SAN FRANCISCO
Lee Heidhues 1.24.2024
Liz received a very kind message in today’s mail from The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco “Thank you for supporting the Fine Arts Museums.”
Ironically this positive message from the Fine Arts Museums, to which Liz has been a member for well over a decade, came on the same day the SF Chronicle published a letter decrying JFK Promenade. The car free oasis in Golden Gate Park.
A political brawl for which Liz and I were at the front lines battling for its permanent status. A long sought goal which we could only have dreamed about until it actually happened. When the voters overwhelmingly approved JFK Promenade in November 2022 despite fierce opposition led by Supervisor Connie Chan, entitled motorists and certain advocacy groups. Funded by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to the tune of nearly 1M.
I wrote a letter to the editor of the Chronicle expressing my dismay. The Chronicle is unwittingly relitigating a legal and political battle which has ended. Hopefully my letter is published. Here it is.
My wife and I are seniors. In response to Carl Nolte, Mr. Cardoza’s letter complaining about JFK Promenade is unrepresentative of many seniors. The only “difficult option” confronting some seniors is that they may have to walk a small distance. There is an 800 space parking garage underneath the DeYoung Museum in the “center of the park.” There is a free shuttle service on JFK Promenade. The unfounded contention that 90 percent of those using JFK Promenade are under age 50 is unsupported with any statistics. We advocated vigorously for the creation of this car free oasis. Many seniors and people with disabilities worked to see JFK Promenade become a reality. Proposition J was approved by the voters with a 63 percent majority. Overcoming a nearly 1M campaign to defeat it. My wife and I cycle regularly on JFK Promenade. It is hardly “underutilized” on weekdays. At all times, weekdays and weekends, we see seniors and mobility impaired people enjoying JFK Promenade. It is one place in San Francisco where we can escape the noise and pollution caused by motorists and their vehicles.
Here is the letter to the editor which drew my ire.
Top photo: Liz holding her homemade “GRANNY LOVES CAR FREE JFK” sign at the May 7, 2022 celebration for JFK Promenade after Mayor Breed signed legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors making the car free oasis permanent. Little did we know at the time opponents were already preparing a ballot measure to bring back cars. The People United Will Never be Defeated. The Board of Supervisors put JFK Promenade on the November 2022 ballot as Proposition J. The well funded attempt by the De Young Museum to defeat Proposition J was crushed. Proposition J got a 63 percent YES vote.
Lee's Perspective 