by Mell P
Have you ever jaywalked? Me too—it’s been a habit for years! Honestly, I never even knew it was illegal until recently. I mean, it’s New York City, right? Jaywalking feels like part of the local DNA. But here’s the newsflash: for the first time since 1958, crossing the street whenever and however you want is now perfectly legal in the Big Apple. Last week, the change took effect when Mayor Adams let a new city council bill decriminalizing jaywalking slide into law without a veto or signature.
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According to CNN’s Julianna Bragg, this shift is seen as a win for racial justice, with one of the bill’s main advocates, Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, pointing out that jaywalking enforcement has often unfairly targeted communities of color. StreetsblogNYC reported that in 2023 alone, a staggering 92 percent of jaywalking tickets were issued to Black and Latino New Yorkers, with fines reaching up to $250.
But not everyone was thrilled about the new law. City officials and the police voiced concerns this summer, arguing that ticketing jaywalking helps reduce traffic fatalities. The statistics are sobering: over the last five years, 200 pedestrians lost their lives crossing streets outside of crosswalks or against signals, making up about 34 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.
Still, there’s a broader history to consider. As traffic historian Peter Norton explains, “jaywalking” wasn’t always a crime. It was, in fact, a 100-year-old strategy pushed by the car industry to clear the roads for vehicles and shift responsibility to pedestrians. Traffic experts like Angie Schmitt and Charles T. Brown argue that it’s long overdue to rethink this mindset and hold reckless drivers accountable.
With this new law, New York joins a growing list of cities and states like California, Virginia, Nevada, Denver, and Kansas City, Missouri, in decriminalizing jaywalking. It’s a step toward safer, fairer streets and, finally, a little legal leeway for New Yorkers’ natural urge to jaywalk!
