California Gov. Newsom signs bill decriminalizing jaywalking 

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday decriminalizing jaywalking—crossing the street outside of a formal intersection— in the state when it is safe to do so. 

The bill, AB-2147, known as The Freedom To Walk Act, was introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco. The bill states that an officer can only ticket a pedestrian for jaywalking when “a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of collision.”

"It should not be a criminal offense to safely cross the street. When expensive tickets and unnecessary confrontations with police impact only certain communities, it’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians," Ting said in a press release.

"Plus, we should be encouraging people to get out of their cars and walk for health and environmental reasons," he added. 

When introducing the bill, Ting argued that jaywalking in California is “arbitrarily enforced” and tickets are "disproportionately given to people of color and lower-income individuals who cannot afford tickets that can often total hundreds of dollars."

"Jaywalking laws do more than turn an ordinary and logical behavior into a crime; they also create opportunities for police to racially profile. A jaywalking ticket can turn into a potentially life-threatening police encounter, especially for Black people, who are disproportionately targeted and suffer the most severe consequences of inequitable law enforcement," said Jared Sanchez, Senior Policy Advocate for CalBike.

Additionally, many low-income communities often do not have adequate infrastructure, such as pedestrian crossing buttons or crosswalks, making more individuals jaywalk, Ting’s office said in a press release.

The new law will take effect on January 1, 2023.