SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that proposed to establish a toll system to charge tourists when they drive down the crooked Lombard Street, a tourist landmark in the city.
Newsom said in a note to California Assembly members Saturday that the proposed pricing program "creates social equity issues," and that he prefers to find other solutions to addressing safety and congestion issues in the neighborhood.
The California State Assembly passed a bill drafted by Assemblymember Phil Ting from San Francisco last month, which would allow city authorities to install a reservation and pricing system for the 183-meter-long section with eight sharp hairpin turns on Lombard Street in the downtown area.
Ting said the bill aimed to ease traffic congestion and increase public safety for the neighborhood. San Francisco County transportation authority recommended 5 U.S. dollars per car on weekdays, and 10 dollars on weekends and holidays.
"Access to this iconic attraction should be available to all, regardless of their ability to pay," Newsom said in the note, adding he is committed to working with the State Legislature and San Francisco City on other workable safety solutions.
Surrounded by Russian Hill mansions and manicured landscaping and flowers, the scenic crooked Lombard Street gives tourists a view from the top looking out onto San Francisco Bay, Bay Bridge and Coit Tower built in the 1930s. More than 2 million people visit the street each year.
