Jaywalking Legal in New York - No Red Light Nor State Law Can Stop You From Crossing the Street

BY: KIA MOERK / STAFF WRITER

(Photo Credits: Mark Abrams/The New York Times)

After years of illegal jaywalking, New Yorkers are finally let off the hook for crossing the street on a red light. Beginning in February, New Yorkers can continue the practice of crossing the street outside crosswalks or against traffic lights. This time – legally.

In a city where everyone is always in a rush and slow walkers get stamped on (or at least a nasty side eye), jaywalking has become a city tradition. 

Although considered a way of New York life the same way as dollar-pizza or taking the subway, the practice of jaywalking has for years carried the possibility of an up to $250 fine.

After decades of officials looking the other way, the City Council has finally approved legislation allowing citizens to cross the street regardless of the traffic lights. This happened after Major Eric Adams missed the 30-day window of signing or vetoing the bill,  ensuring the legalization of legal jaywalking in the last weekend of October.

The practice has been illegal since 1958, at a time where traffic accidents were frequent and city officials attempted to increase legislation that could increase public safety through additional measures such as federal laws on mandatory seat-belts and speed limits.

Although originally intended to save lives, in the best minds of citizens, the practice of ticketing jaywalkers has been criticized for its discriminatory nature. A large majority of individuals ticketed for jaywalking in New York are of Black or Latino descent. 

In an email statement to CNN, Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, one of the sponsors for the bill, emphasizes the role of the legislation in improving racial justice and adds that “In 2023, over 92% of jaywalking citations went to Black and Latino New Yorkers,” a significantly large amount.

Jaywalking has also been linked to the practice of stop and frisk; a controversial practice allowing police to temporarily detain and search individuals on the street without a warrant, which has been criticized for its discriminatory tendencies as well. Crossing the street illegally can give the police enough reason to stop individuals they deem suspicious and question or search them further through stop and frisk.

Whilst total incidents of stop and frisk in New York decreased after a 2012 lawsuit and a federal judge’s orders to reform the practice to a manner that will protect New Yorker’s civil liberties and rights, there were still close to 17,000 incidents of stop and frisk in 2023, according to NYCLU.

In addition to possibly improving racial justice in the city,  the bill will allow the police to stop issuing tickets for people crossing the street and return their gaze to actual public safety concerns.

Although you can no longer get a ticket for crossing the street on a red light, state officials warn of the possible consequences of jaywalking and ask people to be careful. 

According to the New York Department of Transportation, jaywalking has accounted for around 34% of all pedestrian deaths in the past 5 years, resulting in almost 200 casualties – a significant amount. Opposers of the bill are concerned that the change in law might increase this number.

Although you will no longer break the law nor risk a ticket when crossing the street at a red light, you might be risking your life.