All the votes are counted for the November 2024 election, one of the most consequential in recent times for the direction of our City and the country.
Donald Trump was elected president, and Republicans took control of the US Senate and narrowly retained control of the House of Representatives. The Republican ‘trifecta’ in federal government, together with a mostly Republican-appointed Supreme Court, will have profound consequences for civil rights, clean air and water, federal support for housing, clean energy, and sustainable transportation, and national and global climate action and biodiversity protection.
Progress towards a livable future for people and the planet remains both necessary and possible. Forward action will depend on communities, individuals, and state and local governments.
Nearly 60% of California voters supported Proposition 4, a $10 billion general obligation bond which will fund safe drinking water and wildfire prevention projects, and protect communities, land, and biodiversity from the effects of climate change. Voters rejected Proposition 5, which would have lowered the supermajority for voter approval of new funding for affordable housing and public infrastructure (including public transit, roads, parks, and utilities) from the current two-thirds to 55%.
San Francisco voters approved Measure K, which will create a new park along Ocean Beach by making Great Highway permanently car-free between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard. The City is moving quickly to implement the voter-approved plan. The SFMTA approved the necessary traffic and access changes at their December 3 Board meeting, and on December 12 the City will present the proposed traffic and access changes to the California Coastal Commission for approval (you can help by sending an email in support by December 6). The southern section of Great Highway south of Sloat, which is eroding into the sea, is also scheduled to be closed to cars in 2025. This section of road will be removed and replaced by a cycle path and trails together with restoration of the natural bluffs.
57% of voters supported Measure L, which would have increased funding for Muni by approximately $25 million annually with an increase on the corporate gross receipts tax on transportation network companies and autonomous taxi companies like Uber, Lyft, and Waymo. Although the grassroots campaign overcame a million-plus dollar opposition campaign to win a majority of votes, it will not go into effect due to a ‘poison pill’ provision in Proposition M, which passed by a larger margin. Measure L would have forestalled Muni service cuts and/or fare increases through 2026. Federal emergency funding for public transit service will expire in 2026, and Muni, BART, Caltrain, and other Bay Area transit agencies will need to replace hundreds of millions in lost funding or face catastrophic service cuts and fare increases. Livable City is part of the Transit Justice Coalition, and we are working to keep Muni and other transit services safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable.
San Franciscans approved Measure B, which will fund street safety projects and improvements to the City’s public spaces, and Measure G, which will subsidize rent for low-income seniors, families, and people with disabilities. City voters also approved Measure E, which will appoint a task force to recommend changing, eliminating, or combining City commissions, and rejected Measure D, which would have eliminated several City commissions and increased mayoral control over the appointment of commissioners and department heads.
San Franciscans elected Daniel Lurie as mayor. Catherine Stefani will replace termed-out Assemblyman Phil Ting, and we reelected our other state legislative and congressional representatives. Incumbent supervisors Connie Chan and Myrna Melgar were reelected. Newcomer Bilal Mahmood will replace Supervisor Dean Preston, and Danny Sauter, Jackie Fielder, and Chyanne Chen were elected to replace termed-out supervisors Aaron Peskin, Hillary Ronen, and Ahsha Safai. Edward Wright will represent BART’s 9th District, and Victor Flores the 7th BART District. Livable City thanks Mayor Breed and the outgoing supervisors for their service to the City. We look forward to working with the new and returning elected officials to make San Francisco green, just, and livable.
