Jaywalking was legalized in NYC after Mayor Adams refused to sign or veto a bill after 30 days

NEW YORK CITY – Jaywalking — the time-honored practice of crossing the street outside of a crosswalk or against a traffic light — is now legal in New York City.

A law passed by the City Council last month was officially signed into law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams declined to take action – whether by signing or vetoing – after 30 days.

Council member Mercedes Narcisse, a Democrat from Brooklyn who sponsored the law, said Tuesday that the new law eliminates racial disparities in enforcement, noting that more than 90% of jaywalking tickets issued last year went to blacks and Latinos went.

“Let’s face it, every New Yorker is walking around. People are just trying to get where they need to go,” she said in an emailed statement. “Laws that penalize common behaviors in everyday movements should not exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”

The new law allows pedestrians to cross a roadway at any point, including outside of a crosswalk. It also allows crossing traffic lights and specifically states that this is no longer a violation of the city's administrative code.

However, the new law also indicates that pedestrians crossing outside a zebra crossing do not have the right of way and must give way to other traffic with the right of way.

Liz Garcia, an Adams spokeswoman, declined to elaborate on the mayor's decision to let the bill take effect without his input.

However, she noted that the bill makes it clear that crossing the traffic light and the center block is extremely risky behavior. In civil lawsuits, people could still be held liable for accidents caused by jaywalking, Garcia added.

“All road users are safer when everyone follows traffic rules,” 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 leading pedestrian distances – by crossing a crosswalk using the walk signal.”

Other cities and states, from Denver and Kansas City, Missouri, to California, Nevada and Virginia, have decriminalized jaywalking in recent years, according to America Walks, a Seattle-based group that is tracking the proposals.

“Cities that really care about safety are focusing on street design, speeding and dangerously large vehicles,” Mike McGinn, the group’s executive director, said Tuesday. “No misleading laws.”

According to America Walks, the laws were pushed by the auto industry in the 1930s to keep people off the roads and create more space for vehicles.

The term “jaywalking” dates to the early 20th century and has its roots in Midwestern slang for “country bumpkin” or “rube,” according to dictionary maker Merriam-Webster.

In New York City, where fights between pedestrians and drivers are common, the jaywalking law had been in effect since 1958 and carried a fine of up to $250.

In the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, Dustin Hoffman famously shouts, “I'm going here!” as his character is almost hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.

The Legal Aid Society, meanwhile, called the legislation long overdue. The nonprofit, which provides free legal representation to New Yorkers who can't afford a lawyer, said police have used the violation as an excuse for decades to stop, question and search residents – particularly people of color.

“Now that this legislation is codified, we hope that both the Adams administration and the City Council will continue to repeal relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only entangle people in the criminal justice system,” the organization said in a statement.

In an emailed statement Wednesday, the police department declined to comment on the new law other than to say that it “will continue to work tirelessly, along with the New York City Department of Transportation, to increase traffic safety and reduce collisions.” prevent, especially those that…“lead to injury or death.”

Narcisse said officers she spoke with said their time could be better spent on other police duties rather than issuing speeding tickets.

“Nobody ever said, 'I'm so glad they caught that jaywalker.' By eliminating these penalties, we will allow our police officers to focus on the issues that matter,” she said.