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

Legislation passed by the City Council last month officially became 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 simply 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 respects 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 forward pedestrian intervals, when crossing a crosswalk with the walk signal.”

Other cities and states, from Denver and Kansas City, Missouri, to California, Nevada and Virginia, have decriminalized jaywalking in recent years, according to America Walks, a Seattle-based group that has been tracking the proposals.

“Cities that really care about safety focus on street design, speeding and dangerously large vehicles,” Mike McGinn, the group’s executive director, said Tuesday. “Not jaywalking laws.”

The laws were pushed by the auto industry in the 1930s as a way to keep people off the streets and make more room for vehicles, according to America Walks.

The term “jaywalking” dates back to the early 20th century and has its roots in Midwestern slang for a redneck or redneck, according to dictionary maker Merriam-Webster.

In New York City, where fights between pedestrians and motorists are constant, the jaywalking law had been in effect since 1958 and carried a fine of up to $250.

In the 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.

The police department, in an emailed statement Wednesday, declined to comment on the new law other than to say that it “will continue, along with the New York City Department of Transportation, to work tirelessly to increase traffic safety.” traffic and prevent collisions, especially those that cause injury or death.”

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 you caught that jaywalker.’ By eliminating these penalties, we allow our police officers to focus on issues that really matter,” he said.