Judge Shoots Down Lawsuit to Bring Cars Back to Great Highway, Sunset Dunes Will Remain Car-Free Park

"A last-ditch lawsuit attempting to overturn 2024's Prop K and bring cars back to the Great Highway has failed, as a judge just tossed out the lawsuit's claim that the car-free Great Highway ballot measure skirted California law. You are likely aware that San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved making the Great Highway car-free with 2024's Prop K vote that passed 55%-45%, establishing the pedestrian park walkway that we now call Sunset Dunes."

"The Chronicle reports that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ross has tossed out the lawsuit against the car-free Great Highway, so the Sunset Dunes park has survived yet another challenge against it. The lawsuit to bring cars back to the Great Highway was filed by Matthew Boschetto, who ran unsuccessfully against Myrna Melgar for Melgar's District 7 supervisor seat in the same election in which Prop K passed."

"Other plaintiffs listed were Great Wall Hardware store owner and car-free Great Highway critic Albert Chow, and LivableSF, whose founder Vin Budhai was once co-organizer of the Recall Joel Engardio campaign. Their lawsuit argued that Prop K even being on the ballot was a violation of the age-old NIMBY tool CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), because it was technically brought to the ballot by the SF Board of Supervisors, not by the voters. Judge Ross rejected the argument outright."

San Francisco voters approved Proposition K by 55%-45%, converting the Great Highway into a pedestrian park called Sunset Dunes. District 4 voters later recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio largely over his support for the car-free conversion. Three days before cars were permanently removed, residents and local activists filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition K and restore car access. Plaintiffs included Matthew Boschetto, Albert Chow, and LivableSF. The lawsuit asserted a CEQA-based claim that the ballot placement by the Board of Supervisors violated environmental review requirements. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ross rejected that argument and dismissed the challenge, preserving Sunset Dunes.

Read at sfist.com