NEW YORK — Jaywalking, that traditional practice of cross the street outside the pedestrian crossing or against the traffic light, is now legal in New York City.

Legislation passed by the City Council last month was officially signed into law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams refused to take action by either signing or vetoing it after 30 days.

Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, a Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said Tuesday that the new law ends racial disparities in its enforcement, noting that more than 90% of jaywalking tickets issued last year were for black and Latino people.

“Let’s face it, all New Yorkers jaywalk. “People are just trying to get where they need to go,” he said in an emailed statement. “There should be no laws that criminalize common everyday movement behaviors, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”

The new law allows pedestrians to cross a road at any point, even outside a crosswalk. It also allows crossing against traffic signs and specifically states that doing so is no longer a violation of the city’s administrative code.

But the new law also warns that pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk do not have the right of way and must yield to other traffic that does have the right of way.

Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams, declined to elaborate on the mayor’s decision to allow the bill to become law without his action.

But he noted that the bill makes clear that crossing against the light and in the middle of a block is highly risky behavior. People can also still be liable in civil actions for accidents caused by jaywalking, Garcia added.

“All road users are safer when everyone follows traffic rules,” he said in a statement. “We continue to encourage pedestrians to take advantage of existing safety mechanisms, such as daylighting, pedestrian islands and primary pedestrian intervals, when crossing a crosswalk with the walk signal.”

Jaywalking had been allowed in New York City since 1958 and carried a $250 fine.

New York’s battles between pedestrians and motorists are well known. In it 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” Dustin Hoffman yells, “I’m walking here!” since his character is almost hit by a taxi while crossing the street in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Society called the legislation long overdue. The nonprofit, which provides free legal representation to New Yorkers who cannot afford a lawyer, said police for decades have used rape as a pretext to stop, question and search residents, especially those of color.

“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to abolish relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only trap people in the criminal legal system,” the organization said in a statement.

Spokespeople for the police department and its largest union did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

But Narcisse said officers he has spoken to say their time would be better spent on other police duties, rather than issuing jaywalking tickets.

“No one has ever said, ‘I’m so glad they caught that jaywalker.’ By eliminating these penalties, we allow our police officers to focus on issues that really matter,” he said.

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Follow Felipe Marcelo on twitter.com/philmarcelo.