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Traffic Fix Coming to Golden Gate Park

MLK Drive is getting a traffic flow upgrade: new lane, new signs, less parking
By - posted 5/6/2025 No Comment

If you’ve ever been stuck in a slow crawl trying to get into the Music Concourse garage at Golden Gate Park, relief may be on the way. Starting May 12, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, in partnership with the SFMTA, will begin a short construction project to improve traffic flow and safety on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Work will take place between Nancy Pelosi Drive and Concourse Drive, near Shakespeare Garden. The goal: ease congestion near the entrance to Music Concourse Drive, one of the park’s busiest intersections.

Here’s what’s changing:

  • A new right-turn lane will be added for northbound traffic turning into Music Concourse Drive.
  • A dedicated northbound lane will be added specifically for vehicles entering the garage.
  • The existing bike lane will be restriped, and general lane widths will be adjusted.
  • Fourteen parking spaces will be removed to make space for the new configuration.
  • Red curbs and additional signage will be installed to improve visibility and safety.

The work is scheduled to last five days, from May 12 to May 16. Access to the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, and the underground garage will remain open throughout. There will be no reroutes or delays to Muni service.

This part of Golden Gate Park sees heavy traffic year-round, and city officials hope the changes will help reduce backups, especially during busy weekends and school field trip hours. The new lane setup is also expected to improve reliability for Muni’s 44 O’Shaughnessy line, which currently gets stuck behind cars waiting to turn into the garage.

For regular parkgoers and weekend visitors, it’s worth planning ahead. The removal of 14 parking spots may affect availability near the Concourse, and temporary signage will be posted to guide drivers and cyclists through the new layout.

Construction should wrap up by the end of the week, just in time for the usual weekend crowds.

Hat Tip: SF Gate