Login to Continue Learning
Proponents call this effort “daylighting,” named after the increased visibility that results when few parked cars crowd intersections. This new wave of laws aims to make America’s streets safer but may lead to more tickets and less parking in busy areas.
States and cities eager to maximize parking have a long history of lax enforcement of no-parking zone laws around crosswalks, typically requiring about 20 feet. Now, an effort to crack down on this issue is gaining momentum. Proponents say “daylighting” can prevent dangerous blind spots at intersections.
In Sacramento, drivers who park within 25 feet (or 15 feet if the curb has a pedestrian extension) of a crosswalk could face fines starting July 1. This follows California’s joining over 40 states with similar laws since January 1. The city council in New York is considering a bill that would end its longstanding daylighting exemption, requiring installation of hard infrastructure at 1,000 intersections annually.
However, officials from the city’s Department of Transportation question the safety benefits and claim the city could lose up to 300,000 parking spaces and billions of dollars if all intersections faced increased parking restrictions.
Daylighting is a measure that prohibits parking near crosswalks to improve visibility for pedestrians, drivers, and bikers. Some cities install physical barriers like planters or bike racks to ensure compliance. The concept isn’t new; many states based their initial vehicle codes on the U.S. Uniform Vehicle Code, which prohibits parking “within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.”
Safety advocates have been pushing for change for years, citing success in nearby cities like Hoboken, New Jersey, where seven consecutive years without traffic-related deaths followed local safety improvements, including daylighting.
Brace for more parking tickets and fewer spaces. Traffic and civil engineer Rock Miller notes that drivers should know not to park certain places, even without painted curbs or other indications. The problem is particularly acute in coastal communities where beach parking is limited, as seen in Newport Beach, California.
