Tour Buses Banned Around San Francisco's Famous 'Painted Ladies'
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – San Francisco officials have banned tour buses from a neighborhood that has become a major tourist attraction.
Residents in Alamo Square have complained for some time about the growing number of large, oversize vehicles double parking, blocking driveways and sideswiping parked cars in their neighborhood.
Tour Buses Banned Around San Francisco's Alamo Square
"We love our neighborhood and we love our park, Alamo Square. But we're not so fond of the tour buses," said a member of the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association.
So on Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Board of Directors voted 5-0 to ban buses from a 25-square-block area surrounding and including Alamo Square Park. The ban deals with all commercial buses that carry more than nine passengers, with the exception of employer shuttles.
Concerned tour bus operators preferred a different proposal, which would have been a partial ban for the buses and permitted them from traveling slowly along Hayes Street.
Alamo Square is most famous for the famed Painted Ladies, a row of Victorian houses that was featured in the opening credits to the television show, "Full House."
The Painted Ladies have long been one of the top attractions in San Francisco and tour bus operators said they are frequently on the list of spots to visit for people attending conventions or international tourists
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