In an effort to enhance safety for children during their commutes to school, San Francisco has officially launched its School Daylighting Program. This initiative signifies a crucial advancement towards improved safety in school zones across the city. Following the enactment of California’s new daylighting law, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, the city aims to bolster visibility and minimize traffic incidents in areas frequented by students.
The program kicked off at New Traditions Elementary School, a gathering attended by students, families, educators, and local officials who are committed to fostering safer environments for children. District 7 Supervisor and San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) Chair Myrna Melgar, along with Walk SF and other community members, joined SFMTA Streets Director Viktoriya Wise to celebrate the program’s launch.
During the event, children participated in the initiative by helping paint curbs red near crosswalks. This vibrant color coding is a visible reminder and safety measure aimed at keeping children, instructors, and caregivers safe while navigating school zones. Statistically, school zones experience heavy foot and vehicular traffic, especially during peak drop-off and pick-up times.
The rationale behind focusing on schools is simple: children are particularly vulnerable in these busy areas. The process of daylighting, which ensures that crosswalks are free from parked vehicles, allows drivers a clearer line of sight to pedestrians, and vice versa. It is a straightforward yet effective strategy for enhancing safety, especially for shorter individuals who may struggle to see over parked cars.
As part of a phased approach, the School Daylighting Program will utilize a clear strategy to comply with the new state law. The initiative is structured in three stages, aiming for complete daylighting of every intersection in San Francisco by the close of 2026. The first stage will focus on the High Injury Network, which encompasses the city’s most perilous streets. In the upcoming weeks, red curbs will be painted to signify daylighting at all intersections in this high-risk category.
The focus will then shift to school zones where students and families are notably at risk. The target is to achieve daylighting at all intersections within 600 feet of public schools by the end of 2025. Following completion of school zones, the effort will expand to cover all remaining intersections throughout the city by the end of 2026.
Rapid progress has already been made, with crews having completed daylighting at half of the school locations, on track for completion by year’s end. This program aims to ensure that school zones are not just safer for students, but also for everyone who uses the streets, including drivers and cyclists.
While the program centers on schools, its benefits extend to all pedestrians and drivers in the vicinity. With clearer intersections, improved visibility is anticipated, leading to fewer near-misses and enhancing overall safety for families navigating the streets. This initiative works toward building more secure and harmonious neighborhoods for everyone, regardless of their mode of transportation.
It is important to remember that daylighting regulations aren’t entirely new to San Francisco. The city has already implemented this safety protocol in various busy areas and along the High Injury Network. However, with the establishment of the new state law, the city is set to expand these measures more comprehensively across the entire region.
The newly enacted law specifically dictates that parking is strictly prohibited within 20 feet of the approach side of both marked and unmarked crosswalks. If drivers inadvertently park within 20 feet of an unmarked intersection, they may receive a warning without incurring a fine. However, once the city paints a curb red, the parking prohibitions and standard fines will become enforceable.
Overall, the School Daylighting Program represents an essential step toward safeguarding children while they travel to and from school. By improving visibility around crosswalks, the program aims to create a safer environment for all members of the San Francisco community.
image source from：https://www.sfmta.com/blog/making-trips-school-safer-across-city-new-daylighting-program
