Great Highway Reopens To Cars, Hardly Any Cars Show Up

Image: @KCGrock via Twitter

One of the more contentious San Francisco debates during the pandemic period has been whether or not to let cars back on the Great Highway. Mayor Breed ordered a “compromise measure” that would allow cars to use the thoroughfare on weekdays, but keep the Great Highway car-free on the weekends.

I went to the Great Highway this morning to see if @LondonBreed and @D4GordonMar were out celebrating all the parents driving their children to school. Couldn't even find any cars. pic.twitter.com/y8Dx0nku7u

— Kyle Grochmal (@KCGrock) August 16, 2021

Well, today was the first day cars were allowed back on the Great Highway. And from what we can tell from people who’ve posted from there, very few motorists actually showed up and used the Great Highway for driving.

Great Highway first day reopening pic.twitter.com/hYgeZOaJGL

— Han Li 李晗 (@lihanlihan) August 16, 2021

This is only a one-day sample size, so we can’t be sure that today was indicative of the average weekday. It’s mid-August, so it’s vacation season, and maybe not a representative day. Or maybe people just largely don’t realize it’s open again, so they haven’t changed their driving methods. 

8:58 am in a Monday morning and SF’s Great Highway, formerly a Great Walkway, is a ghost town. #greatwalkway #kidsafeSF @KidSafeSF @conniechansf @D4GordonMar pic.twitter.com/B8Fqn1I3IT

— Christoph Krumm (@krummc) August 16, 2021

And this fight is not likely over. 48 Hills reports that a couple of urban activists have filed an appeal to overturn the return of cars, as the decision was supposed to be based on a recommendation from SFMTA that isn’t scheduled to be finished for a few more months. 

This is the level of stewardship we can come to expect from the #walkway people #trash #neglect #dumping @GGNRANPSAlerts @LondonBreed @sfbos @D4GordonMar @conniechansf @RecParkSF @openthegreathwy GreatHighway at 35 pic.twitter.com/deaLGwT5cD

— Jan Sharar (@BastionoftheBay) August 16, 2021

With respect to giving equal time to Great Highway car advocates, one above complained that Sunday’s Save the Great Walkway Rally left behind a lot of trash. These are all social media reports, and could lack important context. But they indicate the great debate over the Great Highway will not end with today’s reopening.