At least two drivers were issued tickets for parking along newly painted red curbs in San Francisco this month, which appeared mysteriously and were not sanctioned by authorities.
These curbs were painted by unknown individuals to resemble the crosswalk buffers required under California’s newly implemented daylighting law.
Following reports of unauthorized red zones on Balboa and Cabrillo streets in the Richmond district, officials from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) began reviewing the matter and have started “proactively” dismissing citations issued at these locations.
“So far, we’ve identified and dismissed two,” SFMTA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte stated.
The sudden appearance of these painted curbs sparked outrage this week as residents shared images on social media, showing curbs that had turned red overnight.
Many of these curbs were also marked with a yellow “SFMTA” stencil and the Muni worm logo, seemingly to make them appear legitimate.
However, there was a noticeable flaw some extended well beyond the 20-foot limit required by the daylighting law, which took effect on January 1.
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“It’s a crazy situation,” said Justin Lee, a Richmond resident who suspects he was among those wrongly ticketed due to the illegal red paint.
Lee recalled parking his blue Acura on Balboa Street near 19th Avenue on the night of January 13 and noted that the curb was gray at the time.
When he returned to his car the next morning, January 14, he found the curb had been freshly painted red and a parking ticket was placed on his windshield.
Immediately suspicious, Lee grabbed a tape measure. The photos he shared with the Chronicle revealed that the painted curb exceeded the 20-foot regulation, covering what he estimated to be nearly three parking spaces.
As of Friday, Lee was still trying to dispute the ticket. Thus far, the SFMTA had denied his appeal. A spokesperson could not immediately confirm whether the agency had reversed his citation as part of its review of the unauthorized red curbs.
Meanwhile, work crews rushed to investigate reports from Lee and other residents regarding the mysterious curb paintings.
This week, SFMTA officials confirmed that red curbs painted along Balboa between 17th and 19th avenues, as well as Cabrillo between 15th and 19th avenues, were not their work.
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Upon discovering the unauthorized markings, SFMTA crews repainted the curbs gray and then restored the official 20-foot red zones in compliance with the law.
Although these rogue red curbs sped up San Francisco’s daylighting efforts, they were placed on the wrong streets, according to SFMTA representatives. Transportation planners had originally intended to focus on areas near schools to enhance pedestrian safety for children.
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