While some council members say the ‘outdated’ practice disproportionately impacts Black and Latino residents, law enforcement officials say its a necessary measure for road safety.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 Other safety advocates say jaywalking criminalization is “outdated” and doesn’t contribute to road safety.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.
Has Progress on Travel Safety Run Off the Road?
Changing technology and rebuilding infrastructure to improve road safety are long-term strategies. How can enforcement and interventions that influence driver behavior make a difference in reducing traffic deaths sooner?
NYC Sees 127 Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2024
The number is the highest since the city pledged to end traffic deaths through Vision Zero policies a decade ago.
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.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions