SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As Sacramento figures out how to improve pedestrian safety throughout the city, more enforcement of a state law will be implemented next year to limit the areas where cars can park.
Known as “daylighting,” cars throughout the state are prohibited from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks.
The law initially went into effect last year, but cities only issued warnings to drivers. Now, starting in January 2025, fines will be issued for cars parked in prohibited areas. The amount of the fine will be determined by cities.
California is one of over 40 states with daylighting laws, according to the California State Library.
Cars will no longer be allowed to park within 20 feet when approaching a sidewalk, or within 15 feet of a crosswalk that has a curb extension.
According to the Governors’ Highway Safety Association, pedestrian fatalities are on the rise. They projected over 7,500 people were struck and killed by a vehicle.
The city of Sacramento is working through the implementation of the law, according to city officials.
All intersections throughout the state are affected by the new law, but it’s up to cities to decide the actual enforcement. Gabby Miller with the city’s communication department says they are working on adding red curb striping and adding signage indicating no parking.
As far as potential citations, Miller says new fines would need to be decided by the city council in the next budget cycle. The current fine violation for the city code affected by the new law is $60.
Under the new state law, people can be ticketed even if there is no indication of parking being illegal.
Kendra Ramsey, the executive director of the California Bicycle Association, says it’s similar to parking near a fire hydrant.
“Whether or not there’s a curb marked, we know we’re not supposed to park there,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey says more public awareness will need to be offered by cities.
A portion of the state’s population that will be greatly helped by the new parking standards is children. Jennifer Rubin with Safe Kids - Greater Sacramento points out they tend to be the hardest to see for drivers.
“[Kids] are less predictable, they are more likely to run out and not pay as close attention,” Rubin said. “As much as we can do to look both ways and pause for traffic; it’s also good to give drivers a head start to see them.”
Increasing pedestrian safety has become a major focus for the Sacramento City Council. The city's Law and Legislation Committee voted to move a proposed emergency declaration forward.
“Over the past decade, within Sacramento's city limits, there have been over 5,000 collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists, leading to at least 264 reported preventable fatalities,” Vice Mayor Caity Maple said during the hearing. “These numbers are not just statistics; they represent real people—children, parents, grandparents—members of our community whose lives have been irrevocably changed.”
Rubin says the new state law will complement Sacramento’s Vision Zero plan to eliminate pedestrian deaths in the city by 2027.
