Authorities in California will begin ticketing drivers who park within 20 feet of pedestrian crosswalks, thanks to a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2023 that adds to the state’s extensive traffic regulations and potential fines.
The law, AB 413, says:
This bill would prohibit the stopping, standing, or parking of a vehicle within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of any unmarked or marked crosswalk or 15 feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present, as specified. The bill would, prior to January 1, 2025, authorize jurisdictions to only issue a warning for a violation, and would prohibit them from issuing a citation for a violation, unless the violation occurs in an area marked using paint or a sign.
The grace period ends Tuesday, December 31, 2024 — meaning that fines for violations are now possible.
Local authorities are given the power to determine a distance other than 20 feet; to allow loading and unloading near a crosswalk; and to allow bicycle or motorcycle parking near a crosswalk.
One traffic law that Newsom relaxed was the prohibition on jaywalking, which was perceived as “racist” because of claims that the law was enforced more vigorously against members of racial minorities. Newsom signed the “Freedom to Walk Act” in 2022, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
