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Lombard Street Closure Inspires Mess of Pressing Questions

Joe Eskenazi May 22, 2014 10:25 AM

Less of this, please...
If the city sees fit to place a gate atop Lombard Street, its wealthy, put-upon denizens can actually quip about barbarians at the gate. 

The Municipal Transportation Agency board this week voted to shut down the famed "Crookedest Street in the World" for four busy summer weekends to all but locals, pedestrians, and taxis.

Since no city plan -- let alone one hatched by Muni -- could go awry, we're sure all will go smoothly. But there is this: The MTA Board said no to cars on Lombard but yes to taxis, presumably ferrying the disabled or those too enfeebled to walk the stairs. 

Our calls to MTA spokesman Paul Rose and city traffic engineer Ricardo Olea haven't yet been returned. But this prompts the question: If taxis are allowed access to Lombard's hallowed bricks, what bout Uber, Lyft, and other app-based "TNCs"? 

Also: What's to keep enterprising cabbies/private drivers from setting up shop atop Lombard and serving as land-based gondoliers for cash-addled tourists who circumscribed the globe to get here and want to drive them some crookedest street?

Of course, the selfie-shooting hordes could head over to Potrero and traverse Vermont Street -- San Francisco's real crookedest street