If there’s one thing that San Franciscans can agree on, it’s that our city should be looking for ways to make living here less expensive, not more. Unfortunately, this November there’s a measure on the ballot that, in addition to making our streets less safe, would also increase the cost of living here.

Here’s why Proposition L is bad for the affordability of our city:

Prop L Prioritizes More Expensive Transportation Options: For most families, transportation costs are their second highest expense, right after housing. By taking money away from Muni and making it less reliable and efficient, and jeopardizing the safety of people on bikes and people on foot, Proposition L forces more of us to rely on driving as a transportation mode. The annual cost of owning a car is around $10,000, not including the cost of actually buying a car! San Francisco families shouldn’t be forced into adding even more to the cost of living here.

Prop L Makes Building New Homes More Expensive: By requiring new homes to be built with lots of private parking space, Proposition L makes it even more expensive to build new housing in San Francisco.  Additionally, Prop L would require the City to build parking garages instead of more living spaces, further reducing the stock of affordable housing. We know our beautiful city can’t grow outwards, so by prioritizing housing for cars as highly as housing for people, Proposition L makes both more expensive. That’s why housing rights groups like the San Francisco Tenants Union oppose Proposition L.

Prop L Hurts Our Low-Income Residents the Most: Data from the San Francisco Department of Public Health shows that our low income residents are those most likely to be injured or killed in an on-street collision. The City is working on improving safety in neighborhoods like the Tenderloin and SoMa, but there’s lots left to be done. By prioritizing fast-moving traffic as highly as human safety, Proposition L will slow or stop many of those safety improvements, and put our low-income residents at risk. That’s why disability and safety advocacy groups like Senior Disability Action and Walk San Francisco oppose Proposition L.

We need you to join us in ensuring this anti-affordability measure loses at the ballot. Here’s how you can join the grassroots effort.

1. Vote No on Prop L
2. Share this article with your friends
3. Volunteer to help the No on L campaign!
4. Become an SF Bicycle Coalition member and help ensure our city keeps rolling forward

This article is part of an ongoing series on why Proposition L is bad for everyone — whether you ride a bike, walk, take transit or drive to get around. Read more in the series of Why Prop L is Bad for All of Us.