New York City legalizes jaywalking

The New York City Council enacted a bill over the weekend allowing pedestrians to cross streets against traffic signals commonly known as jaywalking. Police may no longer cite walkers regardless of traffic signals or the presence of a crosswalk, according to the legislation. The Department of Transportation must also make an effort to educate both drivers and pedestrians about the code change and its effects.

Why did the council feel jaywalking needed to be legalized? Jaywalking is a way of life in the city and penalizing residents for trying to go about their day is unnecessary and outdated, NYC Council Member Mercedes Narcisse told NPR. Decriminalizing jaywalking makes better use of police resources, allowing officers to focus on real safety concerns, she said. The penalties for jaywalking are also disproportionately enforced, Narcisse added.

Advocates of the policy change accuse police of using jaywalking infractions as an excuse to detain and search people when racially profiling. The New York Police Department has used jaywalking as a pretext to stop and frisk New Yorkers of color for decades, the Legal Aid Society said in a Tuesday statement. Hopefully Mayor Eric Adams and the city councilors will continue to abolish antiquated laws aimed at trapping people in the criminal system, the statement added.