San Jose expands downtown pedestrian-facilitation enforcement to 8 a.m.; council approves unanimously

The San Jose City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s pedestrian facilitation ordinance to shift enforcement hours earlier, from 10 a.m.-midnight to 8 a.m.-midnight. The change was proposed by the San Jose Police Department and implemented through a municipal-code amendment the council adopted after a presentation and public comment.

Deputy Chief Gina Tibaldi of the San Jose Police Department said the department recommended the change “to coincide with the opening of businesses and foot traffic downtown associated to work, schools and businesses.” Tibaldi told council members that when the department resumed enforcement in 2023 it observed reduced open-air drug sales and related activity after issuing citations and conducting outreach. “When we keep those who are committing the illegal activities moving along it tends to minimize the illegal activity,” she said.

Why it matters: council members and downtown stakeholders said sidewalks see heavy use well before 10 a.m., when employees, students and transit users travel through the area. Alex Badinsky of the San Jose Downtown Association supported the change but urged combining enforcement with increased outreach, services and shelter options for people experiencing homelessness.

Implementation and supports: police staff said enforcement will rely on downtown “walking beat” officers, which the department noted begin shifts at 8 a.m. Many of those downtown resource costs are funded through the property-based improvement district (PBID), according to testimony. Council members asked staff to consider how the downtown model and its outcomes might inform other neighborhoods; police and city staff said expansion to other areas would require additional resources and implementation work, and cautioned about unintended migration of encampments.

Council discussion also included repeated calls from members to pair enforcement with services. One council member suggested routing funding requests for supportive services through the city budget process; the city manager’s office said that would be an appropriate avenue and that the mayor’s March message and the upcoming budget cycle would be the place to consider the resource questions.

Ending: The ordinance amendment passed unanimously. Staff said it will continue to coordinate enforcement with social-service providers, including PATH and Groundwork, and the council signaled interest in applying lessons from downtown to other “hotspot” areas over time.