HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 24 - Councilmember Requested Item Regarding Visibility and SafetyO, SAL CITY ]v1�
. 1 1 1 1
v 7
9 S'
lrFO�
Councilmember-Requested Item Report
DATE
March 17, 2026
TOPIC
Stop Line Placement to Improve Pedestrian Visibility and Safety at Intersections
COUNCILMEMBER-REQUESTED ITEM TITLE
Discuss and Consider Providing Direction to the City Manager to Direct Staff to Review
the City's Standards and Practices for Stop Line Placement Relative to Crosswalks and
Evaluate Whether Setback Stop Lines Could Improve Pedestrian Visibility and Safety —
Particularly Along the High Injury Network and Near Schools, Parks, and Transit —in
Support of the City's Vision Zero Goals and Consistent with the California Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices
DISCUSSION
Background
Improving pedestrian safety at intersections is a key objective of the City's Vision Zero
initiative. The Santa Ana Vision Zero Action Plan identifies numerous infrastructure
strategies intended to reduce fatal and severe traffic collisions, including high -visibility
crosswalks, pedestrian signal improvements, curb extensions, hardened centerlines,
and intersection daylighting.
Stop Lines
Vision Zero emphasizes improving roadway safety through system design and
engineering interventions, rather than relying solely on changes in driver behavior. One
intersection design element that may warrant further evaluation is the placement of stop
lines (also referred to as limit lines) relative to crosswalks. Stop lines are pavement
markings indicating where vehicles must stop at intersections. When vehicles stop too
close to crosswalks, or partially block them, pedestrians may become less visible to
approaching drivers and may be forced to navigate around stopped vehicles. This issue
may be particularly important near schools, senior centers, parks, and transit stops,
where pedestrians —including children, older adults, and people using mobility
devices —may be more vulnerable to visibility conflicts at intersections.
The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) establishes
statewide standards for traffic control devices and indicates that stop lines are typically
placed several feet in advance of crosswalks but may be positioned further back when
necessary to improve safety, visibility, or operational conditions. While the Santa Ana
Vision Zero Plan includes conceptual intersection improvements that show stop bars
CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER CITY CLERK
Sonia R. Carvalho Alvaro Nunez Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org
positioned behind crosswalks, the plan does not currently include a citywide evaluation
of stop line placement as a pedestrian safety strategy.
Evaluating stop line placement at intersections, particularly along corridors with higher
crash rates or heavy pedestrian activity, may present an opportunity to improve
pedestrian visibility and reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.
Relationship to Vision Zero and the High Injury Network
The Santa Ana Vision Zero Action Plan prioritizes safety improvements along corridors
identified as part of the City's High Injury Network, where the majority of severe and
fatal traffic collisions occur.
A targeted review of stop line placement along these corridors may complement other
Vision Zero strategies identified in the plan, including:
• high -visibility crosswalks
• leading pedestrian interval signal timing
• curb extensions
• hardened centerlines
• intersection daylighting
Evaluating stop line placement as part of a broader suite of intersection safety
improvements may help further advance the City's Vision Zero goals of reducing severe
injuries and fatalities on Santa Ana streets.
Relationship to California's Daylighting Law
California recently enacted California Assembly Bill 413, which establishes statewide
intersection daylighting requirements prohibiting parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at
most intersections. The purpose of this law is to improve visibility between drivers and
pedestrians and reduce traffic collisions. The Santa Ana Vision Zero Action Plan
similarly recommends implementing intersection daylighting as a cost-effective strategy
to improve pedestrian visibility and safety at intersections.
While daylighting addresses visibility issues caused by parked vehicles near
intersections, evaluating the placement of stop lines relative to crosswalks may further
enhance pedestrian visibility by ensuring that moving vehicles stop an appropriate
distance away from crossing areas.
As Santa Ana continues implementing Vision Zero strategies and prepares for
enforcement of California's daylighting requirements, reviewing stop line placement may
present an opportunity to complement these efforts and improve intersection safety.
Practices in Other Cities
Several cities have explored or implemented setback stop lines or advance stop bars as
part of broader pedestrian safety and Vision Zero strategies. For example:
• Los Angeles Department of Transportation has implemented advance stop bars
at intersections with high pedestrian activity or complex turning movements to
improve driver visibility of pedestrians in crosswalks.
• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has incorporated setback stop
lines alongside intersection daylighting and other street design improvements as
part of its Vision Zero safety toolkit.
CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER CITY CLERK
Sonia R. Carvalho Alvaro Nunez Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org
• Seattle Department of Transportation has implemented setback stop lines
together with hardened centerlines and other intersection visibility improvements
to reduce turning conflicts and improve pedestrian safety.
These approaches demonstrate how relatively low-cost roadway striping and design
changes can complement broader pedestrian safety initiatives and Vision Zero
programs.
Conclusion
Evaluating the placement of stop lines relative to crosswalks may present an
opportunity to improve pedestrian visibility and reduce conflicts between vehicles and
pedestrians at intersections throughout the city. This item requests that staff review
current practices and determine whether updated guidance or targeted improvements
could further support Santa Ana's Vision Zero safety goals.
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss and consider directing the city manager to direct staff as follows:
1. Review the City's current standards and practices regarding the placement of
stop lines relative to crosswalks at signalized and stop -controlled intersections.
2. Evaluate whether increased setback distances between stop lines and
crosswalks could improve pedestrian visibility, reduce crosswalk encroachment
by vehicles, and enhance pedestrian safety.
3. Identify intersections along the City's High Injury Network, as identified in the
Santa Ana Vision Zero Action Plan, and near high -pedestrian destinations such
as schools, parks, senior facilities, and transit stops where vehicles frequently
encroach into crosswalks or where pedestrian visibility may be limited.
4. Assess whether updated engineering guidance or policies should be developed,
consistent with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, to
encourage the use of setback stop lines where appropriate.
5. Explore potential pilot locations where setback stop lines or related intersection
visibility treatments could be implemented.
6. Report back to the City Council with findings and recommendations, including
potential implementation strategies, estimated costs, and alignment with the
City's Vision Zero goals.
SUBMITTED BY
Councilmember Jessie Lopez
EXHIBIT(S)
N/A
CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER CITY CLERK
Sonia R. Carvalho Alvaro Nunez Jennifer L. Hall
20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702
TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org