Practical solutions for an accessible and inclusive Golden Gate Park for all

Children playing. Birds chirping. People in wheelchairs and scooters enjoying freedom. Teens skating side-by-side. Fresh air free from pollution. Families picnicking on the lawn. Spontaneous concerts. Safe commuting on foot and bicycle. These are just some of the scenes from the JFK Promenade, which has seen more than 7 million visits since April 2020, a 36% increase in daily visitors from across the city and beyond.

Originally implemented nearly 2 years ago to provide space for socially distanced recreation, the Promenade has since become a major attraction, safe commuting corridor, and vibrant community gathering space.

But if the Board of Supervisors does not act soon, the car-free Promenade will disappear. In its place Golden Gate Park will again be filled with dangerous cut-through traffic, and JFK will again be on the city’s list of high-injury corridors.

While the misinformation campaign to undermine the Kid Safe JFK Promenade heats up, it is easy to forget that there are practical, readily available solutions to the concerns raised about access and equity, many of which are already being implemented. 

KidSafe SF has written a policy brief containing recommendations for practical solutions to improving access, equity, and the park experience for all visitors, while also preserving and enhancing Golden Gate Park’s most popular new amenity and destination. 

The recommendations are summarized below, and the full report is available to download.

Summary of KidSafe SF Recommendations

Enhance Access for People with Disabilities and Elderly Visitors

1. High frequency shuttle service within the Park with infrastructure improvements 

2. Improved access for paratransit pickups and dropoffs

3. Fast and high frequency transit service for MUNI lines like the 44 

4. Affordable parking in the Concourse Garage, including more affordable ADA spots 

5. Broad awareness of the 15 minute free drop in the garage at the museum entrances

6. More free above-ground ADA parking spots close to major park destinations 

Strengthen North-South connectivity across all transportation modes 

1. Paratransit access to the Music Concourse via 8th Avenue, alongside MUNI

2. Private vehicle access to the Music Concourse via 10th Avenue and the underground Concourse Garage, allowing easy drop-off at the museums and access to MLK, the Bandshell lot, and other destinations south of the JFK Promenade 

Improve access for low-income visitors 

1. Expanded Museums for All program with subsidized garage parking for low-income visitors who drive 

2. Fast and high frequency transit service for cross-town MUNI lines that serve Golden Gate Park like the 44

3. Outreach programs with local community organizations in equity priority neighborhoods to improve awareness and access to all that Golden Gate Park has to offer

4. Affordable parking in the Concourse Garage, including a program for low-income access

Solutions for People with Disabilities and Elderly Visitors 

Investing in improved access for people with disabilities and elderly visitors is essential so that the JFK Promenade can realize its full potential as an inclusive destination for all San Franciscans. Senior and Disability Action (SDA) has articulated several concerns with access in Golden Gate Park, and many of our proposed improvements align with SDA’s requirements:

• Higher frequency shuttle service along JFK – seven days a week including stops with adequate shelter, seating, well maintained paths, ramps, and wayfinding signage

• Improved access for paratransit pickups and dropoffs

• Fast and high frequency transit service for MUNI lines like the 44 which connect the park and its institutions to many neighborhoods throughout the city 

• Affordable parking in the Concourse Garage, including more affordable ADA spots and a program for low-income access

• Clear communications and signage to increase awareness of the free 15 minute drop off grace period in the Concourse Garage, directly next to the museum entrances

• More free above-ground ADA parking spots close to major park destinations and throughout the park 

Ongoing improvements will yield more free above-ground ADA parking close to major park institutions than before the pandemic, while preserving the JFK Promenade. What’s more, these new ADA parking spots will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The increase in free ADA spots close to the Music Concourse is particularly prominent on the park’s busiest days, where the new layout will yield a 269% increase in free ADA parking capacity.

Solutions for Accessing Golden Gate Park from The Richmond 

The JFK Promenade had strong support and participation from the inner Richmond zip code, with 66% of 853 respondents in support of a 24/7 promenade. Creative solutions are needed to ensure robust access to the Park and its institutions from the North across all modes. There are two main ways to traverse JFK and access the Music Concourse area from the North: via 8th Avenue on the surface, and through the underground Concourse Garage via 10th Avenue.

Using 8th Avenue for MUNI and Paratransit introduces some complexity to the intersection with the JFK Promenade, but we believe that this compromise is appropriate given the importance of transit and paratransit access. 

These solutions will improve access from the Richmond to park attractions and the Sunset:

• Paratransit access to the Music Concourse via 8th Avenue, alongside MUNI

• Private vehicle access to the Music Concourse via 10th Avenue and the underground Concourse Garage, allowing easy drop-off at the museums and access to MLK, the Bandshell lot, and other destinations south of the JFK Promenade.

Solutions for low-income visitors 

San Francisco’s parks are an incredible resource and amenity.  However, access to green space is not distributed equitably. According to the Trust for Public Land, lower income neighborhoods in San Francisco have less access to green space than higher income neighborhoods.

We support solutions that directly and effectively address low-income access, such as: 

• Expanded benefits for the Museums for All program, so that low-income visitors to the museums receive subsidized or free parking in the Concourse Garage 

• Improved transit frequency, speed, and transit-only lanes for MUNI routes that connect equity priority communities to Golden Gate Park such as the 44 bus line. 

• Outreach programs in collaboration with local community organizations in equity priority neighborhoods.  Not all San Franciscans are aware of what Golden Gate Park has to offer, and some may not feel welcome.  Outreach programs can promote greater awareness of Golden Gate Park amenities and offer welcoming and inclusive park experiences to San Franciscans who do not have equitable access to green space.    

• More affordable parking in the Concourse Garage. The Concourse Garage is heavily underutilized and overpriced, and has not adopted best practices in variable pricing. 

Take action today

The JFK Promenade is a unique and extremely popular amenity – as a city we should be focused on how to make that joy and magic as accessible as possible for all San Franciscans, and also on how to replicate it in other parts of our city.