The 600 block of Park St., by Goodale Park, is the reigning hot spot for most parking tickets in Columbus in 2023 and 2024.
San Diego, California – The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Parking Enforcement team has issued over 4,200 tickets for violations of California’s new daylighting law since it came into effect on January 1. The law, which is designed to enhance pedestrian safety, prohibits drivers from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk on the side of the street facing the crosswalk.
Erin Longen, SDPD’s Parking Enforcement Supervisor, emphasized that the law is primarily aimed at improving safety for pedestrians, particularly children crossing streets. “It’s all about pedestrian safety,” Longen said. “As you approach a crosswalk, just think of any little kid walking to school. You’re not going to be able to see them when a car is parked close to the crosswalk.”
To give the public time to adjust, SDPD spent the first two months of the year educating drivers and issuing warnings instead of tickets. During this period, officers distributed over 1,500 blue warning slips on vehicles that were in violation of the daylighting law. However, ticketing began in full force on March 1.
Since then, more than 4,200 tickets have been written, a number that Longen acknowledges may sound high but represents a relatively small percentage of the total violations being addressed by the department. “It’s less than 10% of the tickets we’re writing as an agency,” Longen explained. “We are writing them both proactively and reactively. People use the Get It Done App to report violations in their neighborhood, and we respond to those as well as seeing violations in the community.”
The majority of parking violations are happening in areas where parking is already in short supply. Neighborhoods such as Normal Heights, North Park, Hillcrest, University Heights, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla are seeing the most issues with non-compliance.
The law applies to all crosswalks, even those that are not marked with the familiar white lines or have curbs that are not painted red. In some cases, even curbs that have been previously painted red may not cover the full 20 feet required under the new law. “Just remember that some red zones were painted prior to this law, so some of them might only be 5 feet, but we have to give that 20-foot clearance,” Longen said.
Fines for violating the daylighting law are set at $117, as mandated by the state. While the cost may seem steep, the goal is clear: to ensure the safety of pedestrians, especially children, who are at higher risk of being unseen by drivers due to poorly parked vehicles obstructing crosswalks.
As the enforcement continues, the SDPD encourages residents to familiarize themselves with the new rules and report any violations they notice using the Get It Done App. By complying with the law, San Diegans can help make their neighborhoods safer for everyone.
