From today’s SFGate,

A decades-old movement to close a stretch of Golden Gate Park roadway to motorists on Saturdays — a political debate that has pitted green-space advocates against those concerned with congestion, museum attendance and access for the elderly and disabled — received an essential endorsement Friday.

The Board of Supervisors Land Use and Economic Development Committee unanimously approved a six-month test run of the closure, introduced by Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, at a special public hearing.

Closing 1.5 miles of John F. Kennedy Drive between Kezar Drive and Transverse Drive on Saturdays would mimic the 39-year-old Sunday closure of the same stretch of road from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The measure moved to the full board, where it is expected to pass. If approved, it would require several agencies to gather data on the temporary closure that could be studied later.

Those in favor pointed to the success of the Sunday closing of the eastern end of Kennedy Drive to create a refuge for skaters, bikers and pedestrians who want to escape the traffic. Proponent David G. Miles Jr., a popular roller skater who leads the Friday Night Skate, has advocated Saturday road closures for decades and brought several of his children to help voice support Friday. Saturday closures, he said, would give families more opportunities to have picnics, enjoy green space for free or skate, as he does every Sunday.

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