A San Francisco supervisor who pushed to turn a 2-mile stretch of highway into a car-free park faces a recall vote in his district.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/36015848

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — During the coronavirus pandemic, the city closed a stretch of a four-lane highway along San Francisco’s Pacific Coast and made it an automobile-free sanctuary where bicyclists and walkers flocked to exercise and socialize under open skies and to the sound of crashing waves.

But with the post-pandemic return to school and work, resentment grew among neighborhood residents who relied on the artery to get around. Some blamed the district city supervisor who helped make the change permanent by placing on a citywide ballot a measure to turn the 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) stretch into a new park.

On Tuesday, district voters will decide whether to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio.

The recall of a local supervisor who represents one-tenth of a city of 800,000 might seem like minor politics. But the election highlights a San Francisco in flux and a still cranky, even emboldened electorate as leaders prepare to make tough decisions about the city’s future.

The recall election will be the city’s third in four years. It’s fueled by many of the same people who tossed out three liberal school board members in February 2022 followed by the ouster of politically progressive San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin in June of that year.

“This recall is really about the future of our city,” said Engardio in an interview with The Associated Press. “Do we want to be a city that just preserves itself in amber and goes back in time? Or do we want to be a city that innovates, thinks ahead, is forward-looking and welcomes new people?”

  • pc486@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    1 hour ago

    These are the same assholes who are suing the city saying proposition K was illegal. Check out this crazy statement in their court petition:

    The effects of Proposition K will be to displace longtime residents, merchants, visitors, and daily commuters. Proposition K advances exclusionary public policies of limited benefit, and compromises the safety, accessibility, and overall well-being of the entire Bay Area. It effectively denies people equitable access to public roads, safe transportation, and a livable environment.

    Briefs have just been filed and the city’s opposition brief is pretty damning. You can check out the case document’s if you’re so inclined, but we can also just wait. The hearing is scheduled for November 10th and I’m planning to make some fresh popcorn when that news hits.