A San Francisco supervisor was removed from office on Tuesday after leading an effort to turn a portion of the Great Highway, a coastal road frequently used by local motorists, into a car-free park. The move had drawn significant opposition from residents in his district.
Supervisor Joel Engardio became the fifth elected official in San Francisco to be recalled in four years. In his concession statement, Engardio said he accepts the result and stands by his decision to help create Sunset Dunes park.
“Sunset Dunes is a success. It’s good for the environment, good for our local economy, and it’s bringing joy to people of all ages,” Engardio wrote. “Very soon, we will wonder why this was ever a controversy. We won’t be able to imagine San Francisco without a coastal park and all the benefits it offers.”
The recall comes at a time when San Francisco is experiencing changes and facing decisions about its future, including housing development. Although the city values environmental initiatives and public spaces, many residents—particularly in neighborhoods like Sunset with high numbers of Chinese families—continue to rely on cars for transportation.
Supporters of the recall argued that Engardio did not adequately consider concerns from constituents about how closing the Great Highway would affect their daily lives and traffic safety. The section closed to vehicles is located entirely within his district.
The recall campaign was driven by some of the same groups that previously led efforts to remove three liberal school board members and District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022. Engardio, who advocated for crime victims during his first term, supported those earlier recalls before winning election to the Board of Supervisors that year.
In 2024, Engardio was among five supervisors who put forward Measure K, which proposed permanently banning cars from a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway. While Measure K passed citywide in November 2024, it failed within his own district. Recall organizers gathered 10,500 valid signatures by May to place Tuesday’s recall vote on the ballot.
