Controversial Car-Free-Saturday Golden Gate Park Ordinance passes
at Board of Supervisors

Supervisor McGoldrick introduces legislation to address disability access

By Aldrich M. Tan

May 10, 2006

The Board of Supervisors finally passed the Healthy Saturdays ordinance, which would close a 1.5 mile stretch of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays for a six month trial period, at Tuesday's meeting with a 7 to 4 vote.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick said discussions regarding to accessibility for the disabled community strengthened the legislation.

"What we have done with this item is very commendable," McGoldrick said. "I'm very proud of the improved access to the disabled community and I hope that we have included everything that we need."

The ordinance finally passed with Supervisors Fiona Ma, Bevan Dufty, Sean Elsbernd, and Michela Alioto-Pier voting against the ordinance's passing.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick introduced trailing legislation to not close the area from Fulton Street to Arguello Drive and 60 percent of Conservatory Drive West during the trial period. McGoldrick said the trailing legislation improves access to the Conservatory of Flowers.

"My legislative aides and I have visited Golden Gate Park multiple times last week to make sure it works," McGoldrick said. "The closest drop-off point will be a ten-second walking distance from the Conservatory."

Based on his experiences at Golden Gate Park, McGoldrick said he is also interested in finding a way to re-pave John F. Kennedy Drive.

"The street is full of potholes and huge cracks," McGoldrick said. "It's a disaster,"

Mayor Gavin Newsom still has not made a decision if he will veto the legislation, communication director Peter Ragone said.

McGoldrick's resolution is a trial closure of John F. Kennedy Jr. Drive between Kezar Drive and Transverse Rive and adjacent roads connecting with that portion of John F. Kennedy Drive, McGoldrick said. The Recreation & Parks Department will conduct a study on the impact of the Saturday road closures that it will present to the Board of Supervisors by Feb. 1, 2007.

The resolution passed with additional amendments addressing the closure's impact on the city's disabled community, such as handicap accessible parking spaces, a disability-specific drop-off zone on Bowling Drive, and an accessible interpark shuttle trained to go five miles per hour to transport disabled people. The Recreation & Parks Department study would also include the impact of the closure on the disabled community.

The legislation went back to first reading at last week's Board of Supervisors meeting after Alioto-Pier amended the ordinance to create a deaf-friendly information line for individuals to call, to make the three major requirements addressing accessibility for the disabled community mandatory, and to continue ongoing application of those programs on Sundays when the Saturday trial ordinance expires.

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