By Blake Dillon —
Golden Gate Park, formerly known as the “outside land” and covered with sand dunes, was initially envisioned by civil engineer William Hammond Hall (1846–1934). The city’s Park Commission in 1870 had solicited bids for a topographical survey that was awarded to Hall. Many of the park’s features, including its Main Drive—renamed John F. Kennedy (JFK) Drive in 1967—date to that survey. Hall lived to see the roads that he first designed for the man-made park be used for many forms of transportation, providing fair and easy access to all.
With the primary thoroughfare now closed, access is far from easy for many—particularly numerous seniors and individuals with mobility challenges. Recently, for example, my sister took our mother, for whom she is the primary caregiver, for a visit to the Conservatory of Flowers. Our mother has neurological problems as well as mild cognitive impairment and uses a walker at home but requires being pushed in a wheelchair when on outings. The Conservatory of Flowers means a lot to her. She has visited there for years, enjoying its calming beauty and learning about its native and exotic plant collections.
Public transportation for many different reasons has proven to be near impossible for her, due to delays that actually once triggered a seizure, other safety considerations, and more. Our family is environmentally conscious and not at all wealthy. I cannot recall the last time that any of us went on a vacation. The trips to Golden Gate Park were like a vacation, especially for our mother.
So, what was this trip like, now that JFK is closed? It took my sister at least an hour to obtain a placard space on Nancy Pelosi Drive. Even that was lucky, as she otherwise would have to have left. By then, however, our mother was already anxious and needing to visit the rest room, which was a 20-minute walk away. My sister, who herself is older, had to first attempt to cross JFK. After she looked left and right, she cautiously stepped into the road, at which point a speeding bicyclist gave them the finger and yelled, “Watch where you are going!” My sister pushed the wheelchair as fast as she could, going over the rocky ground that made the chair not only hard to maneuver, but also caused it to move dangerously up and down.
Once across JFK, my sister had to push the chair over a long uphill stretch—again extremely bumpy and not well paved. She was out of breath when the bathrooms near the Conservatory were in sight. Teenagers on bicycles nearby stared and laughed as the wheelchair—vibrating from the friction of the poorly maintained path—moved past.
Their journey by this time had required at least an hour and a half, such that our mother did not make it to the bathroom in time. Some quick thinking on the part of my smart sister, who was carrying some items in her bag, saved the day and the two were able to visit the Conservatory. My sister, however, dreaded the long and difficult walk back to the car.
They have not been back to the park since. I hope to go and try to help them, but my work schedule has not allowed for that yet.
My family’s experience is not an anomaly. Consider Howard Chabner, a disability rights activist and wheelchair user. He wrote to the City and County San Francisco Department of Elections, mentioning, in part: “For decades, San Franciscans have enjoyed a compromise that allowed everyone access to JFK Drive. The road has been open to cars on weekdays with protected bike lanes and pedestrian walkways and closed on Sundays, holidays, and some Saturdays. Permanent closure of JFK Drive is not progressive or inclusive … Closing JFK Drive is not the way to improve street safety. In fact, it has only increased bicycle on pedestrian incidents. Closing the road and denying access doesn’t make sense when there are other simple solutions like reducing speed limits and adding protected crosswalks and speed bumps. San Francisco is a city of inclusion, yet the closure of JFK Drive has left seniors, people with disabilities, and residents who live far from the park out in the cold. Golden Gate Park belongs to all of us.”
The Arc, a nonprofit for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, reports: “The closure of JFK Drive has prevented many of our clients from visiting and working in Golden Gate Park. This isn’t fair or equitable.”
Clearly, not all seniors and disabled individuals face the same challenges. Some have no problem going out for hours’ long walks, for example, and athletic hand cycle users can be seen on JFK Drive from time to time. But I ask that you have empathy for those others whose lives are already very challenging. This includes both the individuals themselves and often their caregivers.
Many stories about this matter in progressive-leaning papers have portrayed those who support Proposition I and are against Proposition J as elitist. Some of the social media comments, even from top city leaders, blatantly reveal their ageism and complete disregard for the difficulties faced by many in our senior and disability communities. Given this, it is little surprise that so many buildings in San Francisco are not ADA compliant. The next time you go for a walk, look around the streets and imagine what they would be like for someone in a wheelchair.
It is shameful that basic rights, such as access to a park that from its inception was intended to have roads, are up to a public vote. According to the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services, one in ten San Franciscans reports having a disability and almost half of the people with disabilities are under age 65. Those numbers are only going to increase as the 65 and older population continues to rise in numbers. Our mother always exercised and ate a healthy, balanced diet, yet she still wound up with mobility and cognitive challenges. You may find yourself in such a position one day too, or have to care for a relative or friend in these circumstances.
One of my jobs is for the San Francisco Bay Times, and I realize that not all who work and write for the paper, or for that matter read it, agree with me. But I at least ask that you try to put yourselves in the position of those who desperately want and need access to Golden Gate Park, yet do not have it now because of JFK’s closure. I would argue that the visits to the Conservatory of Flowers, Botanical Garden, and more were beneficial to my mother’s health, both mentally and physically. Lack of access to them therefore is a loss beyond measure.
A growing number of community organizations urge, as I do, voting Yes on I and No on J. They include:
For more information and to volunteer to help protect fair, free access to Golden Gate Park: https://www.access4allsf.com/
Blake Dillon is an administrative assistant and contributor to the “San Francisco Bay Times.”
Published on October 20, 2022
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