Daylighting: How it works and why we need it at all intersections
Clear sightlines at intersections prevent traffic crashes and save lives
One of the best ways to make sure people are safe at intersections is called ‘daylighting.’
Daylighting prevents parking at certain parts of the intersection to ensure clear sightlines for drivers and pedestrians.
When there aren’t clear sightlines, it is very dangerous. Pedestrians are forced to step into the crosswalk without being able to see if it’s safe to do so.
Daylighting helps drivers, too and not just with seeing pedestrians but also being able to see approaching vehicles.
Daylighting reduces traffic crashes by 30%. Just imagine if 1 in 3 traffic crashes didn’t happen.
In 2024, 42 people were killed in traffic crashes in San Francisco and more than 500 seriously injured.
Daylighting is now state law
The California legislature passed a bill in 2023, AB 413, that made daylighting a state law.
The law changed California’s vehicle code so that it’s now illegal for all drivers – everywhere in California – to park within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk at the corners where their vehicle is facing the crosswalk.
Another way to think about this is at the corners where a vehicle is approaching the intersection.
Here’s how daylighting works at different types of intersections:
Many drivers don’t know about daylighting yet
Almost all states have had daylighting laws for decades; California is finally catching up. But this means that many drivers don’t yet know about the daylighting law.
San Francisco has an additional challenge. The high demand for street parking means that drivers are used to parking all the way to the corner unless there’s a red-painted curb marking ‘no parking.’
We acknowledge that reducing the number of street parking spaces even by a small percentage is challenging in San Francisco. Daylighting intersections will remove a very small percentage of around 275,000 street parking spaces. Saving lives is worth it.
But curbs need to be painted red if we expect drivers to not park where there should legally be daylighting.
The SFMTA has committed to paint curbs red to daylight every intersection in San Francisco by the end of 2026. All of the District Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution on December 10 asking for this, too. You can show your support for this by sending a quick email now. Walk SF is watchdogging this commitment, and also working to educate people about why this is such a big win for our safety.
Daylighting can be more than just red paint, though
Hoboken, New Jersey is more than twice as dense as San Francisco, with high levels of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. And Hoboken hasn’t had a traffic death in seven+ years.
One big reason: how Hoboken does daylighting. Hoboken not only paints daylighting at every intersection, it installs protective infrastructure in the space like posts, bike racks, and planters to prevent drivers from illegally parking there. We call this ‘protected daylighting’ and this ensures clear sight lines every moment of the day (and no tickets for drivers).
Photo: Bloomberg News
Walk SF believes that’s what’s needed at the most dangerous intersections on what’s known as the ‘high-injury network.’ We’re asking the City to commit to protected daylighting on the high-injury network within five years as part of their next Vision Zero plan.
We also think San Francisco should have a way for people to apply to add and maintain amenities in daylit spaces – like planters and murals – to improve their neighborhoods. Walk SF is asking the City to create a sanctioned program for residents to adopt, beautify, or green a daylit area.
Help win daylighting everywhere in San Francisco
We all deserve to be safe crossing the street and getting around San Francisco. Daylighting is one of the most effective and affordable tools the City has available.
So let’s show how much support for daylighting there is!
- Send an email to SFMTA leaders
- Ask your friends and neighbors to send an email, too
- Email your Supervisor your support of daylighting
- Support our ‘I Love Safe Intersections’ campaign with a donation today!
Thank you for using your voice to help win the changes we need for safe intersections!