‘I’m walking here!’: Jaywalking legalised in New York City

Jaywalking decriminalized in NYC to end racial disparities in enforcement, allowing pedestrians to cross streets freely.

Jaywalking — that time-honoured practice of crossing the street outside of the crosswalk or against the traffic light — is now legal in New York City, U.S.A.

Legislation passed by the City Council last month officially became law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams declined to take action — either by signing or vetoing it — after 30 days.

Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, a Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said Tuesday (October 29, 2024) that the new law ends racial disparities in enforcement, noting that more than 90% of the jaywalking tickets issued last year went to Black and Latino people.

“Let’s be real, every New Yorker jaywalks. People are simply trying to get where they need to go,” she said in an emailed statement. “Laws that penalise common behaviours for everyday movement shouldn’t exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of colour.”

The new law permits pedestrians to cross a roadway at any point, including outside of a crosswalk. It also allows for crossing against traffic signals and specifically states that doing so is no longer a violation of the city’s administrative code.

But the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside of a crosswalk do not have the right of way and that they should yield to other traffic that has the right of way.

Liz Garcia, an Adams spokesperson, declined to elaborate on the mayor’s decision to let the bill become law without his action.