Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Elections

SF Voters Reject Measure to Enshrine Free Parking and Stop Livable Streets

In case you need a little pick-me-up this morning, here's some good news out of San Francisco. Voters resoundingly rejected Proposition L, a local ballot measure designed to halt the city's progress on improving streets for walking, biking, and transit. As of the most recent available count, with nearly all precincts reporting, 62 percent of San Francisco voters had said "No" to Prop L.

The Prop L contingent, backed by internet billionaire Sean Parker and the local Republican Party, framed their measure as a way to "restore balance" to San Francisco streets by enshrining free parking and elevating traffic flow as a decisive factor in street design. This in a city that has only taken modest steps to reclaim street space for transit, biking, and walking, and where the mayor recently reneged on a shortlived policy to charge for metered parking on Sundays.

While Prop L was a non-binding policy statement, it could have put a serious chill on livable streets policies in the city. The campaign strategy was to turn car-based populism into votes -- handing out flyers in parking lots was the most visible tactic.

As the closest thing to an up-or-down vote on transit-priority lanes, bikeways, and pedestrian improvements ever put before the electorate, the Prop L results are going to make an impression on local officials who decide the fate of those projects. Instead of rejecting the nascent reforms happening on the streets of the city, voters sent a signal that they want more.

For more on the Prop L vote and its implications, check Aaron Bialick's reporting at Streetsblog SF later today.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Under Pressure: Uber’s Navigation System Endangers the Public With Reckless Driving Directions

An Uber driver made an illegal u-turn and hit someone, but the in-app navigation told him to do it and the company won't give up the code.

October 6, 2025

As Portland Fights ICE With Land-Use Regulations, Will Zoning Survive Trump?

Portland's attempt to rein in ICE could trigger a battle over the constitutionality of zoning.

October 6, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Get Schooled

A shortage of bus drivers has left some school districts and parents struggling to get their kids to class.

October 6, 2025

Why Trump’s Latest Attack on Chicagoland Transportation Won’t Succeed

The USDOT announced it is blocking $2.1 million in previously approved federal funding for the Red Line Extension and the Red & Purple Modernization Project. But Streetsblog CHI doesn't think that will be the end of the story.

October 3, 2025

Week Without Driving: How Transit Can Serve People in Rural Towns

How do rural residents get to school, work, medical appointments, and other places they need to be?

October 3, 2025
See all posts