San Francisco’s most famous street is getting much-needed relief from vehicle traffic this weekend. Starting tomorrow, June 21, Lombard Street will be closed to vehicles every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m until July 13 (it'll be closed on July 4th as well). The MTA set up this pilot program after residents of the crooked street repeatedly complained about the hundreds of gawking, driving tourists passing by their homes every day of the week. Lombard will remain open to pedestrians and cabs.
Closing Lombard street —which, contrary to popular belief, isn’t even the most crooked street in the city, let alone the world — got us thinking about the best ways to repurpose its twists and curves. After all, this is a city that loves to play with public space. So we present to you our Lombard Street fantasy.
Since the street is situated on a steep decline, installing a water slide is a no brainer. For decorations, we went with a giant Jackalope structure and a colorful castle for the kids. We’ve also imported a Ferris wheel, to help make Russian Hill's amazing views even more stunning. And we couldn't forget the food trucks – because wherever there's fun in this city, there's also kimchi tacos.
Now that our designs have been made public, we should take our plans to the residents of Lombard Street, who I’m sure will be just as excited as we are about this opportunity.
Lombard Street Photo by Rob Young
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