NEW YORK – Jaywalking — that time-honored practice of crossing the street outside the crosswalk or against a traffic light — it’s now legal in New York City.

Legislation passed by the City Council last month, it officially became law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams refused to take action — either by signing it or vetoing it — after 30 days.

Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, a Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said Tuesday that the new law ends racial disparities in law enforcement, noting that more than 90 percent of riding tickets issued last year went to people of color and Latinos.

“Let’s face it, every New Yorker walks. People are just trying to get where they need to go,” she said in an emailed statement. “Laws that penalize common behaviors for everyday movement should not exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”

Traffic in New York City, United States of America, on July 14, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The new law allows pedestrians to cross a roadway at any point, including outside a crosswalk. It also allows passing against traffic signals and specifically states that it is no longer a violation of the city’s administrative code.

But the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk do not have the right of way and should yield to other traffic that has the right of way.

Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams, declined to elaborate on the mayor’s decision to let the bill become law without his action.

But she noted that the bill makes it clear that crossing against the light and in the middle of the block is extremely risky behavior. People could also be liable in civil actions for accidents caused by walking, Garcia added.

“All road users are safer when everyone follows the rules of the road,” she said in a statement. “We continue to encourage pedestrians to take advantage of existing safety mechanisms – such as natural lighting, pedestrian islands and pedestrian driving ranges – by crossing a pedestrian crossing with a walk signal.

Other cities and states, from Denver and Kansas City, MissouriTO CaliforniaNevada and virgin have decriminalized jaywalking in recent years, according to America Walks, a Seattle-based group that advocates for walkable communities.

The term “jaywalking” dates back to the early 20th century and has its roots in Midwestern slang for a country bumpkin or rube, according to dictionary maker Merriam-Webster.

In New York City, where fights between pedestrians and drivers are constant, the jaywalking law had been in effect since 1958 and provided for a penalty of up to $250.

In The 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, Dustin Hoffman famously shouts, “I’m walking around here!” as his character is almost hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Society called the legislation long overdue. The nonprofit, which provides free legal representation to New Yorkers who can’t afford a lawyer, said police have used the violation for decades as a pretext to stop, question and search residents — especially black ones.

“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to repeal relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only trap people in the criminal justice system,” the organization said in a statement.

Spokesmen for the police department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment, and a spokesman for its largest union declined to comment.

But Narcisse said the officers he’s spoken to say their time could be better spent on other policing activities, rather than issuing jaywalking tickets.

“Nobody ever said, ‘I’m so glad they caught that jaywalker.’ By removing these sanctions, we allow our police officers to focus on the issues that really matter,” she said.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.