<P> The street was named after Lombard Street in Philadelphia by San Francisco surveyor Jasper O'Farrell . </P> <P> Lombard Street's west end is at Presidio Boulevard inside The Presidio; it then heads east through the Cow Hollow neighborhood . For 12 blocks, between Broderick Street and Van Ness Avenue, it is an arterial road that is co-signed as U.S. Route 101 . Lombard Street continues through the Russian Hill neighborhood and to the Telegraph Hill neighborhood . At Telegraph Hill it turns south, becoming Telegraph Hill Boulevard to Pioneer Park and Coit Tower . Lombard Street starts again at Winthrop Street and ends at The Embarcadero as a collector road . </P> <P> Lombard Street is known for the one - way block on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, where eight sharp turns are said to make it the most crooked street in the world . The design, first suggested by property owner Carl Henry and built in 1922, was intended to reduce the hill's natural 27 percent grade, which was too steep for most vehicles . The crooked block is perhaps 600 feet (180 m) long (412.5 feet (125.7 m) straightline), is one - way (downhill) and is paved with red bricks . The sign at the top recommends 5 mph (8 km / h). The segment normally sees around 250 vehicles per hour, with average daily traffic reaching 2630 vehicles in 2013 . During peak times, vehicles have to wait up to 20 minutes to enter the Crooked Street segment, in a queue that can reach Van Ness Avenue . </P> <P> The Powell - Hyde cable car stops at the top of the block on Hyde Street . </P>

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