What to Know
- Tourists in New York City looking to take home a souvenir from the Brooklyn Bridge will now have to settle for a photo, as vendors are now officially banned from the iconic span.
- The new rule, which went into effect Wednesday, is aimed at easing overcrowding on the bridge’s busy pedestrian walkway, where dozens of trinket vendors currently compete for space with tourists and city commuters.
- The new rules apply to all of the city’s bridges, although none have as many vendors as the 140-year-old Brooklyn Bridge, which is often filled with tables selling phone cases, knockoff Yankees caps, novelty plates and more.
NEW YORK — Tourists in New York City who want to take home a souvenir from the Brooklyn Bridge will now have to settle for a photo, as vendors are now officially banned from the iconic span.
The new rule, which went into effect Wednesday, is aimed at easing overcrowding on the bridge’s busy pedestrian walkway, where dozens of trinket vendors currently compete for space with tourists and city commuters.
When crowds flocked to the bridge during the holiday season, the situation became dangerous, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He pointed to videos showing pedestrians jumping from the elevated walkway onto a bike lane several meters below to avoid a human traffic jam.
“It’s not just a health issue, it’s a public safety issue,” Adams said Tuesday. “People would have trampled each other. We need order in this city. That is one of our main milestones.”
The new rules apply to all of the city’s bridges, although none have as many vendors as the 140-year-old Brooklyn Bridge, which is often filled with tables selling phone cases, knockoff Yankees caps, novelty plates and more.
Those selling items on the bridge acknowledge that vendors have proliferated in recent years, fueled by lax law enforcement during the coronavirus pandemic and the availability of low-priced merchandise. The decision two years ago to relocate cyclists to one lane of the highway also freed up space for concession stands.
On the middle span of the bridge, vendors have set up nearly a dozen rotating selfie platforms where tourists can pay to take panoramic photos.
MD Rahman, who has sold hot dogs and pretzels from a cart on the bridge for 15 years, said he understands the need to crack down on illicit vendors. But he criticized the city’s plan as too broad since it also applies to veteran vendors, like him, who hold mobile vending licenses.
“The problem is illegal, unlicensed people selling things up there,” Rahman said, pointing to the newest group of vendors in the middle of the bridge. “Punishing everyone is crazy. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to my family now.”
In recent days, police officers have posted leaflets in several languages along the bridge, informing vendors that they will have to leave. But some had doubts about whether the city would actually follow through with the plan.
“Maybe I’ll be back in a few weeks,” said Qiu Lan Liu, a seller of caps and T-shirts, many of them with the insignia of the New York Police Department, NYPD. “I’ll see what other people do.”
As news of the ban spread, some tourists said they were taking advantage of low-priced souvenirs while they were still available. Oklahoma resident Ana Souza proudly held an “I Love New York” bag she had found for just $10, a fraction of the price she had seen in brick-and-mortar stores.
Jenny Acuchi was visiting New York from Oakland, California. “It’s a little crowded, but not as crowded as I expected,” she said. “What fills it is that everyone is taking photos.”
Among supporters of the new rules were some disability rights advocates, who said the ban would immediately improve access for wheelchair users. In a statement, the city’s transportation chief, Ydanis Rodríguez, celebrated the improvements to an attraction he called “America’s Eiffel Tower.”
Rashawn Prince, who uses the bridge to sell copies of his self-published book, “How to Roll a Joint for Dummies!” he said he was not moved by the comparison.
“I’ve been to the Eiffel Tower,” Prince said. “There are vendors there too.”
2024-01-03 22:15:11
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