San Francisco residents upset over Great Highway car ban seek recall of Supervisor Joel Engardio

A recall effort against Supervisor Joel Engardio is being launched by a group of Sunset District residents, weeks after voters approved a plan to ban cars on the Great Highway.

On Tuesday morning, supporters are supposed to deliver a formal Letter of Intent to Recall to the supervisor of District 4 at the city’s Department of Elections.

“The recall attempt draws attention to Supervisor Engardio’s neglect of important issues that affect the people of District 4. His support for Proposition K, which permanently closed the Great Highway to vehicles and commuters—a move that was strongly opposed by people in his district—is the main source of these worries, the campaign stated in a statement.

“This action underscores the demand for leadership that genuinely listens to and represents the voices of the community,” the organization continued.

The group that opposed the bill, “Powered by the team that brought you Open the Great Highway,” was featured on the websites of the recall campaign.

The most recent data show that in last month’s election, 54.73% of voters in the city backed Prop. K. The proposal will turn a two-mile section of the Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Blvd into a park and permanently block it to automobile traffic.

As part of a pilot initiative, the route is currently restricted to cars on weekends.

Engardio issued a statement regarding the recall effort against him on Tuesday.

“Electors are entitled to recall their representatives. I humbly request that voters take into account not just this one problem but the entirety of my work on their behalf,” he stated. “I was elected on a platform of making neighborhoods safer, supporting small businesses, standing up for better public education, and making it easier to build the housing families need to stay in San Francisco.”

Additionally, the supervisor defended his endorsement of Prop. K, pointing out that a recall would not alter the measure’s implementation.

“I backed Prop K because I think it addresses inevitable environmental issues and what to do with a valuable coastline that is everyone’s. I believed that San Francisco residents need to have direct control over the development of their beach. “I invite all Sunset residents to collaborate with me in order to address their concerns, as the majority of Sunset voters disagreed,” he stated. “I’ve also reached out to recall leaders to work together to solve common concerns about traffic flow and street safety.”

Tim Fang works for CBS Bay Area as a digital producer. Tim, a resident of the Bay Area, joined the digital staff in 2006 and has been with the CBS Bay Area newsroom for over 20 years.

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