Carmel seeks changes to law removing parking spaces

[Scott Mace]

Carmel seeks changes to law removing parking spaces

P.G., Monterey working on compliance

By Mary Schley & Kelly Nix
Carmel Pine Cone, May 3, 2024

With public works crews in Pacific Grove and Monterey focused on
implementing a new state law requiring the elimination of parking spaces
within 20 feet of crosswalks, Carmel officials are trying to get the law
casually known as the Daylighting Bill changed. Assembly Bill 413 took
effect Jan. 1 and bans parking spaces near intersections so drivers can
more easily see pedestrians and cyclists, but that means the loss of
valuable real estate in a town where parking is already at a premium.

Carmel city administrator Chip Rerig said the traffic safety committee
comprising assistant city administrator Brandon Swanson (who is also
serving in his previous post as planning director for the time being),
public works director Bob Harary and Police Chief Paul Tomasi will meet
to discuss the new law later this month.

"I've been working with local city managers by lobbying the bill author
-- Alex Lee of Milpitas -- to consider amendments," Rerig said
Wednesday. "No progress to date, unfortunately."

Reviewing projects first

He said he and other Monterey Peninsula leaders are proposing exemptions
for cities with populations under 50,000 and for unmarked crosswalks,
and allowing 10-minute parking in the areas that are supposed to be
clear. "Those types of ideas," Rerig said.

City of Monterey officials, however, announced this week that they'd
begun implementing AB 413 earlier this year.

"Daylighting is considered best practice and is a frequently used tool
in cities across the country," said engineering assistant Marissa
Garcia. "Cars parked close to the corners of intersections can block the
field of vision for drivers, obscuring the corners where pedestrians are
waiting to cross the street and making it more difficult for anyone,
including drivers, trying to pass through the intersection."

She said the public works department is reviewing all projects in the
design and construction phases to ensure they are complying with the new
state rules, which took effect Jan. 1 and will become enforceable Jan.
1, 2025.

The department "will then address existing marked parking spaces to
ensure they are in compliance," she said.

While every intersection is subject to the law, some are already "no
parking" because of the ways they are marked and signed, according to
Garcia, and drivers who ignore those requirements can be cited, while
those who park in unmarked areas will just receive warnings, for now.

P.G. update

Pacific Grove, meanwhile, was the first Monterey Peninsula city to start
making changes to its downtown parking in response to the law, getting
to work on it early this year.

One of the first changes the city made was to eliminate the painted
crosswalk at Lighthouse and Fountain avenues. That's because a parklet
in front of Victorian Corner restaurant at 541 Lighthouse is not
compliant with the new state law.

While the restaurant owners have agreed to remove the parklet in favor
of a city-planned al fresco dining area that also includes a wider
8-foot pathway, public works recently posted a "no ped crossing" sign at
the former crosswalk, with an arrow directing pedestrians to a painted
crosswalk on the other side of the intersection.

"If the Victorian Corner parklet is removed and the intersection meets
all the requirements of AB 413, it would be the intention of public
works to reinstall the crosswalk," public works director Daniel Gho told
The Pine Cone.

Gho explained that the city has started painting its red curbs downtown
to 20 feet on the approach side of the marked crosswalks and performing
other work, such as removing and repainting parking spots.

"We have just started this endeavor, and it will take us some time to
complete," he said, adding that they will also need to expand the red
curbs to 20 feet in some places.