Circulate San Diego joined a coalition letter supporting AB 1238, the Freedom to Walk Act, which would repeal California's "jaywalking" laws by legalizing certain common and safe street crossings that currently qualify as traffic infractions. The Freedom to Walk Act does not change existing law that requires pedestrians to avoid potentially hazardous situations on the roadway.
Jaywalking laws criminalize pedestrians who make safe and logical choices in crossing the street mid-block. This discourages walking and transit use, which runs counter to California's mode shift goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, given that people of color can be disproportionately targeted for traffic stops, legalizing jaywalking also removes a potential for bias in traffic enforcement. Read the full letter here [pdf].
