Great Highway Future Park

$1 Million California State Coastal Conservancy Grant

On November 21, 2024 the California State Coastal Conservancy Board approved a $1 million grant to address sea level rise along the Great Highway from Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard—funding the City of San Francisco will use to support its broader plan to transform the oceanside stretch into a permanent park.

The grant will help plan for the future of the coastline including:

• Community Input on Long-term Design: San Francisco residents will help shape the look, feel, and uses of the future park to ensure it serves everyone’s needs, from family outings to quiet reflection by the shore.
• Environmental Restoration: Experts will evaluate measures to protect the coast from sea level rise and erosion, restoring natural dunes, and improving habitats for plants and animals.
• Access and Recreation: Planners will explore ways to make the park easier to use for people with a variety of abilities, such as adding new paths, beach access points, and features for fun and relaxation that fit the sandy, coastal environment.
• Safer Transportation: A study will look at how to improve walking, biking, and transit access while managing traffic in the surrounding neighborhood.

Lincoln and Sloat Quick-Build Connections Project (SFMTA)

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)’s Lincoln and Sloat Quick-Build Connections Project will revise Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard intersections to facilitate a full-time closure of the Great Highway as required by the passage of Proposition K.

The project, to be implemented in 2025, will include traffic signal and traffic lane changes to redirect traffic away from the Upper Great Highway as well as full-time separated bikeway connections to Golden Gate Park (via Lincoln Way) and Lake Merced (via Sloat Boulevard). These quick-build changes will provide immediate safety and recreational benefits while there is ongoing planning and community engagement to consider potential longer-term capital changes in the area . A public hearing for this project occurred at the SFMTA Board of Directors Meeting on December 3, 2024.

California Coastal Commission Considers Coastal Permit Application

On December 12, 2024, the California Coastal Commission will consider an application by the City and County of San Francisco to permanently close the Upper Great Highway from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way to vehicular traffic (in accordance with the recently-approved Proposition K ballot measure), to implement pedestrian safety and dune protection/restoration measures in that area and seaward of it, and to construct pedestrian safety improvements and a protected bike lane along Sloat Boulevard from the Upper Great Highway intersection to Skyline Boulevard, all on the westside of the City/County of San Francisco just inland of Ocean Beach.

Sloat Boulevard Quick-Build Project (SFMTA)

The Sloat Quick-Build Project aims to improve safety for all users and enhance active-transportation options on Sloat Boulevard between Skyline Boulevard and 47th Avenue, connecting Lake Merced, the San Francisco Zoo, and Ocean Beach. The SFMTA will implement the project in mid-to-late 2024, ahead of the planned closure (to vehicle traffic) of the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard, to protect stormwater infrastructure from ongoing coastline erosion.

The project will upgrade pedestrian crossings, add a two-way protected bikeway, install transit boarding islands, improve accessibility, and consider other measures to reduce vehicle speeds while keeping traffic moving. It will not reduce the number of vehicle travel lanes on Sloat Boulevard. The project supports implementing goals and priorities identified in the Ocean Beach Master Plan, SFMTA’s Vision Zero Program, and District 4 Westside Study. It is part of a suite of changes ahead of the planned Great Highway Extension closure. It is coordinated with several adjacent projects, including traffic-signal upgrades at Sloat Blvd & Skyline Blvd (by SFMTA), Sloat Blvd & Great Highway (by SFMTA), and Skyline Blvd & Great Highway (by Caltrans), and SFPUC’s Westside Pump Station Project.

Great Highway Extension and South Ocean Beach Climate Adaptation Project

The Great Highway Extension, from Skyline Boulevard and Sloat Boulevard, will close to vehicles as part of the South Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project , led by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The project will transform the public shoreline, improve coastal access north of Fort Funston with a new multi-use trail connecting Lake Merced and Fort Funston to Ocean Beach, the Zoo, and the Great Highway. The project will also protect vital municipal infrastructure from coastal erosion.

Activities and Enhancements

The initial phase of the project will include temporary art, murals, seating, enhanced trash receptacles, water fountains, signage, and year-round programming. Volunteer events to help maintain and beautify the park space will also be included.

Public Outreach

In Spring 2025, facilitated community discussions will begin to gather feedback on near-term, additional park design and understand any new or emerging concerns on residential traffic. Meetings will include transportation professionals, park designers and community members.