A red curb indicates a no parking area near a crosswalk on San Carlos Street in San Francisco on Dec. 17, 2024. San Francisco’s transit agency says it will change its daylighting policy to ensure compliance with a California traffic safety law intended to protect pedestrians and cyclists. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Assembly Bill 413, which went into effect last year, makes it illegal for drivers to park or stop their vehicles within 20 feet of a crosswalk or within 15 feet of a curb extension. The practice makes people crossing the street more visible to drivers — reducing the risk of someone getting hit.
As part of their enforcement, San Francisco transportation officials have begun painting curbs red to indicate where parking is prohibited, with a plan to daylight all intersections by the end of 2026.
Sponsored
But since the city began enforcing the law earlier this year, some parents have reported seeing painted curbs extending to just 10 feet or less, even in areas considered high risk.
Jen Nossokoff, a mother of two who lives in the Inner Richmond, said she reached out to the city after she noticed that four of the eight no-parking “buffers” near her child’s elementary school were of insufficient length.
A red curb designates a no-parking area at the intersection of Sutter and Leavenworth Streets in San Francisco on Dec. 18, 2024.
After a brief back-and-forth with the city’s traffic engineer, which Nossokoff said “was fruitless,” she and other parents formally requested that the SFMTA conduct a review of the curbs to determine whether they are in compliance with the daylighting law and next steps if they are not.
According to Nossokoff, officials with the transportation agency said they would get the intersections under compliance, but made no mention of addressing curbs in other parts of the city. No changes have been made to the curbs near the school either, she said.
“Nobody appears to be doing anything, and that’s where my frustration as a parent comes from,” Nossokoff said.
In a statement, SFMTA said daylighting lengths throughout the city’s high-collision areas vary based on engineering reviews that show how much space is necessary to maintain street safety. To be more consistent and “in compliance with state law,” the agency said it will move forward with 20-foot daylighting zones throughout the city.
Under AB 314, local authorities are allowed to establish a different distance for the approach if the change is marked by paint or a sign. An ordinance must also be passed that explicitly includes data proving that the shortened distance is justified by existing safety standards.
Other community members have also said they have expressed concerns about the curbs to the SFMTA, and the dangers created by parked cars near intersections. Danielle Jezienicki, a mother of three who also lives in the Richmond, was waiting for her husband to pick their son up from school when she received news that the 6-year-old was involved in a life-threatening crash.
The crash, which happened in October, took place only 100 feet away from her child’s elementary school. The boy’s father had just picked him up on the family’s bike when a distracted driver struck the pair at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Balboa Street.
A curb at the intersection of 19th Avenue and Balboa Street in San Francisco’s Richmond District. The curb had previously been painted red by an unknown source, but was soon repainted by the city (as shown here). (Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman/KQED)
The curb where Jezienicki’s son was hit is one of the buffer zones that is painted to less than 20 feet, Nossokoff noted. The intersection is also part of San Francisco’s high-injury network, a collection of streets with the highest percentage of serious injuries and fatalities caused by car crashes.
Jezienicki said she doesn’t know whether daylighting law enforcement would have prevented the driver from veering into her husband and son, but noted that it could have given the driver more time to see them.
The city needs to enforce laws that protect pedestrians and cyclists, especially in areas that are already considered high-collision corridors, such as Balboa Street, she said.
“Daylighting costs almost nothing,” Jezienicki said. “Logic would lead you to believe that if they just implemented safety measures they know would work, you can reduce accidents and fatalities.”
“Our son would have been killed if he wasn’t wearing a helmet,” she continued. “It’s very frustrating to hear that they can’t enforce things that have no reason not to be enforced, especially in school districts.”
Nossokoff said she and other parents are demanding that the Board of Supervisors step in if the SFMTA fails to fix the compliance issues with the curbs. She also wants to see education campaigns teaching residents and drivers about the daylighting law and why it’s important for pedestrian safety.
Fortunately, Jezienicki’s child has made what appears to be a full recovery, she said.
But her family has not used the bike since the crash, she said, and she feels paranoid every time she crosses the street. Jezienicki said she also struggles with crossing the intersection at Balboa Street when she picks her son up or drops him off at school.
“It’s just an unpleasant reminder of the worst day and moments of my life,” she said.
Haunted by reminders of the accident, Jezienicki is now working with groups such as Walk San Francisco to advocate for safer streets.
lower waypoint
Stay in touch. Sign up for our daily newsletter.
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.
