San Francisco could charge to drive its famed crooked street

Tourists may have to pay a fee soon to drive down San Francisco’s world-famous crooked street.

California officials plan to announce a proposal Monday that would allow San Francisco to establish a toll and reservation system for Lombard Street.

Assemblyman Phil Ting wrote the measure and says the crowds and traffic congestions have become a safety issue for the neighborhood.

Residents say the scenic thoroughfare feels more like an overcrowded amusement park than a residential road. They have been calling for years for officials to address the traffic jams, trash and trespassing by visitors.

Tourism officials estimate that 6,000 people per day visit the 600-foot-long (183-meter-long) street in the summer months, creating lines of waiting cars that stretch for blocks.