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Daylighting

Daylighting: Can Muni and AC Transit Get with the Program?

It's going to be a struggle getting motorists to stay out of the red zones. But what about transit vehicles?

A parked bus blocking sightlines at 33rd Avenue at Geary. Image is a screen capture from a video provided by tipster and local advocate Gideon Rubin

Gideon Rubin, a resident of the Richmond District, fears it's a matter of time before someone gets run over trying to cross the street because Muni buses block the view of the corner near his home. The northbound Muni 18 terminates at 33rd Avenue and Geary in the evenings, where the driver parks and takes a layover break (see lead photo). So the bus sits at that intersection after 7 p.m., explained Rubin, in an email to Streetsblog. "The buses dock around ten feet from the intersection."

That's half of what is prescribed by California's daylighting law, Assembly Bill 413, and it seems to be even less than that in the lead image provided by Rubin. Municipalities will start issuing tickets on January 1, 2025. "This law applies to all crosswalks, whether the crossing is painted or not. It was passed to improve safety at intersections, especially for pedestrians," says the SFMTA website

But does it apply to SFMTA's own buses?

SFMTA and other city agencies already rely too heavily on paint and citations to provide safety in the first place, instead of using solid barriers such as boulders, planters, and concrete. And city agencies—including the ones responsible for street safety—seem to be incapable of modeling safe behavior (see image below). So perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that city buses are also blocking sightlines.

A San Francisco fire department car parked in front of Cafe Réveille in Mission Bay, April 8. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick

"I understand this may not be a technical violation of the law because the buses are 'docking,' not parking. But at the minimum it seems to violate the spirit of the new law, and in my view the decision to approve this new location for docking the 18 bus reflects incompetence or disregard for public safety," wrote Rubin in an email to SFMTA shared with Streetsblog. "It's especially concerning because this location is around the corner from George Washington High School and three blocks from Presidio Middle School."

"We have been working over the past several months to review all ~140 Muni terminals throughout the city to ensure they provide daylighting at crosswalks," wrote SFMTA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte in an email to Streetsblog. At the Richmond location, SFMTA "recently added a yellow stop bar set back twenty feet from the crosswalk to provide Muni operators with a guide on where to park during their layover. We are also currently working on issuing instructional bulletins to all Muni operators regarding daylighting at terminals."

Rubin isn't satisfied with that response, writing that he still sees buses laying over within twenty feet, making it hard for motorists to see pedestrians.

AC Transit #12 bus laying over near the Amtrak station in Jack London Square. The driver is on break, not picking up or discharging passengers. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick

Still, at least SFMTA is trying. That's better than the response of Muni's counterpart in the East Bay, AC Transit, which seems to be ignoring daylighting laws. Robert Lyles, spokesperson for the agency, claimed in an email to Streetsblog that transit agencies are exempt. He forwarded the following citation from A.B. 413:

(i) Except as provided under Section 22500.5, alongside curb space authorized for the loading and unloading of passengers of a bus engaged as a common carrier in local transportation when indicated by a sign or red paint on the curb erected or painted by local authorities pursuant to an ordinance.

(e) (1) In front of a public or private driveway, except that a bus engaged as a common carrier, school bus, or a taxicab may stop to load or unload passengers when authorized by local authorities pursuant to an ordinance.

The point of daylighting is safety—protecting the lives of pedestrians, many of whom are also Muni and AC Transit riders. The law was written in such a way that transit agencies don't suddenly find themselves without serviceable bus stops. But its exception doesn't necessarily apply to buses that are not picking up or dropping off passengers. At any rate, using that as an excuse to do nothing about the layover and sightline issue is deeply troubling.

Muni and AC transit need to immediately issue bulletins to drivers instructing them that when they take their breaks they must avoid leaving their buses parked less than twenty feet from the crosswalk.

"Any person crossing 33rd Ave. westbound on the south side of Geary with a green light can't see cars traveling northbound on 33rd Ave. until they are in the middle of the intersection," wrote Rubin. "It seems unimaginable to me that anyone at Muni who approved docking the bus at this location gave public safety much serious consideration."

Do you see buses parked in daylighting locations? Post your experiences and pics below and on social media.

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