The issue of whether the Upper Great Highway should reopen to cars is increasingly likely to go back to voters in 2026, two years after Proposition K passed to convert the road into a coastal park.
Nearly three weeks after he was sworn in to represent District 4, Supervisor Alan Wong announced Friday that he would sponsor a supervisor-led ballot measure to reopen the highway, which has since been transformed into the Sunset Dunes park.
Only four supervisors need to sign on to an effort to put a ballot measure before voters. Progressive Supervisor Connie Chan has previously said she supports sending the issue back to voters. Supervisors Shamann Walton and Chyanne Chen have also expressed interest in reconsidering the closure.
Chan told The Standard that she was not aware of the details of Wong’s proposal and had not yet committed to endorsing the measure.
Walton’s office also said he’s not a solid yes to Wong’s proposal. Chen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wong made the announcement when filing papers to run in 2026 for a full term representing the Sunset. He had avoided taking a firm position on the issue but faced pressure to support a referendum on it from constituents who were outraged at Prop. K’s passage.
“As a new District 4 supervisor, it is my responsibility to heal a divided community, and that’s why it is my commitment to always listen before I act,” Wong said during his Dec. 1 swearing-in ceremony. “I will always hear my constituents before moving forward with major policy decisions.”
An overwhelming majority of his district rejected Prop. K, and 62% of those who turned out for the recall election voted to oust him from office. Engardio nonetheless said he will continue to advocate for the park and will fight any effort to reopen the road to traffic.
“My time as a supervisor is going to be shorter than expected. I accept the election results. But we can still celebrate, because we are on the right side of history,” Engardio said in a speech to supporters on the night of his ouster.
“Sunset Dunes is a success. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for the local economy. It’s bringing joy to people of all ages. We created something positive, and very soon people are going to wonder: What was the controversy about?”
Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes, said the group was “deeply disappointed” with Wong and criticized him for moving forward on the proposal without community input.
“We believed that he was serious when he said he wanted to help restore trust after a divisive few years in the Sunset. Instead, he’s doing the opposite: claiming he’d listen to constituents while actively turning his back on them,” Lux said. “This is unacceptable and we, along with thousands of Sunset Dunes volunteers and supporters in District 4 and across the city, will do everything we can to protect the park we love.”