NEW YORK — The average New Yorker is no stranger to jaywalking, which has been illegal since 1958. That’s going to change.
Starting in February, New Yorkers will no longer break the law when crossing the street between traffic, and they will no longer be fined for jaywalking.
The city council has made efforts to decriminalize jaywalkingsomething almost every New Yorker does. The new law allows pedestrians to cross a roadway at any point, including outside a crosswalk and against traffic lights. But the law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside a zebra crossing do not have priority.
The city council has approved the law last month, and the bill became law after Mayor Eric Adams ran out of time to veto or sign the legislation last weekend. This means that the law will come into effect 120 days later, February next year.
‘Everyone does it, and I do it too’
“In 2023, more than 92% of jaywalking citations went to Black and Latino New Yorkers, highlighting an unacceptable disparity. The bill changes that by eliminating criminal penalties and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of race or background noise “, said councilor Mercedes Narcisse. who sponsored the legislation. “Police officers have told me they would rather focus on real public safety efforts, not on issuing tickets for crossing the street.”
Narcisse said the law does not overlook safety, adding that public safety measures are fair and equitable. Pedestrians, motorists and cyclists remain responsible for the safe use of the street.
The Legal Aid Society said the new law is a big positive for New Yorkers.
“We also hope that the long-term effect will be that it will no longer be a pretext to stop, question and search New Yorkers,” said attorney Natalie Peeples of the Legal Aid Society.
“Jaywalking is dangerous. I do it from time to time,” said Hell’s Kitchen resident Sandy Miller.
“I don’t even think about it because everyone does it, and so do I. So I don’t think the law will change anything,” Desmond Chu said.
“It’s good that it’s legalized. I think with the way the city is built, sometimes you have to do it. It’s just what happens,” said Brooklyn resident Christine Obiamalu.
