New Massachusetts Bill Could Fine Jaywalkers Up To $200

A bill being considered at the Massachusetts State House would lefy hefty penalties against jaywalking in the Bay State.

CBS Boston reports Rep. Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) sponsored the bill, which is calling for fines of up to $200 fine for individuals with multiple jaywalking offenses.

Jaywalking in Massachusetts currently levies a fine of just $1, but Rep. Garry's bill would call for $25 for a first offense, $50 for second offenders, and $100 for all subsequent offenses, with each fine doubling if the offender is caught using their phone or wearing headphones/earbuds during the incidents.

However, WalkBoston Deputy Director Brendan Kearney argued that the proposed legislation is "just not realistic" and "does not increase safety."

Kearney, who lives on Central Street in Framingham, used his neighborhood as an example of road infrastructure where a broad ban on jaywalking wouldn't work.

"It would be unsafe to try to walk the narrow, 30 miles per hour street with traffic to my back to get to the nearest crosswalk a quarter-mile down the street, an act which in itself would technically be against the law, because if there's a sidewalk present along a street, I'm supposed to walk on it," Kearney said via Patch.com. "This isn't an extreme example. It's literally the view from my front door, and that's the reality for many of our municipalities across Massachusetts."