California AB 413 Daylighting: Big Changes Coming For Parking Policy

Big changes to parking policy in California are here. Starting January 1st, a new law came into effect in California that affects pedestrian safety and parking, two hot topics!

Thanks to AB 413, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, California joined the 43 states that prohibit parking a car immediately in advance of a crosswalk. By keeping at least 20’ of curb space clear in front of crosswalks, drivers approaching a crosswalk are better able to see pedestrians planning to cross the street. This treatment, known as “daylighting,” a crosswalk, is particularly beneficial for people pushing a stroller or traveling via wheelchair who cannot peek out around a parked car. It can also help bicyclists hoping to cross a busy street with a two-way stop, as visibility for upstream traffic will be improved. See this great piece on the policy from KQED.

What is Daylighting?

Daylighting graphic depicting where you can park - big changes in parking policy

The bill (the text of which you can read here) came into effect last year, but parking enforcement officers were only able to issue warnings. Beginning in 2025, jurisdictions may issue citations to cars parked in the daylighting zone. Keep this in mind when parking your car, and tell your friends and family to avoid a ticket and keep the streets safe for pedestrians!

Note that this parking prohibition applies even where the curb is not painted red. It would be too large an effort for cities to red-curb every single crosswalk in the county. Still, we are encouraging city officials to prioritize school crosswalks and those with large numbers of pedestrians. If there is a street in your neighborhood or on your kid’s school commute where cars parking up to the crosswalk create a hazard, do not hesitate to reach out to your city’s Department of Public Works to request a red curb specifically. 

While this may seem like a small change, we’re happy to see the legislature making our state’s streets a little safer all the time! 


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