San Francisco transit officials announced Monday they will refrain from issuing fines to drivers parked in “daylight” curb spots near crosswalks that have yet to be painted red.
Previously, the agency had planned to start issuing $40 fines for drivers parked within 20 feet of a crosswalk at the beginning of March as part of the state’s new daylighting law regardless of whether the curb was painted red. Instead, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Acting Director of Transportation Julie Kirschbaum said the agency will continue to issue warning citations to drivers at parking spots that are still unpainted.
The new law gives drivers approaching a crosswalk more visibility of pedestrians, including children and those who use mobility devices. The SFMTA has implemented daylighting as part of other street safety projects over the years but the state law now mandates all curbs on the approach side of the crosswalk be cleared of parked vehicles.
In a video announcement posted on YouTube, Kirschbaum said she had met with various community groups and that one of the concerns she heard from residents was how the SFMTA planned to implement the new daylighting law.
State law mandates all curbs on the approach side of the crosswalk be cleared of parked vehicles.
“My concern based on these discussions is that it was going to create some trust and frustration issues with San Francisco residents and visitors,” Kirschbaum said.
She added that the SFMTA will take an expedited approach by painting the required curbs red within 18 months. Transit officials had previously estimated that it could take years to complete.
The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution last year urging the SFMTA to implement red zones at the required spaces to comply with the daylighting law. Once those curbs are red, standard curb rules and fines will apply, the SFMTA said. It was reported last month that a person in Richmond District had been painting the curbs red on their own, requiring the SFMTA to eventually remove the paint.
The SFMTA will first prioritize painting the curbs red near schools, where children, who are normally shorter, can be seen by drivers at those crosswalks.
In the meantime, Kirschbaum said that drivers could start making it a habit by not parking at the curbs that have not yet been painted red.
