New York City is one step closer to officially legalizing jaywalking — a common, if technically illegal, practice.

On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) held a 10 a.m. public hearing, marking the final administrative step to align city rules with a law passed by the City Council in September 2024. Although the rule change isn’t yet in effect, the hearing allowed public input. The DOT will respond later, and the change will take effect 30 days after publication in the official city record.

Key Points:

• The September 2024 law decriminalized jaywalking, and Mayor Eric Adams let it become law without his signature.

• Fines of up to $250 were possible under previous rules, though enforcement was rare — only about 300 citations were issued citywide in 2024.

• The updated rules clarify that while jaywalking is no longer a punishable offense, pedestrians must still yield to vehicles when crossing outside crosswalks.

• The DOT states pedestrians can cross any road except highways, but they do not have the right of way outside marked or unmarked crosswalks.

Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, who represents parts of southern Brooklyn, led the push to change the law. She cited racial disparities in enforcement, noting that 90% of tickets in 2023 were issued to Black and Latino individuals.

Why It’s Called Jaywalking

• “Jay” was an insult:

In the early 1900s, “jay” was a derogatory term used to describe someone naïve, foolish, or unsophisticated, particularly in urban areas (like a country bumpkin visiting the city).

• “Jaywalker” meant someone ignorant of city traffic rules:

The term “jaywalker” emerged to describe people who crossed streets carelessly or against traffic signals, suggesting they didn’t know how to behave in the big city.

• Pushed by the auto industry:

Pedestrian deaths soared as cars became more common in the 1910s and 1920s. Car companies and pro-automobile groups started campaigns to shift the blame from drivers to pedestrians, encouraging people to stay out of the street unless they used designated crosswalks.

• Part of a PR effort:

The term “jaywalking” was popularized by automobile lobbies, traffic safety advocates, and newspapers to stigmatize people walking “wrongly” and normalize car dominance of city streets.

First Recorded Use

• The word “jaywalker” began appearing around 1915, and laws were passed shortly after to penalize pedestrians who didn’t follow new traffic rules.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest municipal police force in the United States. It is responsible for law enforcement and public safety in New York City's five boroughs.

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget: The NYPD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget is approximately $5.83 billion, representing about 5% of New York City's proposed $111.6 billion budget.

Additional Costs: When including fringe benefits, pensions, and debt service, the total spending related to the NYPD increases to approximately $11 billion.

Overtime Expenditures: The NYPD has faced challenges with overtime spending, often exceeding budgeted amounts. For instance, in FY 2024, overtime expenditures were projected at $788.7 million, but actual spending has historically surpassed these projections.

Current Headcount: As of 2024, the NYPD employs approximately 33,695 officers, marking one of the lowest staffing levels in over 30 years.

Recruitment and Attrition: The department has experienced significant attrition, with about 200 officers leaving each month.

In 2023, the NYPD hired more than 2,300 recruits, but more than 2,900 officers left during the same period.

Future Projections: Due to budget cuts and staffing challenges, projections indicated that the NYPD's headcount could drop to 29,000 officers by 2025.

However, recent budget restorations have reinstated upcoming recruit classes, aiming to add 1,600 officers by fall 2025.

Response Times: Response times to 911 calls have increased. In FY 2024, the average response time for crimes in progress was 15 minutes and 23 seconds, the longest in decades.

The first Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center took place in December 1931 during the construction of the complex. It wasn’t an official event as we know it today but rather a spontaneous act by construction workers.

• The tree was a 20-foot balsam fir decorated with handmade garlands and strings of cranberries, tin cans, and even paper. It was a modest gesture of holiday spirit during the depths of the Great Depression.

The first official tree lighting ceremony, complete with organized festivities, occurred in December 1933. That year, the event featured a 50-foot tree and marked the beginning of an annual holiday tradition.

Today, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is a globally recognized event, drawing crowds and television audiences to celebrate the season.

Rockefeller Center is an iconic example of innovative urban design and construction, blending Art Deco aesthetics with practical functionality. Daniel Okrent's book, Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center, offers a detailed exploration of its unique characteristics, shedding light on its ambitious vision and execution. Here are some standout features:

1. Art Deco Architecture

• The design of Rockefeller Center epitomizes the sleek, geometric elegance of the Art Deco movement. Okrent highlights the creative use of vertical lines, setbacks, and ornamentation to create a sense of upward movement and grandeur. The use of limestone cladding and stainless steel accents further emphasizes the clean, modern aesthetic.

2. Integrated Urban Complex

• Rockefeller Center was one of the first developments to integrate multiple commercial, cultural, and recreational functions into a cohesive urban complex. As Okrent describes, it features interconnected buildings designed around a central plaza, creating a "city within a city" that supports both pedestrian and vehicular flow.

3. Innovative Construction Techniques

• Okrent details the extraordinary engineering feats required to build Rockefeller Center during the Great Depression. Techniques such as precision steel frame construction and the use of modular limestone panels allowed for rapid and efficient building while ensuring structural integrity.

4. Public Art and Design Integration

• The complex incorporates significant public art, such as sculptures, frescoes, and bas-reliefs, reflecting progress, culture, and industry themes. Notable works include Paul Manship's Prometheus statue and Diego Rivera's (later replaced) murals, which Okrent describes as part of a broader cultural vision by John D. Rockefeller Jr. to merge art and commerce.

5. Underground Concourse and Transportation Integration

• A key innovation was the inclusion of an underground concourse, which connected the buildings and provided easy access to public transit. Okrent highlights this as an early example of designing urban spaces with accessibility and functionality in mind.

6. Seasonal Features and Iconic Attractions

• The Rockefeller Plaza, home to the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and the ice-skating rink, was conceived as a dynamic, multi-use public space. Okrent notes that these features were not originally part of the plan but evolved as ways to make the space more inviting and profitable.

Okrent’s book emphasizes that Rockefeller Center is an architectural masterpiece and a symbol of resilience, completed during one of America's most challenging economic periods. Its design and construction remain a benchmark for urban planning and architectural ingenuity.

United States and southern Ontario, Canada, were under winter weather warnings as snow squalls moved through Thursday morning ahead Arctic temperatures blasting through the region with blustery and potentially damaging wind gusts.

After a week of bitterly cold temperatures and days of lake-effect snow, another shot of cold air swept through the Northeast, sending temperatures in parts of the Midwest plunging into the teens, 10 to 20 degrees below normal. Wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour are expected Thursday afternoon into the evening, bringing blizzard conditions to areas with lake-effect snow and making travel treacherous.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in New York City said Thursday night into Friday would be the coldest night and early morning of the season, especially after accounting for wind chill.

In the dim light of dawn, the city streets glistened with rain, the amber glow of streetlamps flickering in the mist.

At the corner of 54th Street, outside the imposing facade of the New York Hilton, a beige miniature poodle stood resolutely, raincoat draped over its petite frame, fedora tilted just enough to shield its sharp eyes from the drizzle.

The badge pinned to its coat gleamed faintly—a symbol of justice. Detective Flossi had pieced together the mystery in record time. A string of cryptic clues led to this moment: the final confrontation.

The poodle's sharp bark shattered the silence as a shadowy figure darted from an alleyway, clutching a briefcase stuffed with ill-gotten gains. 

With an agility that belied her small stature, Flossi pursued, her tiny paws splashing through puddles.

A calculated leap and the poodle had the perpetrator pinned against a lamppost.

Police officials emerged from the shadows, cuffs at the ready, as Flossi growled a warning that even the toughest criminal wouldn’t dare ignore.

As the officers led the suspect away, Flossi tilted her head skyward, the first rays of sunlight breaking through the gloom. Another case closed—justice served, poodle style.