Tensions High At Meeting For Lombard St. Toll

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Dozens of people who live on Lombard Street and in the surrounding area came to a meeting Wednesday evening to air their frustrations about tourists and traffic jams.

Many said they support a proposed plan to force people to make reservations to drive the "Crookedest Street in America," and then pay a $5-$10 fee.

"The way this might be implemented is with a camera that captures license plates, or it could be implemented with parking control officers," said Eric Young, spokesman for the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

The SFCTA hosted the meeting at Yick Wo Alternative Elementary School and said the feedback they received from residents would go into a final report before being presented to the Board of Directors.

RELATED: SF Mulls Imposing Fee To Drive Down Congested Lombard St.

Frank Morrow, who lives on Lombard Street, said the backups persist all day and sometimes into the night.

"We'll have cars idling in front of our house 14-16 hours a day," he said. "You get at least 3 or 4, 5 car fires a year because people overheat and then you get cars sliding down the hill backwards."

While Morrow and others agreed that they would like to see a plan that moderates traffic, they couldn't agree on exactly how to do it. One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, told KPIX 5 that he believes tourists would never use an online reservation system.

"It just doesn't make any sense," he said. "It's like dreaming."

Tensions briefly boiled over in the meeting when one attendee accused neighbors of "entitlement" and said their grievances were over inconveniences. Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who represents the area, said that while it's unclear how the final proposal will change, she is working on a solution.

"Something has to be done. It's not an option to do nothing," she said.

County officials said ultimately, it would be up to state legislators to approve a fee on Lombard Street, since it is a public road. If it is approved, it could go into effect in about a year at the earliest.