City Council is considering amendments to traffic laws, citing racial disparities in ticketing.
Rebacca Tauber, Denverite
Tickets for jaywalking could become a thing of the past in Denver.
City Council is considering a bill to decriminalize jaywalking, with members citing racial disparities ticketing and the inaccessibility of sidewalks across the city. Currently, Denver’s jaywalking laws lead to fines between $65 to $95. They never include jail time, but they can lead to court appearances if paired with other citations.
The new bill would align Denver laws with state laws, which have more flexibility in where people can cross between intersections.
It also “replaces criminalization with language that advises safe crossing of roads” and “encourages law enforcement to make enforcing state-level jaywalking laws their lowest priority,” according to a presentation by Councilmember Candi CdeBaca on the proposal presented in Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Tuesday.
The bill would leave drivers’ right of way intact along city streets, but pedestrians and people in wheelchairs would have more legal options when walking along and crossing streets.
Read the full story at Denverite