Davis, CA – The City of Davis announced some local changes to parking spots due to Assembly Bill (AB) 413, called “The Daylighting Law,” which prohibits vehicle parking or idling within 20 feet of any crosswalk or 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present.
The State law was passed to improve safety at intersections, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists. The term “daylighting” means that the field of view for anyone approaching an intersection must be clear from obstruction. By keeping the areas next to crosswalks clear of parked vehicles, it will be easier to see curbs and the entire crosswalk. For pedestrians or bicyclists, this means that they won’t have to venture into the intersection and peek around parked cars to see if they have a clear path to cross. This is especially important for children, who are less visible at intersections. At the same time, drivers will get a clearer view of the intersection and can easily see if someone is waiting to cross well in advance. This change will hopefully prevent crashes or collisions from occurring.
Although this law applies to every street in the city, it will be felt mostly in and around downtown Davis. City staff conducted field visits downtown and determined that approximately 56 parking spots, mostly for 20-minute or 90-minute parking, must be converted to red zones. This number of spots is less than five percent of the 1,118 on-street parking spots in downtown.
To meet the State’s deadline, the City will be painting the curbs red that are affected by this law in January then looking at options for the spaces, which will take more time and collaboration. Though State law requires that the spots must be kept clear of vehicle parking or idling, the State does allow some exceptions. The City is currently working with the Davis Downtown Business Association and others in the community on possibilities for the converted spaces, such as loading zones or bicycling parking. The City also plans to relocate the bicycle parking corrals on the street near Thai Canteen and Bull n’ Mouth to a few of these red zone areas to add back a few vehicular parking spots. The City may also consider ways to beautify some of these spots (such as with low level landscaping or art) as an opportunity for additional vibrancy and attraction to downtown Davis.
The City will also be assessing parking along the Safe Routes to School streets as part of the effort to make routes safer and more convenient and accessible for students and their families to walk, bike or take public transit to school.
The City is planning the following phased approach to the Daylighting Law. Please note that changes may occur to the timeline at any time.
- Phase 1: January – March 2025: Paint specified curb spaces red in downtown Davis; identify ways to receive input from businesses and/or the community.
- Phase 2: March – July 2025: Get input on potential bike corral zones, loading zones, beautification areas or other ideas allowed under the State law; receive feedback from public and businesses on effects of red curbs.
- Phase 3: July – October 2025: Update curbs based on input and City direction; evaluate feedback.
- Phase 4: Ongoing: Appraise the usage of areas; continue to receive and evaluate feedback; determine if there are other opportunities to better utilize or optimize spaces.
Regardless of the intent of the state law, what is the purpose of additional laws that will not be enforced by the City? We already have Door Dash drivers that ignore parking laws (double parking) and block bike lanes because they (apparently rightfully?) believe that there is no enforcement in Davis, and putting on their emergency lights automatically trumps traffic laws. These vehicles cause hazards beyond what the “daylighting” law will protect . . . and what’s more, these zones near intersections will now just created ever more open spaces for Door Dash drivers to park their cars in for 3-4 minutes while they run inside their establishments. Laws only work if they are enforced, and the current dearth of enforcement means only that we are subsidizing Door Dash with the new laws and protecting no one.
I’m curious as to how many Davis restaurants have outdoor seating erected in these new “daylighting” zones?