For motorists in the Bay Area, finding a parking spot has become increasingly challenging.
Starting Monday, a new law mandates that cities across California enhance visibility at intersections to safeguard pedestrians, a measure known as “daylighting.”
From this point forward, parking will be prohibited within 20 feet of any crosswalk.
“This is not just for pedestrians, this is also for the driver. What daylighting does is it gives clear sight lines to the driver to the person that’s standing in the crosswalk,” said Jodie Medeiros.
Medeiros serves as the executive director of Walk San Francisco. She asserts that this approach has already been adopted in various cities and states nationwide, demonstrating its effectiveness in preserving lives.
In San Francisco, the Municipal Transportation Agency anticipates that the new regulations will result in a reduction of approximately 5% of its overall parking capacity, equating to around 14,000 spaces.
The legislation fails to allocate funds for municipalities to repaint curbs or eliminate existing parking meters, placing the responsibility of parking decisions solely on the driver.
People’s Reaction
“Where I live it’s very dense, and we’re going to have to search around more, circle around more for parking spaces,” said John Goins.
Goins expressed his support for lawmakers taking additional measures to enhance public safety, but he believes the regulation is overly expansive.
Goins argues that the legislation will have a greater effect on urban areas such as San Francisco, where space is at a premium, compared to suburban or rural regions.
“I think they should have differentiated large SUVs that definitely obstruct vision and cause problems, as opposed to cars that are smaller,” he said.
Not everyone is troubled by that extra hassle, however.
Many express their willingness to invest extra time in locating parking spaces if it contributes to the safety of others.
“People’s lives are more important than a little extra time looking for parking. And I don’t think it’s going to change too much,” said Neema Esfandiari.
The SFMTA has announced that it will be giving warnings to individuals parked within 20 feet of intersections for the remainder of the year.
Starting in January, drivers will face $40 fines for parking too near crosswalks.
