As part of a plan to reduce fatal collisions, a new Phoenix ordinance allows police officers to issue a civil traffic offense on first contact with jaywalking violations they observe.
The city is amending City Code 36-128 in order to address the uptick in pedestrian accidents over the last five years. The ordinance prohibits jaywalking and standing on medians that are not designated for pedestrian use.
"The change is that officers have the discretion upon first contact to cite the person for this ordinance, where before an initial warning and documentation had to be done," said Sgt. Rob Scherer.
The ordinance officially went into effect Jan. 16.
"This ordinance addresses safety concerns involving roadways and medians," according to a press release from the Phoenix Police Department Public Affairs Bureau. "Raised and painted medians are not designed for pedestrian use and can pose significant safety risks to both pedestrians and motorists, particularly in areas with high traffic volume or speed."
In 2024, there were 2,079 total crashes involving a pedestrian in Arizona, according to the 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts for the State of Arizona, an annual statistical review of the motor vehicle crashes in the state for the 2024 calendar year.
As a result, 263 pedestrians died from car accidents, about 21% of all car crash fatalities in the state. Despite a 5% increase in pedestrian injuries, there was a 3.66% decrease in pedestrian fatalities in 2024, compared to 2023.
"We have far too many pedestrian collisions in the city as a whole," Scherer said. "The point of this is to make pedestrian travel … as safe as possible."
The jaywalking problem is also seen in and around the University campuses, and involves students, visitors and regular passersby alike.
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The ASU campuses in the Valley span several municipalities: Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe. Since ASU officers' jurisdiction is statewide, in their process, they are more concerned with what state law says and defer any city-level violations to the local police department, according to Emilio Garcia, an ASU police officer.
Garcia said if somebody's crossing against the crosswalk, that's still a citation under state law. If they're egregious about it, are making cars stop for them or are hindering traffic, it would be a misdemeanor for obstructing a thoroughfare.
For ASU students, Garcia said ASU Police will take the time to try and educate them so that they can take it as a learning opportunity.
"There's a lot of officers (who) try to give some grace to the students, because we're not just trying to arrest kids all the time," he said.
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ASU Police Information Officer Amanda O'Halloran said it is important for students to know when and where to cross on a crosswalk, and to understand that even if they don't see a car, it does not necessarily mean a car cannot come out of nowhere.
"It's about safety," O'Halloran said. "Even all of these laws for pedestrians or for motorists, they're created in the essence of ensuring that people are safe."
Both Garcia and Scherer said they will tell pedestrians to watch out for motorists not paying attention, and, vice versa, tell motorists to watch out for pedestrians who don't pay attention.
"It's the notion of, if we all take care of each other and try to look out for one another, we'll be so much safer on the roadways," Scherer said.
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at elbradfo@asu.edu and follow @emmalbradford__ on X.
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Emma Bradford is a junior studying journalism and mass communication and political science with a minor in business. She has previously worked at the Cronkite News Washington, D.C. bureau as a Politics and Money Reporter. Bradford is in her fourth semester with The State Press and on the politics desk.
