It’s official: on Saturday, October 26, jaywalking was declared legal in New York. In September, the City Council passed legislation allowing pedestrians to cross the street at any time without adhering to traffic signals. The bill became law after Mayor Eric Adams neither signed nor vetoed the bill within a 30-day window. Previously illegal in New York since 1958, jaywalking carried a fine of up to $250.
Why should Jaywalking be illegal? According to the Traffic Safety Resource Center, “What is Jaywalking And Is It Really Illegal,” over the past five years, 200 people have died while crossing the street in the middle of the block or against traffic signals, accounting for around 34% of all pedestrian fatalities, according to testimony from the New York City Department of Transportation. While jaywalking may not seem like a big deal, it can actually be quite dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,000 pedestrians are killed each year in traffic accidents. Over a 30-year period, approximately 180,000 pedestrians have been injured or killed in jaywalking accidents in the U.S. Every 11 minutes or so, a pedestrian is killed due to jaywalking. Even though jaywalking can get you to school or work faster, is it really worth the risk? Just because jaywalking is legal, it doesn’t mean you have to feel obligated to do it.
According to CNN, “Jaywalking Is Now Legal In New York City, But It’s Not Any Less Dangerous,” the article states that in April 2010, Raquel Nelson began crossing a busy 5-lane roadway to reach her apartment building on the other side. Nelson’s two daughters and son were with her on the dark road. As they crossed the road, the boy, A.J., pulled away from his mother, and was killed when he was struck by a van. This terrible tragedy might have been avoided if Nelson had walked with her children just a third of a mile to the nearest crosswalk. Most people don’t think about these stories when they jaywalk.
There are definitely arguments on the other side as to why jaywalking should be legal. According to Eyewitness News ABC7NY YouTube’s video titled, “Jaywalking now legal in NYC under controversial new law,” many people interviewed exclaimed, “It’s New York. What do you expect?” Apparently, according to multiple New Yorkers, jaywalking has always been a New York civil right and always will be. Without jaywalking, New York wouldn’t give you that same attitude, that same vibe. The Statue of Liberty literally resembles freedom, and what doesn’t scream freedom more than giving New Yorkers the freedom to walk on the street whenever they want?
Supporters of the legislation said that police had used jaywalking violations as a pretext to stop, question, and frisk residents, especially those of color. According to Gothamist, “NYPD issues hundreds of jaywalking tickets a year. The vast majority go to people of color.” The article states that the NYPD issued 786 jaywalking summonses during the first six months of the year — and only 15% of them were given to white people. Black and Hispanic people received 51% and 26% of those summonses respectively. “They (police) find any small reasons to lock anybody from non-white communities up. I grew up in Brooklyn, I’ve seen people get ticketed and arrested for jaywalking,” said Gladys DeSantiago, a Downtown Brooklyn resident. “Because a jaywalk turns into a stop and frisk, which turns into a whole criminal charge.” Pix11 News stated that The NYPD has faced backlash in the past over the disproportionate ticketing of Black and Latino pedestrians. In 2019, about 90 percent of all tickets were issued to Black and Latino pedestrians, Streetsblog reported.
It doesn’t matter if jaywalking is legal or illegal, it’s still your choice at the end of the day. If you want to jaywalk, and if you are going to take the risk, be aware of the consequences that come along with it. New Yorkers are always on the move, we’re in a rush and impatient, we don’t care if you’re famous, and we are always right even when we’re wrong, so listen when I say this: Would you rather get across that street a minute or two sooner, or save your life?