It’s Monday, and San Francisco just lost around 14,000 parking spaces as a change to the vehicle code — the Daylighting to Save Lives Bill (AB 413) — went into effect, requiring California cities to “daylight” intersections. That means clearing sight lines between drivers and people crossing the street by removing parking to reduce the chance of collisions.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials anticipate that about 13,775 on-street parking spots — or 5% of all street parking — will be affected by the law. The city has approximately 442,000 public parking spaces, with 275,500 on streets and 166,500 in garages and lots, according to a parking census conducted in 2014. If those 442,000 spots were strung together, they would measure 900 miles, longer than California’s 840-mile coastline.