A grassroots community coalition has been working to decriminalize jaywalking in California because of its history of biased enforcement against Black and brown communities. That’s why we co-wrote this recent Bloomberg piece with California Walks, It’s Time for California to Decriminalize Jaywalking.
This piece of legislation is currently in the hands of Governor Gavin Newsom. It’s now up to advocates and organizers like us to get Gov. Newsom to see that there is no evidence that jaywalking laws make pedestrians safer. Pedestrian crashes haven’t decreased even while jaywalking enforcement has increased. We must invest in what works – safer infrastructure & decriminalization.
America Walks is urging you to contact Gov Gavin Newsom today and ask for his support of the Freedom to Walk Act. Your pressure on this issue could be the catalyst for a monumental win for mobility justice, setting a precedence for other states to follow suit.
Here’s what you can do today:
- Tweet Gov Gavin Newsom using California Bicycle Coalition’s social media toolkit this week.
- Email your Senator and ask your supporters to do the same!
- Call the Governor’s office using this call script.
- Share the campaign and send a message to your members and allies to do the same!
Want to learn more about how you can approach decriminalizing jaywalking in your state or community? Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar, How to Take on Harmful Jaywalking Laws.
