Sunnyvale, CA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Cross at right angles or shortest route
- Exception
- Marked crosswalks
- Sign authority
- City traffic engineer, § 10.52.030
- Classification
- Infraction, SMC § 1.04.010(b)(5)
- Pedestrian fine cap
- $50 per § 1.04.020(b)(1)
Summary
Sunnyvale requires pedestrians to cross streets by the shortest route straight across, at right angles to the curb, unless they use a marked crosswalk. Crossing any other way, or ignoring a posted no-crossing sign, is unlawful under Municipal Code Chapter 10.52, punishable as a Title 10 infraction with a fine capped at fifty dollars for a pedestrian.
It is unlawful for any pedestrian to cross a roadway at any place other than by a route at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb except in a marked crosswalk.
Full Breakdown
050, "Pedestrians—Crossing at right angles," makes it unlawful for a pedestrian to cross a roadway anywhere except by a route at right angles to the curb or the shortest route to the opposite curb, unless the crossing is inside a marked crosswalk. 010. 040 makes it separately unlawful for any pedestrian to cross in violation of one of those posted signs. 070, bars pedestrians from blocking the flow of foot traffic on a sidewalk in commercially zoned areas. None of these sections carry their own penalty clause; they fall under the citywide Title 10 infraction structure. 010(c), so a violation is cited as a criminal infraction rather than an administrative ticket.
Violations & Fines
Crossing outside a marked crosswalk other than at right angles, or ignoring a posted no-crossing sign, is an infraction under SMC §§ 10.52.040, 10.52.050 and 1.04.010(b)(5). Under Section 1.04.020(b)(1), a pedestrian convicted of a Title 10 infraction is punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars, separate from the higher schedule that applies to drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Sunnyvale?
What is the fine for jaywalking in Sunnyvale?
Can Sunnyvale ban pedestrian crossing on a specific street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sunnyvale
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Jaywalking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle jaywalking.