‘I’m walking here!’: jaywalking legalized in New York City
www.theguardian.com
New law, letting people cross street outside of crosswalk, ends racial disparities in enforcement, council member says

The new law permits pedestrians to cross a roadway at any point, including outside of a crosswalk. It also allows for crossing against traffic signals and specifically states that doing so is no longer a violation of the city’s administrative code. But the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside of a crosswalk do not have the right of way and that they should yield to other traffic that has the right of way.

  • Letstakealook@lemm.eeEnglish
    729·
    3 days ago

    While I certainly don’t think it should be a crime, 90% of the time I see people do it, they are near crosswalks and continue to walk towards them after dangerously playing frogger. What is the motivation? Why are you increasing the danger? Doesn’t make any sense.

    • drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      17·
      2 days ago

      In a lot of situations I would rather cross mid block than at a corner crosswalk. The cars can’t be relied on to stop anyway, and mid-block there are a lot less directions you have to worry about.

      Even if the intersection is signalized given the existence of right turns on red it’s still often safer to cross mid block.

      • Letstakealook@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        2 days ago

        I could see that in some areas. I rarely feel the need to do this myself, but there are occasions where it does make sense.

      • murph@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        4·
        2 days ago

        That’s a good point most places, but in NYC, there is no turn on red. I still agree with being able to cross anywhere.

    • x00z@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      Where I’m from you need to be at least 30 meters from a crosswalk. Although in practice it just becomes whether or not there is a crosswalk within eyesight.

    • VonReposti@feddit.dkEnglish
      8·
      2 days ago

      In Denmark it’s illegal to cross the road 10-20m (or something like that, forgot the exact number) from a croasswalk. Outside that zone you can cross as much as you want. We are though seeing fences pop up on higher traffic roads to discourage crossing, but mostly on ring roads in bigger cities, not in the cities themselves.

      • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        There’s no exact number. The law (færdselsloven §10.5) says “nearby”.

      • schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        similar in Austria, if there’s a crosswalk within 25 meters, you have to use it although even that law has an exemption “this doesn’t apply if traffic allows it without doubt and vehicle traffic isn’t impaired”

        Hint: most trams in Vienna are 35 meters long, so you can cross at the other end of a tram stop if there’s a crosswalk only on one end.