The great Upper Great Highway debate continues, as a new measure proposing to restore weekday vehicle access to the roadway has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

Great Highway for Everyone, the group fighting to reopen the Upper Great Highway to vehicles, say they've collected enough signatures to send the issue back to San Francisco voters in November, as Mission Local reports. The group reportedly submitted a petition with more than 15,600 signatures to the Department of Elections on Monday — well above the roughly 10,600 required to qualify for the November ballot, pending verification.

If approved, the measure would reopen the stretch between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard to cars on weekdays while keeping Sunset Dunes Park open on weekends. According to KTVU, the measure would also require approval from the California Coastal Commission and potentially other agencies.

The proposal comes less than two years after San Franciscans approved Prop K by a 55%-45% margin, permanently closing the Upper Great Highway to vehicles and creating Sunset Dunes, as SFist reported at the time. The fight over the Great Highway has continued ever since, with District 4 voters recalling Supervisor Joel Engardio over his support for Prop K, opponents losing a lawsuit seeking to overturn Prop K in January, and a separate ballot measure introduced by District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong failing to qualify for the June election.

Meanwhile, Mission Local reports that Friends of Sunset Dunes filed a lawsuit arguing that the petition language contains inaccurate or misleading claims, while emphasizing that voters have already made clear their preference for the park.

Political consultant Jim Ross told the outlet the pro-highway campaign faces a difficult challenge because it is seeking to undo an existing park that has gained popularity. He noted that the measure would need broad support on the westside to succeed and predicted the debate could continue for years, similar to the 1990s-era fight over the Central Freeway, which made it onto the ballot three times.

“It has a political potency,” Ross told Mission Local, and it “probably won’t go away anytime soon.”

Per KTVU, city data shows Sunset Dunes has drawn more than 1.7 million visits since opening, averaging roughly 5,000 visitors a day, with attendance peaking at nearly 19,000 during this year's San Francisco Half Marathon. The city has also continued adding amenities, including public art, hammocks, and a skate area.

Additionally, a recent analysis by The Frisc found little evidence that closing the Upper Great Highway has significantly worsened neighborhood traffic or increased crashes. Aside from one month with an unusually high number of collisions, injury crashes declined through the rest of the year, while most nearby streets saw little change in traffic speeds during commute hours.

The outlet also noted that prior to the passing of Prop K, Upper Great Highway had to be closed dozens of times each year due to drifting sand and flooding, while the roadway south of Sloat Boulevard was already permanently closed because of coastal erosion.

Previously: More Absurd Great Highway Drama: Supervisor Wong Blames Opponent That His Ballot Measure Failed to Launch

Image: Friends of Sunset Dunes via Facebook