News Summary
San Diego’s new ‘daylighting’ law, effective January 2025, has significantly impacted parking rules near crosswalks, leading to over 13,000 citations issued within months. Areas like North Park and La Jolla are among the most affected, with fines totaling millions. Community responses vary, with educational efforts ongoing to inform residents about the regulations. The law aims to enhance pedestrian safety, and enforcement has proven stringent, generating substantial municipal revenue from fines.
San Diego has experienced a significant impact from the new “daylighting” law, which took effect on January 1, 2025. This legislation, designed to enhance pedestrian safety by prohibiting parking within 20 feet of the approach side of a crosswalk, has led to over 13,000 citations being issued by September 18, 2025, since enforcement began on March 1, 2025.
The areas most affected by these parking citations are North Park, Normal Heights, and City Heights. Among the streets with high citation rates, Polk Avenue stands out as a hot spot, with more than 800 violations recorded since the law’s enforcement began. Other streets that have seen significant violations include Vista Del Mar Avenue in La Jolla, with 300 citations, and Madison Avenue in Mid-City, which has incurred 280 citations.
In response to the increasing number of citations, the city raised the citation fee from $77.50 to $117.50 shortly after the law’s implementation. By mid-September, fines collected from these citations had reached a total of $1.4 million, with approximately $818,000 collected by August 11. The most-ticketed intersections in La Jolla include two specific locations on Vista Del Mar Avenue, with 75 and 69 citations issued, respectively.
Parking enforcement officers focus on metered and time-restricted zones where violations are rampant, particularly in densely populated areas. Despite the heightened enforcement presence Downtown, this area has seen fewer citations—this is attributed to the presence of red curb markings which serve as visual warnings for drivers.
The city has proactively evaluated over 1,300 of its 16,000 intersections and has painted more than 1,000 crosswalks since the law went into effect. Additionally, the city had instituted a 60-day grace period that allowed for warnings rather than fines, resulting in 1,500 warnings being issued before strict enforcement began. Following the end of this period, 4,200 tickets for daylighting violations were written in just two months.
Residents have expressed frustration regarding parking difficulties that have arisen as a result of the new law. Community advocacy group Strong Towns San Diego is taking steps to educate the public about the daylighting law, including marking intersections for enhanced visibility. Volunteers have engaged in grassroots efforts by using chalk to mark intersections and distributing flyers featuring QR codes to provide further information about the regulations.
Importantly, the law is enforced regardless of whether curbs are painted red, and drivers cannot claim ignorance of the law as a valid defense. This has led to errant drivers contributing nearly half a million dollars to city revenue, with potential annual revenue from citations estimated at nearly $3 million.
The city encourages residents to report illegally parked vehicles near intersections through its Get It Done! portal. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enforce the daylighting law, which aims to improve visibility and safety for pedestrians throughout San Diego.
As the city continues to adapt to the new regulations, it remains to be seen how the enforcement of the daylighting law will shape parking practices and pedestrian safety efforts going forward.
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Additional Resources
- San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego’s Ticketing for Parking Violations
- CBS 8: New Hotspot for Daylighting Tickets in San Diego
- NBC San Diego: Daylighting Tickets Revenue
- 10 News: Cost of Special Event Parking in Downtown San Diego
- Fox 5 San Diego: Surge in Parking Costs for Special Events
- Wikipedia: Parking Law
- Google Search: San Diego Daylighting Law
- Google Scholar: Daylighting Parking Law
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Parking
- Google News: San Diego Parking Tickets
Author: STAFF HERE SAN DIEGO WRITER
SAN DIEGO STAFF WRITER The SAN DIEGO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERESanDiego.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in San Diego, San Diego County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Comic-Con International, San Diego County Fair, and San Diego Pride Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and United Way of San Diego County, plus leading businesses in biotechnology, healthcare, and technology that power the local economy such as Qualcomm, Illumina, and Scripps Health. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECostaMesa.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HEREMissionViejo.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.
