Greenberg: The Anti-Car Crusade Hurts Seniors, the Disabled, and Families

San Francisco’s relentless push to eliminate cars and parking, championed by City Hall and emboldened by rabid YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) activists, is strangling the mobility of our most vulnerable residents: seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children. Our city’s transit-first dogma prioritizes buses, bikes, bike lanes and pedestrians while slashing critical parking spaces and discouraging driving entirely. City Hall’s vision, sold as “progressive” and “eco-friendly”, ignores the practical needs of those who must rely on cars to navigate daily life.

There is now a new “Doom Loop” upon us, as local media report: Our aging population.

Our city is graying fast. Reports show 30% of San Francisco will be over 60 years of age by 2030.

Meanwhile, 10% of our adults live with disabilities, and families are fleeing due to the city’s lack of family-friendly infrastructure, residents which depend on private vehicles for independence, safety, and convenience. City Hall and YIMBY advocates seem oblivious, pushing policies that make life harder for them. Is this actually advocates’ plan? Do they care?

Seniors, many of whom face real mobility challenges, are hit hard by San Francisco’s anti-car fervor. An estimated 28% of elderly live alone, heightening their risk of isolation. Removing curbside parking near medical offices, grocery stores, or senior centers forces them to trek across hilly, poorly maintained sidewalks.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) touts paratransit and discounted Muni fares, but these are no substitute for the flexibility and functionality of a car; ride-hailing apps like Uber are unaffordable for those scraping by on Social Security. YIMBY activists and their major financial donors cheer parking cuts to “densify” neighborhoods, rarely acknowledging how these changes trap seniors in their homes, eroding their social and mental health.

People with disabilities face an even starker betrayal. Of the 38,000 disabled adults aged 18–64, many rely on private vehicles for independence. Yet, City Hall’s rush to convert parking into bike lanes or transit corridors often eliminates essential designated handicap parking spaces. Proposals to cut disabled parking is tone-deaf.

Muni and BART meet ADA standards with low-floor buses and elevators, but over 40% of disabled residents fear unsafe streets or cannot get to a bus stop. Disabled residents without household cars—five times the rate of non-disabled peers— say parking cuts are a direct assault on their freedom. YIMBYs, obsessed with urban density, shun these realities, framing cars as the enemy.

Families with children are also collateral damage in this anti-car crusade. Parents need cars for strollers, shopping, shuttling children to school, afterschool activities, and errands, but parking near schools or parks is quickly vanishing. Public transit, while stroller-friendly in theory, is often crowded, impractical or impossible for parents juggling kids. The city’s dwindling child population signals a broader failure: San Francisco is becoming unlivable for families, and YIMBYs’ push for car-free zones ignores the logistical chaos this creates.

Collectively, City Hall and YIMBY activists defend their policies as being climate-friendly and equitable, but they’re blind to the mass inequity they’re causing. Residents turn to cars when transit fails them. Yet, proposals like congestion pricing and parking space removal steamrolls ahead, with little regard for those who can’t adapt or comply. YIMBYs argue that density and transit solve all problems, but their vision assumes everyone is young, able-bodied, and child-free.

We must change course. San Francisco should preserve and expand accessible parking near hospitals, stores, and schools, using smart parking apps to guide drivers. Create “family parking” zones for parents, expectant mother parking spaces, like those in other cities. Boost accessible ride-hailing for residents when necessary. Most importantly, City Hall must stop sidelining our vulnerable communities and include them in planning through dedicated advisory councils. This disconnect is glaring in elected officials’ planning, which rarely includes seniors, disabled residents, or families in meaningful policy considerations.

San Francisco’s anti-car policies, fueled by City Hall and YIMBY idealism, are failing us. And there’s a new Doom Loop upon us. It’s time to demand policies that let all residents thrive, not just those who fit a car-free fantasy.