Pinole council introduces ordinance to enforce state 'daylighting' rule, bans parking near crosswalk approaches

The Pinole City Council on 2025-07-01 voted unanimously to waive the first reading and introduce an ordinance incorporating California’s so-called “daylighting” law (Assembly Bill 413) into the city’s parking code, prohibiting vehicles from stopping, standing or parking within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of most crosswalks and within 15 feet where curb extensions exist.

Council members and staff said the change is intended to improve driver and pedestrian visibility at intersections and reduce near-miss crashes. City Attorney Eric Kasher explained the rule in the presentation: “This law prohibits vehicles from stopping or standing within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk on the approach side of the road,” and said the ordinance would add a subsection to the city’s stopping, standing and parking code to mirror the state requirement.

The ordinance formalizes a practice the city has already begun: Public Works crews have painted or otherwise designated red curbs at 24 intersections identified in staff field reviews, and Police Chief Cleveland described an education-first enforcement approach. Chief Cleveland said public outreach began in April with social-media posts, doorleaflets and on-scene flyers and that officers will continue to prioritize warnings while the city finalizes code and fee updates. Public Works Director El Gindy told the council the city will not begin issuing citations under the new subsection until the ordinance is chaptered and the master fee schedule is revised to add the specific parking violation. “We are choosing to not enforce until we have the ordinance in place and the fee schedule determined,” El Gindy said.

Staff said the city currently recommends a $40 fine for daylighting violations consistent with existing no-parking penalties in the master fee schedule; the council must formally adopt any change to the fee schedule before fines are imposed. Staff also said the City will post a map of affected intersections on the city web site; a corrected map is due by the end of the week, and the city will continue to evaluate additional locations based on pedestrian use, traffic generators (schools, transit stops) and safety concerns.

Members of the public raised questions about how daylighting will apply to cul-de-sacs and to locations where multiple buses stop near intersections. Resident Rafael Menace asked whether cul-de-sac approaches would trigger restrictions; staff replied that any intersection of two streets can qualify and that the city will review specific requests. Anthony Vosprink, a long-time Pinole resident, asked when strict citations would begin; staff again said enforcement authority for the state law already exists but the city will await chaptering of the local ordinance and an updated fee schedule before moving from warnings to citations. Staff provided the nonemergency dispatch number for reporting violations: (510) 724-1111.

The council also viewed a short city-produced public service announcement; staff said the video was donated by the Academy of Arts and that posting and social-media distribution will supplement in-person outreach. Council members noted the law’s safety benefits along busy corridors such as San Pablo Avenue while acknowledging reduced curbside space in some neighborhoods.

Action: The council voted to waive the first reading and introduce the ordinance. Roll call votes were recorded as Mayor Cameron Sasai — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Tave — yes; Council Member Martinez Rubin — yes; Council Member Murphy — yes; Council Member Toms — yes. The ordinance was introduced (first-reading action) and will return to the council for its second reading and final adoption; enforcement and any citation level will commence only after the ordinance is adopted and the master fee schedule is updated.

Ending: Staff said it will return with the final ordinance language, the master fee schedule amendment for the specific parking fine, and an updated, publicly posted map of daylighting locations.