The city of West Hollywood is informing community members about a California State Law, Assembly Bill 413, to prohibit parking a vehicle within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or within 15 feet of bulb-out curb-crossings. Citation enforcement was mandated to begin on Jan. 1.

AB 413, also known as the Daylighting to Save Lives Bill or “Daylighting Law,” was signed into state law in October 2023 and went into effect on January 1, 2024, with a one-year grace period. The law aims to increase visibility for both pedestrians and oncoming vehicular traffic, with the goal of reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths by adding more time for drivers and people walking to see one another better. Due to their height, children are particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to be invisible behind a parked car. The term “daylighting” refers to the practice of keeping a clear zone of a specified distance on the vehicle approach side of a crosswalk. Daylighting is considered a best practice and is a frequently used tool in cities across the nation. The full text of Assembly Bill 413 can be found on the California Legislature’s website.

Now, drivers in communities across the state of California, including West Hollywood, will be subject to citations for stopping, standing or parking within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension (commonly referred to as a bulb-out), including T-intersections. All intersections on all approaches in California are considered to have a legal unmarked or marked crosswalk, unless marked with signage for no pedestrian crossings.

West Hollywood’s Department of Public Works is working to get the word out about AB 413 to residents, businesses, and community members with city information. The city’s engineering division is in the process of evaluating intersections throughout West Hollywood to identify locations that warrant modifications to be consistent with the new law and some curbs will be painted red to provide clear indication for no parking zones. Still, drivers are advised that parking in a “daylighted” curb area in close proximity to a crosswalk or curb-crossings, whether painted red or not, is a violation subject to citation.

For information, email jgilmour@weho.org.