Lombard Street toll bill passes committee, moves to assembly floor vote

A state assembly bill proposing motorists reserve a spot and pay a toll before driving down Lombard Street in San Francisco has passed the Assembly Transportation Committee by an 11-to-3 vote on Monday, according to the Office of Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco.

Assembly Bill 1065, the Lombard Street Reservation and Pricing System, is eligible to go to a floor vote on the assembly floor at the State Capitol in Sacramento next week, Ting’s spokeswoman Nannette Miranda said, and Ting will try to get it on Thursday, May 2 agenda.

Ting announced the introduction of the legislation on Monday, April 15. It would authorize the city to start implementing the pricing and reservation program at the iconic street, which, according to Ting, attracts more than two million visitors annually.

“In recent years, the crowds and traffic congestion have become a safety issue for that neighborhood,” Ting said in a statement on April 15. “We must implement a system that enables both residents and visitors to enjoy the ‘crookedest street in the world.'”

A 2017 study conducted by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority found that by managing access to the crooked part of Lombard, located between Leavenworth and Hyde streets, the city could regulate traffic congestion at the entrance and reduce the length of cars in the queue. According to Ting’s office, the legislation is necessary because existing law forbids a local agency from imposing a tax, permit fee, or other charge for using its streets or highways. If approved, the city would then be responsible for determining how much to charge and how to implement the program.