The state Assembly on Thursday voted to approve a pilot toll and reservation program for the famously crooked section of San Francisco’s Lombard Street in a bid to reduce crowds and ease traffic on the world-renowned thoroughfare.

The 600-foot-long stretch of Lombard attracts more than 2 million visitors a year, creating lines of cars that stretch for blocks and clog the Russian Hill neighborhood, said Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who sponsored the bill, AB 1605.

The new toll system is not expected to be in place before 2020, officials said, and it's not clear how much the fee would be. San Francisco transportation officials have proposed requiring visitors to make a reservation online and pay $5 for each vehicle — another plan calls for online reservations and a $10 charge on weekends and holidays.

“It has become increasingly difficult to manage the crowds and traffic congestion at the crooked street,” Ting said in a statement. “Neither the presence of parking enforcement officers, nor the closure of the crooked segment has changed the current situation. AB 1605 offers a solution worth trying to improve public safety and the quality of life for residents.”

The Assembly vote 51-18 to pass the bill, which the state Senate will consider next. The legislation was necessary because existing law prohibits a local agency from imposing a tax, permit fee or other charge for the privilege of using its streets or highways, Ting said.

Residents say Lombard Street, with its unique hairpin turns, feels more like an overcrowded amusement park than a neighborhood street. For years, they've urged officials to deal with the traffic jams, trash and trespassing by visitors.

"The cars really impact the neighborhood because they line up, they back up, they are sitting idling," said Greg Brundage, president of the Lombard Hill Improvement Association.

San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who represents the district that includes the crooked part of Lombard Street, said the toll would help sustain the reservation system and help pay for more traffic control officers and police patrols in the area, as well as tourism ambassadors.

"It's a pilot program but it's something we must try to address the traffic congestion," Stefani said.

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority concluded in a 2017 study that managing access to Lombard Street had become necessary and recommended a reservation and pricing system. The agency is conducting another study reviewing technology options for the system as well as hours of operation, price level and exemptions.

Residents built the iconic turns on the red brick road in 1922 because its 27-degree grade was too steep for the era's cars to climb. Neighbors added lush gardens filled with hydrangeas and roses 30 years later.

The sweeping views and the fact that a cable car stops at the top of the street contributed to its popularity. Its worldwide fame only grew after it was featured in movies and commercials.

Brundage, who has lived on the street for 22 years, said dealing with the traffic jams is half the problem. He also would like to see something done about the buses that drop off tourists, but is glad to see some progress on addressing the traffic situation.

KQED's Miranda Leitsinger contributed to this report.