New York City drafts rule to legalize jaywalking on streets

Walk this way — or any other.

The Big Apple has drafted a rule that will officially make jawalking legal in the five boroughs by next month — but police data shows there was little enforcement of the law when it was still a crime.

The move comes months after the City Council overwhelmingly approved decriminalizing jaywalking — making it legal to cross a street outside of a crosswalk or against a traffic signal.

Although the new rule would scrap the $250 fine and make the change official, jaywalking laws were rarely enforced even when it was a crime, with only 780 summonses issued in all of 2023, according to NYPD data. There were just 398 summonses in all of 2023, about one per day, the data showed.

The City Council passed legislation, in a veto-proof 40-8 vote last September, to legalize or decriminalize jaywalking, saying minorities were disproportionately slapped with summonses. The measure was championed by Brooklyn Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse.

But the NYPD testified last year that jaywalking summons are issued in hotspots where there are a high number of traffic accidents or deaths involving pedestrians.

Mayor Eric Adams did not sign or veto the bill, so it became law.

The Department of Transportation new rules — set to go into effect after a hearing on April 17 — said that “pedestrians who fail to yield to the right-of-way of other traffic would not be subject to a violation of the traffic rules.”

The rule struck language that said “No pedestrian shall enter or cross.”

But during testimony on the bill last year, DOT First Deputy Commissioner Margaret Forgione said it was a mistake to make jaywalking legal.

“Although jaywalking is a common practice in New York City, it can have deadly consequences,” Forione said. “Over the last five years, 200 people lost their lives while crossing the street mid-block or against the signal, making up about 34 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.”

A rep for Mayor Eric Adams urged pedestrians to follow the traffic rules, despite the decriminalization of jaywalking.

“All road users are safer when everyone follows traffic rules,” said City Hall spokesperson Allison Maser. “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.”

Pedestrians could still be liable in civil lawsuits for accidents caused by jaywalking.

An NYPD spokesperson said officiers would still be working to keep pedestrians safe.

“The NYPD will continue, along with the NYC Department of Transportation, to work tirelessly to increase traffic safety and to prevent collisions, especially those that result in injury or death,” the spokesperson said.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani took heat for declaring a war on jaywalking when he ran City Hall, but defended the crackdown as a pro-traffic safety measure.