Committee continues Upper Great Highway pilot file to chair after public objections

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use & Transportation Committee voted on Dec. 5 to continue a duplicate file for a pilot that would restrict private vehicles on the Upper Great Highway on weekends and holidays through Dec. 31, 2025.

Chair Supervisor Mirna Melgar said the duplicate was placed on the committee docket so the incoming supervisor could amend the proposal without having to introduce a new file. Several callers, however, described the duplication as an “end run” around the Board’s process and asked the committee to defer action until the full Board considers the item the following day. One caller said the committee’s action would “thwart democracy” if it preempted the broader public hearing.

After taking public comment, Melgar moved to continue the file to the call of the chair. Roll call recorded Supervisor Peskin and Melgar voting aye; Supervisor Preston was recorded absent. The chair announced the motion passed and the item is continued to the chair’s call.

Why it matters: The Upper Great Highway pilot has been politically sensitive in District 4 and has drawn significant public comment. Duplicating the file on the committee docket was intended to preserve a vehicle for an incoming supervisor to participate in the process; some residents saw the duplication as an effort to accelerate action before the newly elected member assumes office.

What’s next: The committee continued the file to the chair, leaving the substantive proposal and any future amendments to be scheduled at the chair’s discretion.