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San Francisco's Famed Lombard Street Closed To Vehicle Traffic This Weekend

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – After years of complaining about tourist overload, residents along San Francisco's world famous Lombard Street will be getting some relief from vehicle traffic this weekend.

In late May, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors voted unanimously to restrict eastbound vehicular traffic on Lombard Street, between Larkin and Leavenworth streets, for four weekends this summer.

San Francisco's Famed Lombard Street Closed To Vehicle Traffic This Weekend

This Saturday, June 21 marks the first of those closures. Local residents and pedestrians will still have access to Lombard Street, and the board voted to permit taxis to drive down the street as well.

The closure, expected from about noon to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, is meant as a pilot project, as the MTA and residents in the area have expressed concerns about safety and reducing congestion on that part of Lombard Street.

KCBS reporter Jeffrey Schaub talked to many tourists, and most tended to agree that it is a good idea.

"I think that the residents are entitled to a certain amount of privacy," said one tourist visiting Lombard Street. "You don't want the whole world walking in front of your front lawn."

But one tourist from Minnesota was not so empathetic. "It comes with the territory," she said.

Along with this weekend, Lombard Street will also be closed to vehicle traffic on June 28 and 29, July 4, 5, and 6 and July 12 and 13.

The MTA said the pilot project will help city officials determine whether to pursue temporary closures on a more regular basis.

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