We are just weeks away from the enforcement of a new California law designed to protect people crossing the street in heavily-traveled intersections.
There are trucks and cars and other vehicles crisscrossing Linda Vista neighborhoods every day. At the intersection of Fulton Street and Lavant Street, drivers don’t always proceed with caution. There is no stop sign, and cars are parked right up to the crosswalks.
John Barrett has lived in the area more than 40 years.
“People just don’t look. They’re focused on their travel. And if you’re (waiting behind a parked car to cross), you better look out because they’re going," Barrett said. He and his wife, Gabriella, have seen several near misses between cars and pedestrians.
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In Spanish, Gabriella said, "the population is growing here and there is so much more construction. There just isn't enough parking."
California’s new law AB413 is nicknamed the "daylighting" law because vision is better in the daylight.
It prohibits both personal and commercial vehicles from parking or stopping within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk anywhere in the state. The law applies to curbs whether they’re red striped or not.
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This weekend, the City of San Diego started red striping more neighborhoods. Other cities in the county are moving at their own pace with their own implementation plan.
But the motivation to improve the range of vision for drivers is the same.
“It’s necessary because we’ve seen an increase in pedestrian deaths over the past ten years. Part of that is because of larger car sizes, and speed. So, this is just a way to save lives," said Jeremy Bloom, Interim CEO of Circulate San Diego.
Parking police will start enforcing the daylighting law Jan. 1, 2025. They will start with warnings for a couple of months before issuing citations. The cost for violations will depend on the jurisdiction where the vehicle is blocking the crosswalk.
The City of San Diego has a webpage with more details.
