Staff Report-Daylighting Law, AB 413 05-14-2025 Page 1 of 5
STAFF REPORT
TO
: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Brad Donohue, Director of Public Works and Planning VIA: Dan Barros, City Manager
MEETING DATE: May 14, 2025
SUBJECT: Daylighting Law-Assembly Bill 413
RECOMMENDATION
This item is a study session for information purposes only. No City Council action is required; the purpose of this item is to discuss with City Council and members of the public Assembly Bill 413 (AB 413) and review various options and seeking direction regarding compliance with the new State Law.
CO
UNCIL ADOPTED VALUES
This report is consistent with the Council value of Vision. City Council’s goal is to anticipate the broader regional and statewide implications of the State of California’s decisions and issues and develop strategies to comply with the law and mitigate hardship when feasible.
BAC
KGROUND
The State of California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 413 or the “dayl ighting” law (Attachment “A”), which prohibits parking twenty (20) feet in advance of a crosswalk, or fifteen (15) feet when the location has a curb extension (commonly called bulb outs). The term d aylighting is the simple concept that safety is improved by removing parked cars next to crosswalks. By keeping the area next to crosswalks clear of parked vehicle obstructions, it allows pedestrians walking and people driving or riding on the street to see each other more clearly in the hopes of allowing safe pathways of travel through and across roadways.
AB
413 instructs that both “marked” and “unmarked” crosswalks exist at all intersections, thus this the new law requires agencies to designate no parking prohibitions through curb markings, street signage and or hardscape features if they provide the requi red clearance from the crosswalk. The law also states that a local jurisdiction can establish different distances by ordinance through findings utilizing established traffic safety standards.
Th
e City Council’s first introduction to the new law was at the January 22nd City Council Meeting in a Study Session format. Staff went into the new requirements, reviewed the various crosswalks AGENDA ITEM #5
Staff Report-Daylighting Law, AB 413 05-14-2025 Page 2 of 5 in Town and various alternatives. The City Council wanted to have staff reach out in a community meeting format to introduce AB 413, its impacts, and potential alternatives.
On April 30, 2025 Town staff held a community meeting where members of the residential and business community were invited to participate in a discussion about the new law regarding its impact on the community and alternatives.
ANALYSIS
In any urban area, it is well noted that street parking is a commodity. Adhering to the mandates of AB 413 within the business districts can be accomplished relatively easily, in most cases within the Town, meeting the demands of AB 413 is already in place, and where no parking restrictions need to be installed to adhere to the new law, will have no or very minor impacts on that portion of the community. For the most part the painting of curbs will be the appropriate delineation to define the no Parking zone. Attachment “C” has defined the crosswalk areas within the business/commercial areas within the Town.
In the Town’s residential neighborhoods, specifically the Sterling Park Neighborhood, this law will have an impact on street parking (Attachment B). The diagram below is a typical example of an intersection in the Sterling Park Neighborhood. Within the diagram you notice the areas that will be designated no parking (red zones), the blue triangles represent an individual on a corner wanting to cross the street and with the car removed from that corner parking spot, it has opened up the line of sight to see oncoming vehicles, it also allow the vehicle driver to see individuals wanting to cross the street
The community meeting held on April 30
th yeilded several questions regarding the law, loss of parking spaces, and other unrelated parking issues in the Sterling Park Neighborhood.
Staff Report-Daylighting Law, AB 413 05-14-2025 Page 3 of 5 Below is a list of either questions or comments & suggestions:
Q
uestions that came up: (Most of the questions were dedicated to the Sterling Park Neighborhood)
1 - Is there a minium on the no parking distance from the crosswalk? • Without an independent study that can justify shorter distances through a e
stablished traffic safety standards, the minimum distances would be within 20 fe
et of the vehicle approach side of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or within 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension (bulbout) is present. 2 - Will accident history be considered if there is an analysis to independently evaluate what standard to use.?
• It is assumed that pedestrian/vehicle accident data would be one of the metrics that would be used in studying the appropriate distance of a parked vehicle from a
marked or unmarked crosswalk.
3- If the Town does not comply with AB 413, will the funding from C/CAG, County Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee or other agencies be jeopardized? • Staff inquired with C/CAG regarding this concern. However, C/CAG indicated that they were unaware of any local jurisdictions creating their own ordinance and thus could not definitively answer the question.
• By way of the San Mateo County City Manager’s Association, the City Manager asked if any San Mateo County Jurisdictions were considering their own ordinance. No agencies came forward indicating a path for such action. • The Town of Truckee, California is the only California jurisdiction that we are aware of that has adopted their own local ordinance. The Town of Truckee adopted an ordinance reducing the distance to five feet from a crosswalk where a curb extension is present.
4- Will the State reimburse the Town for expenses to mark or sign the no parking zones? • The California Constitution requires the State to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the State. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
Staff Report-Daylighting Law, AB 413 05-14-2025 Page 4 of 5
5- A resident from the Verano Housing Complex was concerned that they may lose an on- street Parking spot by the crosswalk with a bulb out that is adjacent to the Verano Complex.
• Staff looked at the area in question and believe they will be able to adjust the parking spaces and not lose any vehicle parking.
6- Cost for bulb outs?
• Construction costs are hard to assume at this point, not knowing what the design of the bulb out and how it would fit into existing site conditions.
7- If the Town elected to have an independent study, would the consultant indemnify the Town?
• It would be recommended to put this out to Request for Proposal (RFP) to qualified traffic engineering firms. In the RFP we would stipulate that the chosen consultant would need to indemnify the Town on their recommended amendments to AB 413 consistent with the Town’s existing contract templates for consulting work.
8- Implementation timeline
• This would be determined by City Council direction.
9- Will there be a grace period?
• City Council is aware of the difficulties that this new law can have within an urban neighborhood. Staff will be looking for City Council’s direction on how long the notification process will be in place.
• In the community meeting it was stated if fliers can be given out to help inform and educate the residential public about the new law.
Comments - other concerns in the neighborhood
10- Neighbors parking too close to the edge of driveway impacting sight distance.
11- Sight distance for residents coming out of their driveway.
12- Excess speeding in the neighborhood.
The comments that came from community meeting (Items #9, #10 and #11) will be reviewed in our City Managers Staff Meeting. Results of that discussion between departments will be either agendized in a future Study Session with City Council or a City Council Memorandum from the City Manager to inform City Council of the staff discussion.
Staff Report-Daylighting Law, AB 413 05-14-2025 Page 5 of 5
SUMMARY
In
the first study session, we discussed the purpose of AB 413, what roadway treatments were available to stay in compliance with the Law. In the study session, City Council requested that Staff hold a townwide community meeting to review the requirements of the new law.
T
he community meeting yielded questions and suggestions, which were depicted in the analysis portion of this report. One item that was not emphasized in the 1st study session but was discussed in more detail, City Council could commission a study to review the required 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of any marked or unmarked crosswalk. Through that study if it is determined findings have been met through established traffic safety standards, no-parking distances can be adjusted through ordinance.
St
aff is seeking direction from the City Council as to either implement the required “No Parking” delineation via curb paint and/or signage in accordance with AB 413 or commission a traffic safety study to determine if the no-parking zone distances can be reduced.
F
ISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact in reviewing and discussing the implications, suggestions and potential solutions to AB 413. As far as future costs associated with painting of curbs and or installing signage, The California Constitution requires the State to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the State. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. If the City Council wanted staff to undertake a traffic safety study, there would be future costs with that undertaking.
E
NVIRONMENTAL
Reviewing AB 413 the Daylighting Law is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15301. CEQA Guideline 15301 is applicable because this would be considered the operation and/or minor alteration of an existing public street with no expansion of use.
A
TTACHMENTS
A. Assembly Bill 413
B. Business/Commercial, Residential Crosswalks
ATTACHMENT A
ATTACHMENT B
California Assembly Bill 413
Town of Colma
January 2025
• California Assembly Bill 413, also known as the "Daylighting" law, is a new law that prohibits parking within 20 feet of any crosswalk, marked or unmarked. It also prohibits parking within 15 feet of a crosswalk with a curb extension. The law applies to all intersections in California, regardless of whether there are no parking signs or a red curb.
• The law's purpose is to increase the visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists entering crosswalks, which can help improve safety.
List of the streets and parking spots in Town of Colma that California Assembly Bill 413 applies to is listed below:
Mission Road:
• Mission Rd & Holy Cross Cemetery South Entrance
• Mission Rd & Holy Cross Cemetery Main Entrance
• Mission Rd & Molloy's
Hillside:
• Hillside Blvd & Hills of Eternity Memorial Park
• Hillside Blvd & Colma Community Center
• Hillside Blvd & Colma Community Center
F Street:
• F St & Clark Ave / Italian Cemetery
Clark Ave:
• Clark Ave & E St
• Clark Ave & D St
• Clark Ave & C St
• Clark Ave & B St