1 week Ago By Michael Golson
A NEW law could mean drivers face hefty fines depending on where they park.A daylighting law that’s been in effect is set to swap written warnings for citations that bring an instant $64 ticket.GettyDrivers have been warned not to park too close to pedestrian crosswalks[/caption]GettyHowever, a major city will not ticket most drivers[/caption]However, most drivers won’t be getting the tickets – with the harsher elements of the ruling seemingly toned down.
According to the new state law, drivers are prohibited from leaving their cars too close to crosswalks if the space isn’t marked as a no-parking zone.But Berkeleyside says local law enforcement in the area will not ticket most drivers.Since the start of the year, parking enforcement officers have been giving out warnings for violations of the “daylighting” law.
At most intersections, this means parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk in the direction traffic approaches.Citations were supposed to be issued this week – even in instances where the curb by the newly illegal space where the driver parked was not painted red or otherwise marked as off-limits.But officials now claim officers will instead continue to write warnings for most violations at unmarked illegal spaces.
In turn, they will save the citations for those who park in spots where curbs are painted red.But the city also said officers may ticket “repeat offenders” who park in unmarked daylighting zones.Officials, though, did not give any indication how many violations someone could rack up before risking a ticket.
The law, which came into effect in California at the beginning of the year, has proven controversial, with public officials throughout the state expressing concerns that it could lead to people who aren’t aware of the change getting tickets for parking in what appear to be legal spots.In Berkeley, for example, the Public Works Department has estimated there are about 1,700 sections of curb where newly off-limits spaces are not yet marked with red curbs or other signs.What’s more, the city has installed parking meters or marked loading zones at curb space in a few places that is now off-limits.
A city spokesman, Matthai Chakko, said officials are encouraging drivers to comply with the law voluntarily.“The most important thing is not about citations and tickets, but safety,” Chakko said.“Avoiding parking within daylighting zones helps fellow motorists to uphold one of their principal responsibilities: yielding to pedestrians at a sidewalk.
“It improves their own line of vision as well as that of fellow drivers.”Seung Lee, another city spokesman, said Berkeley police, City Manager Paul Buddenhagen and the Public Works Department changed the enforcement strategy “to reduce confusion, encourage compliance, and stay consistent in enforcement with other nearby cities.”San Francisco is another city that has similarly backed off of a plan to ticket drivers who violated the law at unmarked spaces.
They had concerns from transportation officials, supervisors, and new Mayor Daniel Lurie that doing so would be “too punitive.”Berkeley officials previously claimed officers have written 234 warnings for violations of the law during the first nine days of the year.The so-called daylighting law aims to improve street safety by making it easier to see pedestrians – as parking right up against a crosswalk blocks the view drivers have of people entering or approaching intersections.
New 'daylighting' lawA new parking law has been introduced in California.California Assembly Bill 413, also known as the Daylighting to Save Lives Bill, prohibits parking within 20 feet of crosswalks.The law makes it illegal for drivers to stop, stand, or park within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
Daylighting is a term for keeping the areas next to intersections as clear as possible to improve visibility on the street and protect pedestrians and bike riders.The law also prohibits parking personal and commercial vehicles within 20 feet of the left curb on one-way streets or within 15 feet of crosswalks where a curb extension is present.The law goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
There will be a 60-day grace period for violations until March 1..
