DRIVERS in a major city are bracing for a new parking law that’s coming into effect in a matter of days that will see warnings turn into $77 tickets.
Residents of North Park, San Diego, California, are vexed by the state’s new “daylighting” law which has made things tricky for locals with cars.
2
2
Indeed, some home owners in the area have even nicknamed North Park as “No Park.”
Speaking to NBC San Diego, Annette, who’s lived in the neighborhood for more than two years, described parking in the area as “the worst nightmare.”
She added: “Sometimes we have to sacrifice and park really far.
“And then I feel bad for the people with kids.
“They drop them off, get them settled in their home, and have to run to park.”
“But even myself, I’ve dropped off groceries really quick, and I’ve gotten a ticket.”
California’s new daylighting rule, which went into effect on January 1, prohibits any vehicle from parking within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk.
However, cities across the county have given residents a grace period until March 1 to get up to speed.
It’s seen potential fines issued as mere warnings, for now, with San Diego handing out around 1,500 warnings or courtesy notices since the beginning of the year.
Santee has given between 50 and 100, while Oceanside has given only three.
Circulate San Diego’s policy council Will Moore said the law aims to make intersections safer.
He said: “If you ever pull up to a stop sign and are not able to see around somebody who’s parked right at the intersection, this is to prevent that from happening.”
It will eventually see San Diego parking enforcement crack down with tickets costing $77.50 each, after including fees.
Locals believe there’s a better way to enforce the law.
Annette said: “There’s a lot of blind spots.
“But that’s where stop signs come into play, and I think just implementing the stop signs should help.”
This comes as homeowners in the Richmond District of San Francisco have been caught painting curbs red in the area in an effort to trick drivers to stop parking.
It’s suspected that individuals are trying to enforce the new daylighting law.
At least two parking tickets have been issued to residents parked on fake red curbs, although upon review, these tickets were cancelled with officials now reviewing other such incidents.
Recently, one resident said he spotted four individuals acting suspiciously at the corner of 19th Avenue and Balboa Street at around midnight, before calling the police.
They added that they saw them attempting to hide when a car drove by.
The next morning, the caller and his neighbors found two curbs on the route that had been painted red.
Then, over the next couple of days, neighbors discovered several other newly painted red curbs – including at 17th and 18th avenues.
Transit officials have said they were not responsible for the curb painting in these areas and will be sending crews to fix the paint job.
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
