ALL. 20. FEET.
Visibility isn't a luxury. It's the law.
Why 20 Feet
California law (AB 413) requires 20 feet of clear space, known as daylighting, before every crosswalk. This space helps drivers see people earlier and gives everyone more time to react. It’s grounded in traffic safety data and endorsed by national experts.
What’s Happening in San Francisco?
Many intersections in San Francisco, including those in school zones, are only daylighted to 10 feet. That is not just unsafe, it’s illegal.
This city says it supports safe routes to school. But when officials fail to implement the full 20 feet, they are cutting corners at the expense of children’s safety.
Why 20 Feet Matters
The 20-foot daylighting rule is not arbitrary. It is grounded in years of traffic safety data showing that visibility saves lives. When drivers can see people earlier, they are more likely to stop in time. It is that simple.
Children walk, bike, and scoot through our neighborhoods every day. Not just to school. Parents push strollers. Seniors cross slowly. These are real people at risk when corners are blocked.
This law exists because the evidence is clear. Anything less than 20 feet is not just cutting corners. It ignores the data and puts lives in danger.
What We’re Demanding
YES to full compliance with AB 413 across San Francisco
YES to 20 feet of daylighting at every intersection
NO to unofficial shortcuts
YES to decisions based on data, transparency, and real safety standards
Subject: AB 413 Compliance and Public Safety
Dear City Leaders,
San Francisco is not fully complying with AB 413, which requires 20 feet of daylighting at crosswalks. Many intersections, including those in school zones and on high-injury corridors, remain below the legal standard.
Despite community advocacy and a unanimous Board resolution, the decision was made to implement and maintain dangerous locations below the standard of care, in direct violation of state-mandated protections. This reflects deliberate indifference to pedestrian safety rights.
Children travel across our city every day, walking, biking, and scooting, and they deserve full visibility at every intersection, not just those adjacent to school gates.
When professional standards are consistently unmet, it undermines public trust in transportation policy and in the meaningful enforcement of safety laws.
The city has a fundamental obligation to implement safety laws completely and consistently. Partial compliance with safety law is not compliance.
I urge you to direct immediate, full compliance with AB 413; 20 feet of daylighting at every intersection, without exceptions. This is both a legal requirement and essential for maintaining community trust.
Our children deserve transportation infrastructure that fully meets established safety standards.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address or Neighborhood, Optional]
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Let’s build a safer San Francisco.
Every corner. Every time.
