A TRAFFIC offense put in place to protect New York City pedestrians from zooming cars has been abolished thanks to a new law.
Plenty of New York City residents already cross the street as they please, but new legislation made a time-honored practice completely legal.
Jaywalking is now legal in New York City thanks to new legislation[/caption]
The city used to impose $250 fines to protect pedestrians, but now residents and visitors can walk as they please[/caption]
Jaywalking, or crossing the street outside a crosswalk, is now legal under a new law.
The legislation was passed last month and went into effect this weekend after New York City Mayor Eric Adams declined to take action.
Native New Yorkers and visitors likely didn’t know that every time they jaywalked, they risked getting slapped with a huge $250 fine.
Councilmember Mercedes Narcisee, who is a Democrat living in Brooklyn, said she pushed for the law after learning 90% of these tickets went to Black and Latino people.
“Let’s be real, every New Yorker jaywalks,” she said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
“People are simply trying to get where they need to go.
“Laws that penalize common behaviors for everyday movement shouldn’t exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”
Under the new legislation, pedestrians can also cross the street against traffic signals without fear of a fee.
However, New Yorkers should be warned that they no longer have the right of way when they jaywalk.
This means drivers do not have to yield to those pedestrians, and jaywalkers can be held liable if they cause car accidents.
A spokesperson for Adams didn’t comment on his refusal to respond to the legislation but gave an urgent warning to New Yorkers following the annulment.
“All road users are safer when everyone follows traffic rules,” she said in a statement.
“We continue to encourage pedestrians to take advantage of safety mechanisms in place — such as daylighting, pedestrian islands, and leading pedestrian intervals — by crossing in a crosswalk with the walk signal.”
New York City is following the footsteps of several other cities who have already decriminalized jaywalking, including Denver, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouri.
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