It’s Monday, and San Francisco just lost around 14,000 parking spaces as a change to the vehicle code — the Daylighting to Save Lives Bill (AB 413) — went into effect, requiring California cities to “daylight” intersections.
That means clearing sight lines between drivers and people crossing the street by removing parking to reduce the chance of collisions.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials anticipate that about 13,775 on-street parking spots — or 5% of all street parking — will be affected by the law.
The city has approximately 442,000 public parking spaces, with 275,500 on streets and 166,500 in garages and lots, according to a parking census conducted in 2014. If those 442,000 spots were strung together, they would measure 900 miles, longer than California’s 840-mile coastline.
The new law does not provide cities with funding or require curbs to be painted red at crosswalks. It’s the responsibility of drivers to leave a parking space’s distance between their vehicle and a crosswalk on the approach side, whether it’s painted or not.
Parking enforcement staffers will begin issuing written warnings for vehicles parked within 20 feet of any crosswalk in the direction of approaching traffic. For example, you could receive a warning if you park less than 20 feet in front of a stop sign.
Beginning Jan. 1, the SFMTA will issue fines, starting at $40, to anyone caught parking in daylighting zones.
The law applies to all crosswalks, whether the crossing is painted or not.
‘I’m truly against it’
As with pretty much any change to parking rules in San Francisco, locals are divided.
“I am truly against it,” said Rahmat Shirakhon, owner of the Lower Haight’s Noc Noc bar. “It’s going to take so many parking spots away.”
Shirakhon said it already takes him around 30 minutes to find parking for his late shifts.
Shirakhon, who commutes from Alameda, argued that the neighborhood is already safe for pedestrians who follow traffic rules. He worries that the reduced parking will hurt businesses along the corridor, particularly on weekends, when “90%” of customers come from outside the city.
DoorDash driver Akil Whitaker, a lifelong San Francisco resident, sees the changes as part of a broader pattern making the city increasingly hostile to drivers.
“The city has been implementing too many things in favor of the cyclists, in favor of the pedestrians,” Whitaker said. “It’s becoming very unfriendly to the person with the vehicle.”
However, local resident Ariel Vitale offered a more nuanced perspective, citing personal connections to the safety concerns.
“I’ve had friends that have been hit by cars before, just walking, not even on a bike,” Vitale said. “Most drivers are not aware of people crossing the street when they’re turning.”
While supporting safety measures, Vitale suggested a compromise: creating designated parking areas away from pedestrian zones in affected neighborhoods.
“Safety needs to be No. 1, because people are dying all the time,” Vitale said. “But you can’t forget about people with a business.”