Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Parking Law topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vacaville council updates parking code to reflect new state crosswalk rule; adopts related citation code changes
Summary
The council introduced an ordinance to align Vacaville Municipal Code with AB 413 (new rules on parking near crosswalks) and also moved to update municipal parking violations and penalties code. Staff announced an educational campaign and an initial grace period before full enforcement.
Vacaville City Council on Feb. 20 introduced changes to the city’s parking code to conform to recent state law and also authorized revisions to the city’s parking‑violation penalties.
Sergeant Carly Stone of the Vacaville Police Department told the council the changes are needed to implement AB 413, which amended the California Vehicle Code to prohibit parking within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk (and within 15 feet where a curb extension exists). The proposed municipal code update would allow officers to enforce the new state standard citywide; staff said the city will rely primarily on education and outreach and will give drivers a roughly three‑ to six‑month warning period before citations are routinely issued.
Stone presented illustrations that city staff said showed how moving the legal parking line back from a crosswalk improves sightlines for drivers and pedestrians. The police department and the city’s public information office will run an education campaign; staff said officers would retain discretion to issue warnings rather than citations during the outreach period and afterward.
Assistant City Attorney David Nam presented a companion ordinance to repeal and replace Chapter 10.56 of the Vacaville Municipal Code to update penalties and appeals language so it aligns with recently codified sections of the California Vehicle Code. Staff said there is no projected fiscal impact from the code changes and that the changes do not require curb painting or signage unless council directs those measures.
Council members asked questions about how the new law would be implemented at school pick‑up and drop‑off times and whether signs or curb painting might be needed in some locations. Sergeant Stone said officers would work with the city public information staff and school officials to time outreach with the school year and provide flexible enforcement in the early months.
Council introduced both ordinances on first reading and waived full reading of the titles; both actions advanced by voice vote.
