Denver city council votes to move forward on jaywalking measure

People might be able to jaywalk in Denver without worrying about getting a ticket if a new measure passes.

Denver's City Council voted Monday to move forward on a plan to decriminalize jaywalking.

Councilmembers advocating for this say jaywalking shouldn't be a priority for police officers. They also argue that with snow and ice on the roads and sidewalks, sometimes finding a crosswalk or crossing the street at one can be almost impossible.

City data shows police have given out 135 citations for jaywalking since 2017. Of those ticketed, about 41% were given to Black people, despite being only 10% of the city's population.

Some councilmembers don't agree with this proposal, saying it's not going to make the streets any safer.

The city council will take a final vote on the matter Monday, Jan. 30.