A new law doesn’t fully decriminalize jaywalking, but bars law enforcement from issuing citations to pedestrians when crossings aren’t ‘truly dangerous.’

Pedestrian advocates have long criticized jaywalking laws as a tool for asserting the dominance of the car on American roads and deprioritizing the needs of other road users. Now, states like California are recognizing the harmful effects of jaywalking criminalization, writes Peter Norton in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times.
As Norton points out, “California’s new Freedom to Walk Act does not exactly decriminalize jaywalking. It leaves plenty of room for police discretion to ticket unsafe walking, and it doesn’t challenge cars’ domination of city streets.” But the law does acknowledge the need to make walking safer in other, less punitive ways that improve infrastructure and road conditions rather than punish pedestrians.
Norton outlines the rise of the automobile and, consequently, jaywalking laws, which became the norm after a strong lobbying effort from motor vehicle interests who explicitly called for “a radical revision of our conception of what a city street is for.” Norton walks the reader through the history of jaywalking laws in Los Angeles, where the first regulations took hold. According to Norton, “Their effort to protect their market for automobiles left us a legacy of highly restricted walking and the notion that streets are primarily for cars.”
Now, Norton writes, the Freedom to Walk Act, which limits enforcement of jaywalking regulations, is a step in the right direction to reclaim roads and shift the focus of road safety efforts to encourage more walking and multimodal transportation.
FULL STORY: Op-Ed: L.A. invented jaywalking tickets to serve cars. It's time to give streets back to walkers

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.

Houston Mayor Promises Dedicated Austin Street Bike Lane After Public Backlash
Although the one-way bike lane won’t be protected by physical barriers, the proposal is an improvement over the mayor’s initial plan to only include sharrows on the Austin Street project.
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