Lombard Street in San Francisco-"World's Crookedest Street"

[RedAngie]

City officials have proposed a bill that would require tourists to pay a fee and make a reservation to drive down the winding street, one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions.

https://www.apnews.com/aff3662237cc45ad9f5502bbbc3b34da

Logistically I'm not sure how this would work and I doubt a $5 or $10 fee would deter many tourists.

As for the residents, I have little sympathy. This has been a popular tourist attraction since at least the 1950's. Every current homeowner or renter was aware of this yet for reasons of their own chose to buy or rent there.

Perhaps it should be made into a private street, gated and open only to the vehicles of residents, police, and official city business. Pedestrian access also. There are methods to legally change a public street into a private one.

 

[skyblue17]

I don't really get the point of driving down it. It's cool to see it. I walked up it! The cable car stops at the top so you can easily get off and see the view or walk down. I agree that it should be a gated street to vehicular traffic, with the option of closing it to pedestrians at certain times. You don't need to be on it to appreciate it.

 

[mnrose]

The amount of traffic on that street has grown exponentially over time. Sure, it has always been popular, but when I first moved to the City (early 80's), you could easily go down it. No line ups. No back ups. Now, it's INSANE. IMO, walking it is the way to see it anyway. Shrug. I don't blame the City for trying to monetize this.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

City officials have proposed a bill that would require tourists to pay a fee and make a reservation to drive down the winding street, one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions.

https://www.apnews.com/aff3662237cc45ad9f5502bbbc3b34da

Logistically I'm not sure how this would work and I doubt a $5 or $10 fee would deter many tourists.

As for the residents, I have little sympathy. This has been a popular tourist attraction since at least the 1950's. Every current homeowner or renter was aware of this yet for reasons of their own chose to buy or rent there.

Perhaps it should be made into a private street, gated and open only to the vehicles of residents, police, and official city business. Pedestrian access also. There are methods to legally change a public street into a private one.

It's like people that move right next to the freeway and then demand that taxpayers fund a sound wall. The freeway was there first and you moved there anyway. Why should everyone else pay for that? Now sure if a freeway is built right through an existing neighborhood, yeah, put a sound wall in. But if the freeway is there first, no way. Oh and I have absolutely no sympathy for the residents of Lombard St. Just the well to do wanting to keep out us rif raf. If they're fed up with it they can sell (or rent somewhere else)

https://sf.curbed.com/2016/9/27/13076868/lombard-crooked-values-tourists-homes-sf

But lovie and i bought this house for 4 million. I demand San Francisco keep the rif raf out.....

 

[Ride Junkie]

It's been a while since I've been down Lombard Street (maybe 10+ years), but it wasn't bad back then. We rode the cable car past it about 2 years ago and it was pretty congested. I don't blame them either for trying to implement a solution.

Driving down it isn't that much fun. You have to go really slow because of traffic, so you don't really feel the effects of the switchbacks. It's probably better on foot. I did see a guy beef it on a skateboard once, so that isn't a good option either.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Oh and by the way, the real crookedest street in San Francisco is Vermont. It's not a beautified tourist trap, but if you really like crooked, that's it.

 

[Meriweather]

I've been in a car that drove down it.....many, many years ago.
I have since walked down it.....maybe 3 years ago and didn't see any cars on it at all.

 

[Micca]

World's Crookedest Street

It's not Wall Street??? Thank you, I'm here all week. Try the veal and don't forget to tip your server.

 

[DLgal]

It's not even fun to go down it anymore. You have to creep down so slowly since it's bumper to bumper cars all the time.

I think it should be closed to residents only. That has gotta be a real pain in the butt to live there and have to get in and out.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I drove down that street about 25 years ago. It was a Saturday afternoon and it was crowded back then. I'm sure it's worse now.

When I reached the bottom I asked my ex-wife "Is that it? Why did we bother?"

Several years ago when DW and I visited we were smart and took the cable car from downtown and walked down the hill. Then we walked north along the lower street several blocks to reach the Fisherman's Wharf area.

No sympathy for the residents who live there. "They bought their houses......They knew what they were getting into.....I say, "Let them crash."

 

[kdonnel]

I drove down it once, before GPS, and was navigating using a paper map and we got lost on the way there.

My navigator told me to turn, I did right in front of a cable car so I floored it.

Went down at 40-50 MPH. Didn’t take long at all.

 

[Duchie]

Oh and by the way, the real crookedest street in San Francisco is Vermont. It's not a beautified tourist trap, but if you really like crooked, that's it.

You beat me to it! Vermont was closer to my grandmother's house so we'd visit it when we were at her house.

 

[mummabear]

Perhaps it should be made into a private street, gated and open only to the vehicles of residents, police, and official city business. Pedestrian access also. There are methods to legally change a public street into a private one.

Sure, the residents can purchase the land from the city. Then the maintenance and enforcement for it becomes their cost too.
But to block off a city street to keep the uber wealthy happy, while expecting the city to pay for maintenance and enforcement no.
They would also need to think if they will be u happy of their guests can no longer drive to their place?

 

[Lumpy1106]

Lombard is also a magnet for petty crime. If you want to see your car broken into, just go park anywhere near the thing and act like a tourist walking back to take pictures of it.

 

[ronandannette]

City officials have proposed a bill that would require tourists to pay a fee and make a reservation to drive down the winding street, one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions.

https://www.apnews.com/aff3662237cc45ad9f5502bbbc3b34da

Logistically I'm not sure how this would work and I doubt a $5 or $10 fee would deter many tourists.

As for the residents, I have little sympathy. This has been a popular tourist attraction since at least the 1950's. Every current homeowner or renter was aware of this yet for reasons of their own chose to buy or rent there.

Perhaps it should be made into a private street, gated and open only to the vehicles of residents, police, and official city business. Pedestrian access also. There are methods to legally change a public street into a private one.

Well, I've done my bit to tick the residents off - I go down it every time I visit San Francisco and I'm sure I'll do it again. Most recent was last April and while the traffic was reasonably steady in the mid-afternoon, bumper-to-bumper it certainly wasn't. Now downtown on the other hand...

 

[RedAngie]

Sure, the residents can purchase the land from the city. Then the maintenance and enforcement for it becomes their cost too.

But to block off a city street to keep the uber wealthy happy, while expecting the city to pay for maintenance and enforcement no.

They would also need to think if they will be u happy of their guests can no longer drive to their place?

Of course property owners would be financially responsible for legally acquiring the land and then paying to maintain it.

(Wild guess. 500K per owner to acquire and 25K per year maintenance.)

Guests can be handled like any other gated community.

 

[RedAngie]

Well, I've done my bit to tick the residents off - I go down it every time I visit San Francisco and I'm sure I'll do it again. Most recent was last April and while the traffic was reasonably steady in the mid-afternoon, bumper-to-bumper it certainly wasn't. Now downtown on the other hand...

What a noodge!!!

To me it was a one-time been there, done that thing. And I didn't drive. Took the Cable Car.

 

[ronandannette]

What a noodge!!!

To me it was a one-time been there, done that thing. And I didn't drive. Took the Cable Car.

Googling "noodge" right now...I'll get back to you on whether or not I can like your post.

 

[ronandannette]

What a noodge!!!

To me it was a one-time been there, done that thing. And I didn't drive. Took the Cable Car.

Googling "noodge" right now...I'll get back to you on whether or not I can like your post.

According to the on-line Yiddish Slang Dictionary, noodge is NOT a compliment.

 

[MillauFr]

Of course they should charge a toll to drive down the street. The city could charge $25 a car and there would still be a huge backup to drive down it.