San Diego shifted last weekend from issuing warnings to writing actual citations when vehicles are parked within 20 feet of any intersection or crosswalk, whether it is marked or unmarked.
The city is enforcing the state’s new “daylighting” law, which aims to save lives by boosting visibility for drivers, pedestrians, skateboarders and cyclists.
The law took effect Jan. 1, but the city issued warnings for 60 days until March 1, which was last Saturday.
The new rule applies even if the curb is not painted red and even if there aren’t “no parking” signs. City crews have been painting curbs and posting signs since last fall, but they haven’t completed the job citywide.
“It is important for San Diegans and visitors to be aware of this new state law so they can comply with it and avoid being ticketed,” Bethany Bezak, the city’s transportation director, said last week. “It may take some time for San Diegans to get accustomed to it, but together we can make our roadways safer for all users.”
Citations are $77.50 — a $65 city fine plus a state-mandated administrative fee of $12.50. That’s the same cost of a red curb ticket in San Diego.
The new law, AB 413, is modeled after similar laws in 43 other U.S. states. Most of those states also use 20 feet as the required buffer zone where drivers can’t park their cars.
Since AB 413 was signed into law, San Diego officials say city crews have evaluated more than 1,000 of the busiest intersections in the densest areas of the city, which has a total of around 16,000 intersections.
Crews have installed red curbs at about 200 locations and removed 97 parking meters within 20 feet of intersections. All city road work in the future will include painting curbs to comply with the new law.
City officials say they don’t have a good estimate of the total cost of complying with the law.
For details on the new law and city enforcement, visit the city’s daylighting webpage.
