Publication: Sacramento Bee
... in the city of Sacramento, Black pedestrians receive an outsized share of jaywalking citations compared to the overall population.
... A new bill introduced this year by Assembly member Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) aims to decriminalize jaywalking in California. AB 1238, also known as The Freedom To Walk Act, would eliminate jaywalking infractions when pedestrians safely enter the street against the traffic light or outside a crosswalk.
“Doing so would end the undue burden placed on low-wage workers, as tickets are expensive, ranging from $250 to over $1,000,” Ting wrote in an op-ed in the SF Bay Times. “They often cannot take time off their jobs and go to court to fight this, which only adds more penalties to these outrageous fines.”
The bill was passed by the Assembly in June and is currently being considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.