Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
San Francisco

SF Voters Reject Measure to Enshrine Free Parking and Stop Livable Streets

In case you need a little pick-me-up this morning, here's some good news out of San Francisco. Voters resoundingly rejected Proposition L, a local ballot measure designed to halt the city's progress on improving streets for walking, biking, and transit. As of the most recent available count, with nearly all precincts reporting, 62 percent of San Francisco voters had said "No" to Prop L.

The Prop L contingent, backed by internet billionaire Sean Parker and the local Republican Party, framed their measure as a way to "restore balance" to San Francisco streets by enshrining free parking and elevating traffic flow as a decisive factor in street design. This in a city that has only taken modest steps to reclaim street space for transit, biking, and walking, and where the mayor recently reneged on a shortlived policy to charge for metered parking on Sundays.

While Prop L was a non-binding policy statement, it could have put a serious chill on livable streets policies in the city. The campaign strategy was to turn car-based populism into votes -- handing out flyers in parking lots was the most visible tactic.

As the closest thing to an up-or-down vote on transit-priority lanes, bikeways, and pedestrian improvements ever put before the electorate, the Prop L results are going to make an impression on local officials who decide the fate of those projects. Instead of rejecting the nascent reforms happening on the streets of the city, voters sent a signal that they want more.

For more on the Prop L vote and its implications, check Aaron Bialick's reporting at Streetsblog SF later today.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday’s Headlines: Hotoween Edition

The unseasonably warm weather reminds us that it's foolish that the city turned outdoor dining into an April to November thing. Plus other news.

November 1, 2024

FDNY Truck Driver Fatally Strikes Bronx Delivery Worker — 22nd Cyclist Killed this Year

A cyclist was killed by an FDNY truck responding to an emergency in Park Slope.

October 31, 2024

Shalloween: Cars Are Haunting our Trick-or-Treaters, But DOT Protects Only a Few

This one-day respite from killing machines is only a reminder of the horrors haunting our streets the rest of the year.

October 31, 2024

Opinion: Lack of Regional Leadership Prevents Progress on Unified Metro NYC Rail

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut must create a new regional rail entity before Amtrak spends $18 billion on Penn Station.

Thursday’s Headlines: Lawyers Against Bike Lanes Edition

Mayoral candidate Jim Walden has no regrets about his past fighting the Prospect Park West bike lane. Plus more news.

October 31, 2024
See all posts