A new report from San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department is recommending closing John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park to vehicle traffic permanently.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
"We propose the following in order to improve access, equity, and mobility: three miles of car-free streets from Lincoln to Kezar in Golden Gate Park," the department wrote.
The debate to close JFK Drive has gathered steam since April of 2020 when the city closed a portion of the road to open up recreational space during the pandemic.
"It's very nice to be able to have space to move our bodies on the roads," one San Francisco resident told KCBS Radio. "Roads are actually such a beautiful part of a park space."
"JFK is a great moderated approach while still leaving plenty of room for a million cars just around it," a second resident agreed.
However, an out-of-towner from Santa Rosa expressed an opposite view to the two San Francisco locals, explaining he's still thinking about people who want to visit the park, but are not from the city.
"If you're going to shut down somebody's access for people that drive here that want to see the park as a whole, substitute it for maybe a shuttle bus that would tour just the park itself," he said, offering a solution to the long-standing debate.
The de Young Museum is among those opposing the closure. A spokesperson told KCBS Radio in a statement that the museum was disappointed to learn of the recommendation.
According to parks department, almost 7 million visits have been made to the car-free portion of JFK since the closure, amounting to 36% increase in daily park visits.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors are expected to decide the road's fate in April.
LISTEN to KCBS Radio
FAVORITE KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
