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National City outlines outreach, phased enforcement for new state 'daylighting' parking law
Summary
Staff briefed council on AB 413 (California 'daylighting' law) that bans parking within 20 feet of crosswalk approaches; the city plans public education in March–May and targeted enforcement beginning June 1 with $25 citations.
City staff told the City Council how National City will implement changes required by AB 413, a state law that amends California Vehicle Code section 22500 to prohibit parking within 20 feet of the approach to a crosswalk. Public Works Director Steve Manganel presented the law’s requirements, enforcement timeline and an outreach plan that focuses first on high‑pedestrian locations such as schools, parks and commercial corridors.
Manganel said the law does not require painted red curbs or signage for the prohibition to be enforceable: “There is no requirement to paint the curb red. It is illegal whether that curb is painted red or not,” he told the council. Staff plans to use an education period with warnings and information flyers through May and begin issuing citations in June; Council Member Muller said staff indicated the citation amount would be $25.
The city’s approach will include mailed informational cards in English and Spanish to every property, supplemental flyers handed to drivers at enforcement stops and targeted capital projects where red curbing would be added and maintained. Parking enforcement will focus initially on school and business districts and will issue warnings as the primary compliance tool through May, then move to citations after a grace period.
Staff acknowledged the measure is an unfunded state mandate and noted the logistical challenge of marking or repainting potentially hundreds of intersections. Manganel said that where practical the city will add red curb as part of street or capital projects and will prioritize locations with higher pedestrian activity. Council members urged robust public outreach and careful staging of enforcement to reduce public confusion.
Council action: The council received the staff report and approved moving forward with outreach and ordinance updates; staff will return in April with municipal‑code language so the city’s code matches the revised vehicle code and so residents can see local signage and rules in the municipal code. Parking enforcement indicated targeted citations would begin by June 1.
Why it matters: The change is a statewide safety measure to improve pedestrian visibility at intersections. It affects curbside parking habits across the city and will require coordinated outreach, enforcement and incremental painted curb upgrades.
