsider." She said Rec and Park and SFMTA are collecting data on the Great Highway, and SFMTA and Rec and Park plan to bring a Golden Gate Park access and mobility proposal to the Board by spring; SFMTA is also exploring what a permanent slow‑streets program could include and hopes to formalize a proposal by summer.

No final decision

Board members and the mayor described ongoing analysis and outreach; neither the Board nor the administration adopted a binding change to JFK Drive, the Great Highway or slow streets at the Jan. 11…