Jaywalking, the age-old practice of crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or against a traffic light, is now legal in New York City.
The bill, passed by the City Council last month, became official over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams declined to sign or veto the measure after 30 days.
Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse (D-Brooklyn), who sponsored the bill, said Tuesday that the new law would end racial disparities in enforcement, noting that more than 90% of pedestrian bridge tickets issued last year went to black people. He pointed out that it went to Latinos.
“Let’s be real, all New Yorkers cross overpasses. People are just trying to get where they need to go,” she said in an emailed statement. “Laws that punish common behaviors in everyday transportation should not exist, especially when they disproportionately impact communities of color.”
The new law allows pedestrians to cross roadways at any time, including outside of crosswalks. It also allows people to cross roads without traffic lights, and specifically states that such behavior does not violate the city’s administrative law.
However, the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside of a crosswalk do not have the right of way and should yield to other traffic that has the right of way.
Adams spokeswoman Liz Garcia did not elaborate on the mayor’s decision to pass the bill without any action on her part.
However, he pointed out that the bill makes it clear that crossing against the right or mid-block is an extremely dangerous act. Garcia added that people may still be liable for civil lawsuits for accidents caused by pedestrian crossings.
“All road users will be safer if everyone follows the rules of the road,” she said in a statement. “We continue to encourage pedestrians to take advantage of the safety mechanisms in place, such as daylighting, pedestrian islands and pedestrian priority spacing, by crossing at crosswalks with pedestrian signals. I will go.”
Other cities and states have decriminalized jaywalking in recent years, from Denver and Kansas City, Missouri, to California, Nevada and Virginia, according to America Walks, a Seattle-based group that tracks the proposal. It is said that there is
“Cities that truly value safety focus on street design, speeding and dangerous large vehicles,” Mike McGinn, the group’s executive director, said Tuesday. “This is not a pedestrian bridge law.”
According to America Walks, the law was promoted by the auto industry in the 1930s as a way to keep people off the roads and create more space for cars.
According to dictionary maker Merriam-Webster, the term “jaywalking” dates back to the early 20th century and has roots in Midwestern slang for redneck or rube.
In New York City, where conflicts between pedestrians and motorists are common, pedestrian crossing laws have been in place since 1958, with fines of up to $250.
In the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, Dustin Hoffman famously exclaimed, “I’m walking here!” His character almost gets hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.
The Legal Aid Society argued that the bill was long overdue. The nonprofit organization, which provides free legal representation to New Yorkers who can’t afford a lawyer, says for decades police have used it as an excuse to stop, question and assault residents, particularly people of color. He said he had taken advantage of the violation.
“The codification of this law confirms that both the Adams administration and the City Council will continue to repeal legacy laws that serve no public safety purpose and serve only to ensnare people in the criminal legal system,” the group said in a statement. I look forward to it.”
A spokesperson for the police department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, and a spokesperson for the largest union declined to comment.
But Narcisse said he spoke with officers and they told him his time would be better spent doing other police work than issuing tickets for walking on the overpass.
“No one ever said, ‘I’m so glad I caught that jaywalker,'” she said. “Removing these penalties allows police officers to focus on the issues that really matter.” .
