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How jaywalking laws changed America

Back in the early 1900s, Kansas City, Mo., became the first city in the U.S. to enforce jaywalking laws against pedestrians. It set off a nationwide trend that cities and states are now slowly repealing.

KCUR’s Mackenzie Martin, host of the “A People’s History of Kansas City” podcast, reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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