The long and winding road: tolls coming to San Francisco's Lombard St.

Tourists looking to drive down San Francisco’s famously winding Lombard St. will soon be subject to a road toll, after lawmakers approved a bill granting the city powers to establish a toll and reservation system.

The bill, approved last week, would see the implementation of a $5 USD toll ($10 on weekends) for drivers who want to cruise down the popular landmark, as recommended by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. According to city tourism officials, the 600-metre stretch of road draws up to 6,000 daily visitors, creating headaches for local residents living on or near the crowded roadway.

Known as ‘The Crookedest Street in the World,’ the crooked one-block portion of Lombard St. was built in 1922 with eight hairpin turns as a method of alleviating the hill’s significant grade, too steep for most vehicles.

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