While some council members say the ‘outdated’ practice disproportionately impacts Black and Latino residents, law enforcement officials say its a necessary measure for road safety.
New York City officials want to keep ‘jaywalking’ illegal, opposing a bill that would decriminalize the practice, reports Kevin Duggan in Streetsblog NYC.
Tickets for crossing against the light or outside of a crosswalk are rare in the city, but NYPD cops overwhelmingly hand out the $250 summonses to people of color — which is why Council Member Mercedes Narcisse aims to simply decriminalize the process of just walkin' here.
As Duggan explains, “The NYPD has a well-documented history of disproportionately ticketing pedestrians of color for allegedly crossing against a traffic signal, a trend that continued into 2023 with 92 percent of tickets going to Black or Hispanic New Yorkers.”
NYC police officers argue that ticketing jaywalking helps reduce traffic deaths, pointing somewhat counterintuitively to the fact that the majority of jaywalking tickets are given near high-risk corridors.
Elizabeth Adams, interim co-Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, pointed to other ways to improve road safety, saying, "The city can protect New Yorkers by redesigning streets to slow down drivers and make pedestrians more visible — especially in areas with high pedestrian fatalities — not criminalizing walking.” Other safety advocates say jaywalking criminalization is “outdated” and doesn’t contribute to road safety.
FULL STORY: City Wants To Keep ‘Jaywalking’ Illegal For Pedestrians’ Own Good
Data Shows Chicago Speed Cameras Reduce Speeding, Crashes
Countering claims made by the Chicago Tribune that automated enforcement doesn’t improve safety, Streetsblog Chicago lays out the data showing how traffic safety fared in camera zones.
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NYC Sees 127 Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2024
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Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
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