Lombard Street is one of San Francisco’s top tourist attractions that you can check out without paying a dime, but here’s a couple of fun facts that will make you see this crooked street in a whole new light.
Safety First
If you’ve ever wondered why Lombard Street features so many sharp switchbacks, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. It was designed this way in 1922, as a way of reducing 27% grade of the hill, which was considered too steep for both the cars and the pedestrians.
Busy Traffic
If you’re thinking of driving down Lombard Street while in San Francisco, you’ll have to be patient. You can only drive 8 km/h, and it’s sometimes required to wait up to 20 minutes for your turn because this street is always packed.
Not Most Crooked
This tourist attraction is often described as “the crookedest street in the world,” but that’s a misconception. This title actually belongs to Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, and even San Francisco’s Vermont Street is believed to be more crooked than Lombard’s.
