Opinion: California Jaywalking Law a Step in Right Direction

A new law doesn’t fully decriminalize jaywalking, but bars law enforcement from issuing citations to pedestrians when crossings aren’t ‘truly dangerous.’

2 minute read

October 11, 2022, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Pedestrian stoplight with green 'walk' silhouette lit up and blurry city buildings in background

Steve Lovegrove / Pedestrian stoplight

Pedestrian advocates have long criticized jaywalking laws as a tool for asserting the dominance of the car on American roads and deprioritizing the needs of other road users. Now, states like California are recognizing the harmful effects of jaywalking criminalization, writes Peter Norton in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times.

As Norton points out, “California’s new Freedom to Walk Act does not exactly decriminalize jaywalking. It leaves plenty of room for police discretion to ticket unsafe walking, and it doesn’t challenge cars’ domination of city streets.” But the law does acknowledge the need to make walking safer in other, less punitive ways that improve infrastructure and road conditions rather than punish pedestrians.

Norton outlines the rise of the automobile and, consequently, jaywalking laws, which became the norm after a strong lobbying effort from motor vehicle interests who explicitly called for “a radical revision of our conception of what a city street is for.” Norton walks the reader through the history of jaywalking laws in Los Angeles, where the first regulations took hold. According to Norton, “Their effort to protect their market for automobiles left us a legacy of highly restricted walking and the notion that streets are primarily for cars.”

Now, Norton writes, the Freedom to Walk Act, which limits enforcement of jaywalking regulations, is a step in the right direction to reclaim roads and shift the focus of road safety efforts to encourage more walking and multimodal transportation.

Sunday, October 9, 2022 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight