Thousands of tourists won’t have to make reservations and pay to drive the famed crooked Lombard Street in San Francisco despite an earlier push to add a toll to ease crowding on the block.
On Saturday, October 12, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that California lawmakers approved in early September. The legislation granted San Francisco the power to establish a toll and reservation system for the block of Lombard Street between Leavenworth and Hyde Streets.
“As the former county supervisor representing this neighborhood, I am acutely aware of the need to address congestion and safety around Lombard Street,” Newsom wrote in his veto message. “However, the pricing program proposed in this bill creates social equity issues. Access to this iconic attraction should be available to all, regardless of their ability to pay.”
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority had recommended $5 per car weekdays and $10 weekends and holidays.
Residents say the scenic street has become more like an overcrowded amusement park than a neighborhood street. They have been calling for years for officials to address traffic jams, trash, and trespassing.
Tourism officials estimate that 6,000 people daily visit the 600-foot-long street in the summer, creating lines of cars stretching for blocks.
Newsom said he is committed to working with the city of San Francisco to find “other, workable safety solutions” for fixing crowding on Lombard Street.
This article originally appeared online on September 6, 2019; it was updated on October 14, 2019, to include current information.
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