NEW YORK CITY — Jaywalking, the traditional practice of crossing the street outside a crosswalk or against traffic lights, is now legal in New York.

The legislation, passed by the City Council last month, officially became law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams refused to act by signing or vetoing it after 30 days.

Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, the Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said Tuesday that the new law ends racial disparities in enforcement, noting that more than 90% of jaywalking tickets last year went to Blacks and Latinos.

“Let’s be real, every New Yorker runs a red light. People are just trying to get where they need to go,” he said in an emailed statement. “Laws that penalize common behavior regarding everyday actions should not exist, especially if they unfairly impact communities of color.”

The new law allows pedestrians to cross the road at any point, including outside a crosswalk. It also allows crossing at traffic lights, specifically stating that doing so no longer violates the city’s administrative code.

However, the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside the pedestrian crossing do not have the right of way and must give way to other traffic that has the right of way.

Adams spokeswoman Liz Garcia declined to elaborate on the mayor’s decision to allow the bill to become law without him.

However, he noted that the bill makes clear that moving to the opposite side of the light and medium bloc is a very risky behavior. Garcia added that people may still be liable in civil lawsuits for accidents caused by jaywalking.

“All road users are safer when everyone follows traffic rules,” he said in a statement. “We continue to encourage pedestrians to take advantage of existing safety mechanisms such as daylight, pedestrian islands and leading pedestrian spaces by crossing a crosswalk with a walk signal.”

Other cities and states, from Denver and Kansas City, Missouri, to California, Nevada and Virginia, have decriminalized jaywalking in recent years, according to America Walks, a Seattle-based group that tracks the proposals.

“Cities that really care about safety are focusing on street design, speed and dangerously large vehicles,” Mike McGinn, the group’s chief executive, said Tuesday. “Not jaywalking laws.”

The laws were pushed by the auto industry in the 1930s to keep people off the streets and make more room for vehicles, according to America Walks.

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

In New York City, where struggles between pedestrians and drivers are a constant, the jaywalking law has been in effect since 1958 and carries fines of up to $250.

In the 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy,” Dustin Hoffman says, “I’m walking here!” He is famous for shouting. His character was nearly hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Society said the law was overdue. The nonprofit organization, which provides free legal representation to New Yorkers who can’t afford a lawyer, said police have used the violation for decades as an excuse to stop, question and search residents, especially those of color.

“With this legislation now signed into law, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to repeal residual laws that do not serve the purpose of public safety and only trap people in the criminal legal system,” the organization said in a statement. he said.

The police department declined to weigh in on the new law in an emailed statement Wednesday, except to say it “will continue to work tirelessly with the NYC Department of Transportation to improve traffic safety and, in particular, prevent traffic accidents.” result in injury or death.”

Narcisse said officers he spoke with said their time might be better spent on other police work rather than issuing jaywalking tickets.

“No one ever said, ‘I’m so glad they caught that jaywalker.’ By removing these tickets, we’re allowing our police officers to focus on the really important issues,” he said.