NYC Lawmakers Struggle to Decriminalize Jaywalking

City lawmakers on Thursday abruptly yanked legislation that would have decriminalized jaywalking amid an internal debate over how liable drivers should be when they hit a pedestrian outside a crosswalk.

The bill — which passed in the Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday — sought to end the practice of the NYPD ticketing people for illegally crossing the street, which city data shows is disproportionately enforced against New Yorkers of color. Street safety advocates and public defenders pulled their support of the legislation after councilmembers made a last-minute change to the bill that would give legal cover to drivers who hit pedestrians.

Council Speaker Adrienne Adams didn’t move the bill to a full vote before the chamber on Thursday, saying it was still going through the legislative process and that “things are still being discussed.”

The delay came days after lawmakers amended the bill, adding language that would still put people in legal trouble for jaywalking if they do not “yield to other traffic that has the right of way.” The new version also included a clause that would require the city transportation department to create a street safety education campaign to inform New Yorkers to steer clear of automobiles while they’re walking on the street.

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The mayor’s office also raised concerns about the bill before it was amended, arguing the legislation could encourage jaywalking.

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City data shows the NYPD issued more than 1,400 tickets for the violation last year. Only 4% of the people ticketed for jaywalking so far this year were white, according to city data.

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