A New Twist Leaves Lombard St. Open

Because of divided public opinion on the matter, San Francisco supervisor and mayoral candidate John Molinari has withdrawn his proposal to close Lombard Street, the most crooked street in the world, to automobile traffic.

Instead, Molinari said he has asked Mayor Dianne Feinstein and the San Francisco budget analyst to study the cost of having a police officer control traffic at the corner of Lombard and Hyde streets during the summer months.

Molinari said placing a police officer at the intersection during recent weeks has helped ease traffic congestion, caused more by tourists than the people who live on Lombard Street.

“Traffic appears to be moving a lot better,” Molinari said. “People aren’t stopping and taking pictures.”

Since supervisors were divided on Molinari’s plan, a survey of the neighborhood’s residents was done. The questionnaire, drawn up by the Department of Public Works, was mailed to 529 homes in the area and there were 350 responses.

Of those responding, 147 favored closing the street to outside traffic and 123 were opposed. Forty-two favored evening-only closure, 30 favored weekend closure and two supported both evening and weekend closure. The remainder were undecided.