SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The city of San Diego is facing criticism of its enforcement of the daylighting law.

This comes as the new proposed budget cuts money that would allow city crews to identify and paint some of the impacted intersections.

Meanwhile, a City Heights resident is speaking out over the confusion that is costing her.

“I thought that it was 20 feet from where it curves like the actual corner. It might be from the ramp. I’m not sure,” said Amy Ostrowski.

Her $115 parking ticket traces back to a spot on 45th St. and Orange Ave. Ostrowski got it in early March for daylighting – one of more than 5,000 issued in San Diego so far this year, according to a city communications specialist.

“I was surprised because I never got a ticket on my windshield. I just got it a few weeks later in the mail,” said Ostrowski.

She said she didn’t know about the daylighting law – which took effect in California last January.

It bans parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, even without signs or red curbs, like where Ostrowski parked.

“The action the City has taken is great, and we think they should be doing more,” said Ian Hembree with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.

Hembree said safety has improved, at least anecdotally, since the law took effect. However, he added that not all drivers are aware of it.

“That was one of our budget asks going into this fiscal year was for the city to have a dedicated fund for daylighting intersections,” said Hembree.

The city said red curbs are required in capital and private permit projects and are also being installed through safety improvements funded by community parking district meter revenue.

There are more than 16,000 impacted intersections citywide, and the city has painted over 1,000 since the law took effect.

However, Hembree noted that the mayor’s proposed 2027 budget increases staffing for parking enforcement but cuts the multi-modal team. The team, he explained, helps design and implement daylighting on streets that are being repaved.

“We’re concerned that the daylighting effort that has been happening across the city that the progress may be delayed and halted potentially,” said Hembree.

Meanwhile, Ostrowski continues her appeal after following what she thought was the correct process only to find out that wasn’t the case.

After sending an email and waiting several days, she said she never heard back from the city, so she decided to call. When she got through and spoke to someone, she was told the city no longer uses that email and would have to go through the city’s website.

“By that time, my due date had passed, so my ticket went from $115 to $220,” said Ostrowski.

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to the City and was told the email address issue has since been fixed.

Still, Ostrowski is urging the City to apply enforcement consistently and fairly. “When we call and say, ‘ Hey, that car has been parked there for 3 months, they get a little pink slip, and they move it, and they don’t get dinged for it.”

She also said she was contacted Friday and will be refunded the late fee, but she will still have to pay the original ticket amount before she can apply for administrative review.

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