Is jaywalking legal? New York legalized jaywalking after Mayor Eric Adams refused to sign the bill or veto it after 30 days.

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

The legislation, passed by the City Council last month, officially became law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams refused to take action – either by signing it or vetoing it – after 30 days.

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

“Let’s be honest: every New Yorker crosses the street. People are just trying to get where they need to go,” she said in an emailed statement. “Laws that penalize common behavior for everyday movement should not exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”

The new law allows pedestrians to cross the roadway anywhere, including outside a pedestrian crossing. It also allows crossing against a traffic light and specifically states that it is no longer a violation of the city’s administrative code.

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

Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams, declined to elaborate on the mayor’s decision to allow the bill to become law without his action.

But she noted that the bill makes clear that crossing lights and middle blocks is extremely risky behavior. People may also still be subject to civil liability for jaywalking accidents, Garcia added.

“All road users will be safer if everyone follows the rules of the road,” she said in a statement. “We continue to encourage pedestrians to use available safety features such as daylighting, pedestrian islands and leading pedestrian spacing when crossing a signalized crosswalk.”

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 tracks these proposals.

“Cities that truly care about safety pay particular attention to street design, speeding and the use of dangerous large vehicles,” Mike McGinn, the group’s executive director, said Tuesday. “Not jaywalking laws.”

According to America Walks, these laws were passed by the auto industry in the 1930s as a way to keep people off the streets and create more space for vehicles.

According to dictionary compiler Merriam-Webster, the term jaywalking originated in the early 20th century and has its roots in Midwestern slang for a country bumpkin or rube.

In New York City, where the battle between pedestrians and motorists is a constant, jaywalking laws have been in effect since 1958 and carry fines of up to $250.

In the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, Dustin Hoffman shouts, “I’m coming here!” as his character was nearly hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.

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

“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams administration and the City Council will continue to repeal outdated laws that serve no public safety purpose and only trap people in the criminal legal system,” the organization said in a statement .

The Police Department, in an emailed statement Wednesday, declined to comment on the new law other than to say it “will continue to work tirelessly with the New York City Department of Transportation to improve traffic safety and prevent collisions, especially those that result in injury.” or death.”

Narcisse said officers she’s spoken with say their time could be better spent doing other police work rather than writing tickets for jaywalking.

“Nobody ever said, ‘I’m so glad they caught that pedestrian.’ By eliminating these penalties, we are allowing our police officers to focus on the issues that really matter,” she said.