The Great Highway will adjust operations between Lincoln Way and Sloat Blvd.
On April 5, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Gordon Mar announced that the Great Highway, which has remained closed to vehicles since April 2020, will officially reopen to vehicles during weekdays as of today, Monday, August 16. It will continue to be pedestrian and bicycle-only on weekends starting on Fridays at 12pm, as well as on holidays. The weekday vehicle schedule begins at 6am on Mondays.
The city’s motivation for reopening the Great Highway comes with back-to-school season, as the idea is to help families get kids to and from school while also juggling a work commute. The Board of Supervisors continues to evaluate legislation to extend partial closure of the Great Highway beyond the pandemic.
The decision to open or close the Great Highway has been a massive point of contention among San Franciscans, as some commuters find it to be a necessary route through the city, while some residents see it as an essential community space.
“The use of the Great Highway during this pandemic has revealed what we can do to provide our residents and families more opportunities to enjoy the west side of our city,” said Mayor Breed. “Having the Great Highway closed on weekends and holidays will make sure that residents and visitors still can enjoy this incredible space, while recognizing the needs of our families and residents who need to get to school and work during the week as we reopen. There has been a lot of ongoing community discussions and meetings about the long-term future of the Great Highway, and I look forward to that continuing over the coming months to inform the next phase of the project.”
Featured image: Photo by Andreas Strandman on Unsplash