NEW YORK (WABC) — New York City tourists hoping to purchase a souvenir or two along the Brooklyn Bridge will now have to seek other options elsewhere.
Enforcement began Wednesday to clear the heavily packed pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge, where vendors are usually posted selling tourists all kinds of items to remember their visit.
“There were a lot of vendors. Taking up a lot of space and a lot of people trying to get through,” said Anand Sangoi, who happened to be visiting from Illinois. “It was crowded.”
Mayor Eric Adams says the span and the base of the bridge don’t need any at all.
“It’s not only a sanitary issue, it’s a public safety issue,” Adams said on Tuesday. “People would’ve trampled over each other. We need order in this city. That is one of our major landmarks.”
It’s not only a sanitary issue, it’s a public safety issue.
Eric Adams, NYC Mayor
For some tourists, the iconic span is a staple for visitors.
“It’s crowded, but I guess for us, because we’re not from here, it’s part of the experience,” said Jose Mirabel, visiting from Florida. “I mean, we expect to see the vendors and the good deals, and these people are trying to make a living. But I also see the other side.”
Many of the vendors are licensed. Some are disabled veterans, like Dawud, a licensed vendor, who doesn’t work along the crowded Brooklyn Bridge strip but thinks it has become too chaotic.
“It’s a free for all. You know, certain people pay the price to be here to do this,” he said. “Certificates of Authority, EIN numbers, taxes and things like that. And, you know, other people, they just do what they want to do. So, it makes guys like me just not even want to play the game.”
It’s a free for all. You know, certain people pay the price to be here to do this.
Dawud, Licensed vendor
The vendors who are most upset about the ban preferred to tell Eyewitness News off-camera.
“New York’s a big city,” said Rashawn Prince. “It’s not going to be hard to find another spot.”
Prince said that while most of the affected vendors will land somewhere else, it’s disappointing to lose out on the foot traffic.
“The effort the city is putting into this, the resources is going to be put towards something else, like let’s get the subway correct,” he added.
However, the beginning of enforcement doesn’t necessarily mean the end of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The city council is considering a bill that would allow them to return and stay 20 feet apart.
That would make them few and far between, if that’s approved and enforced.
ALSO READ | 1.7 magnitude earthquake jolts residents awake in Roosevelt Island, Queens
Kemberly Richardson has details.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Source: abc7
