Jaywalking, a long-standing practice in New York City, is now legal.
A bill passed by the City Council in September officially became law after the mayor declined to take action, either by signing or vetoing it, after 30 days.
The law permits pedestrian crossing outside of the crosswalk at any point. However, the law does state that the pedestrian does not have the right of way and they should yield to traffic.
Brooklyn Council Member Mercedes Narcisse was the lead sponsor of the bill.
Decriminalizing jaywalking in New York City is long-overdue, said the Legal Aid Society.
"This 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 nonprofit legal group 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."
