It was cold and windy when I got there but after an hour or so, the sun started to shine at Ocean Beach. Typical San Francisco weather.
Last November, SF voters approved a plan to turn the highway here into a park. I pulled into the nearby Ocean Beach parking lot to talk to a few people and find out what they thought.
First a man walking his dog who thought the highway should be open on weekdays and closed on the weekend.
Then, a guy from South San Francisco who uses the Great Highway to get to work. He said the closure was a bummer for his commute, but understands the change.
Another guy taking photos wondered how the change might affect the Chinese owned-businesses near the highway.He sees the change being negative or positive depending on what’s planned for the park.
A lawsuit was filed Thursday morning seeking to stop the closure. Plaintiffs say city officials have violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to share information on the environmental impact of the closure.
They also point out a possible violation of the California Vehicle Code which oversees when local governments can close a highway to traffic.
The people I spoke with expressed the importance of having the neighborhood voices heard and see the lawsuit as a means for that to happen.
