Vote count so far shows support for closure of Upper Great Highway in SF

While the race for Prop K is yet to be officially called, the count is swaying in its favor.
Supporters like Lucas Lux are excited as 54% of ballots counted so far have approved the measure.
“We’re feeling really hopeful. 117,000 San Franciscans votes have yet to be counted but with each additional count the margin is growing, and we hope that when all the votes are done being counted we’ll enjoy a very strong mandate that San Franciscans want to enjoy their coast as a place to recreate,” said Lux.
If passed, Prop K would permanently close the Upper Great Highway to cars and turn the area into a park.
“One, we get to preserve our coast for future generations and that alone is something we should be really proud of. And the second thing it’ll do is make the coast more accessible for people to enjoy in more ways. So people pushing strollers, wheelchairs, riding a bike. I taught my son to ride a bike there,” said Lux.
But not everyone is excited for the possible passage of Prop K. So far close to 46 percent of voters have voted against it.
That include Albert Chow, who has been a vocal opponent of the measure throughout the campaign.
“To cut off a vital artery in this age where we’re just cutting roads such as JFK, you know it’s just going to be bad for us going forward,” said Chow.
Chow worries closing the road will also push more traffic into the nearby neighborhoods.
He believes most of the people who actually live in the area near the Great Highway opposed Prop K.
It’s those in farther away neighborhoods that he says voted for it.
“It’s just like me voting for what to do in McLaren Park, close a road there. If I just thought it was a great idea because it was quaint I might just check the box because I won’t have to think too much about it, whereas the people in Visitacion Valley might think quite differently,” said Chow.
But supporters like Lucas believe the Great Highway isn’t like just any other park.
“The coast doesn’t belong to a select few, the coast belongs to all of San Francisco,” said Lux.
If Prop K passes, Lux said people can expect to see changes quickly from everything from play structures to benches to art installments going up where the cars used to drive.