Enforcement was considered discriminatory. Now New Yorkers can jaywalk legally

A person waits to cross Lexington Avenue in Manhattan on Feb. 21. Newly passed legislation decriminalized jaywalking in New York City. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Just about everybody on the streets of New York City seems to jaywalk — but now it's no longer illegal.

Supporters of the measure to decriminalize jaywalking said enforcement was often discriminatory.

“Let's be real: jaywalking is a way of life in New York City. It’s how people navigate our city,” said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse of Brooklyn, the lead sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement to NPR.

“Penalizing residents for crossing the street as they go about their day is outdated and unnecessary, especially given how disproportionately these penalties have been enforced," she said.

Jaywalking officially became legal last weekend, a month after the New York City Council passed a bill to stop police from issuing tickets for pedestrians who stepped outside the lines — a crime that used to carry a penalty of up to $250.

"Police officers have told me they prefer to spend their time on real safety concerns, not handing out jaywalking tickets," Narcsisse said. "This law frees them up to focus on more critical community issues, making better use of their efforts and resources."

New York police have long faced criticisms for stopping Black and Hispanic pedestrians at a far steeper rate than white citizens.

Gothamist reported that in the first six months of 2024, the New York Police Department issued 786 pedestrian-related summonses, 77% of which went to Black or Hispanic people.

“We’re seeing discriminatory enforcement of this, but the other thing is that it’s not keeping us any safer,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán of Queens, who was one of the bill’s sponsors.

The Legal Aid Society, which has long been critical of the jaywalking penalties, praised the City Council for getting the law passed and said it would be monitoring the NYPD to ensure they respected the new legislation.

“Decriminalizing jaywalking in New York City is long-overdue and eradicates a mechanism that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has, for decades, employed as a pretext to stop, question, and frisk New Yorkers, especially those from communities of color,” the Legal Aid Society said in a statement.

“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to abolish relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only ensnare people in the criminal legal system,” the group added.