Daylighting Sunnyvale
- Jon Blum
- Feb 6
- 4 min read
Sunnyvale has started painting curbs red to indicate no parking zones next to crosswalks. The City's actions implement a new state law, nicknamed the Daylighting Law (AB 413), which improves visibility at intersections. AB 413 prohibits vehicles from parking within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of any crosswalk, and 15 feet if a curb extension is present. Cars parked close to the intersection obstruct the view of both pedestrians and drivers approaching the intersection, and intersections are the most dangerous places for pedestrians. Daylighting gives those pedestrians and drivers a better chance to see each other and avoid a collision. Although the law is primarily focused on pedestrian safety, improving visibility at intersections also benefits cyclists and drivers.
Daylighting has been shown to reduce pedestrian-car collisions by 30%. California is especially in need of the Daylighting Law because our pedestrian fatality rate is almost 25% higher than the national average! Most US states already have this law on the books, so California is late to the game.
No Parking on Vehicle Approach Side
The no parking zone applies only to the vehicle approach side of a crosswalk, not the vehicle departure side. That makes sense, as it's only on the vehicle approach side that a parked car would impair visibility between drivers and pedestrians. In the intersection shown, the red lines mark the no-parking zones.
Unmarked Crosswalks are Ambiguous
The trickiest thing about the Daylighting Law is that not all crosswalks are marked. In fact, most crosswalks are not. Unmarked crosswalks typically happen at intersections and connect the sidewalk on one side of the street to the sidewalk on the other side. The Daylighting law applies equally to marked and unmarked crosswalks. When there is a marked crosswalk, it is usually easy to figure out where the 20-foot no-parking zone is. However, when the crosswalk is unmarked, it is unclear where the crosswalk is located, and therefore unclear where the 20-foot no parking zone is. Because of the very large radii of many curbs at Sunnyvale intersections, the exact location of unmarked crosswalks can be unclear. In the example of the intersection of Waite and Arbor, there is presumably an unmarked crosswalk at the wheelchair ramps (gray rectangles) on Waite Ave, which are indicated with a blue box. But it’s not clear where crosswalks across E Arbor Ave are. A related but separate state law prohibits parking in intersections (marked in yellow in the photo).
Mid-block Crosswalks
Crosswalks don't occur just at intersections. They could occur mid-block, like the one across Hollenbeck between Homestead and Grand Coulee. These crosswalks are typically marked and have some sort of pedestrian-activated traffic signalization. For these crosswalks that don't occur at intersections, the Daylighting Law still applies.
Extra Bike Parking Space
A nice perk of the new legislation is that the no-parking zone can be used for bike parking instead. The idea is that parked bikes do not hinder visibility while parked cars do. When ridership in Sunnyvale grows, this extra bike parking space will come in handy.
Enforcement Does Not Require Red Paint
To be clear, the Daylighting Law does not require cities to paint curbs red before enforcing it. Even if there is no red curb, parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk breaks the law and can result in a citation. Without red curbs, one has to be able to accurately estimate 20 feet. It's helpful to know that 20 feet is about the length of a parallel parking space.
Painting all eligible curbs red at all intersections would be cost and time prohibitive. Sunnyvale has dedicated a truck and full-time staff to painting curbs red, but even so, the City cannot practically paint all eligible curbs red, nor would that be necessary. The City is prioritizing the painting of high injury intersections first and then working its way down.
The Daylighting Law allows citations to be issued starting this year. Sunnyvale has so far trained its public safety officers on the Daylighting Law. They can issue warnings but not citations yet. The City is in the midst of establishing a fine for violations, and once that is done, public safety officers can start issuing citations. In the meantime, to save someone from serious injury or death, it's a no brainer -- don't park within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of a crosswalk.
About the Author
Jon Blum is a life-long cyclist and has lived in Sunnyvale for over 20 years. He enjoys researching laws pertaining to walking and cycling.
