Prohibition of Vending on Elevated Pedestrian Walkways and Bicycle Lanes on a Bridge or Bridge Approaches

Online comments: 272

• Anthony Jones

  I strongly support the proposed rules. I frequently walk over the bridge to get to and from work. The number of vendors, which has dramatically increased over the last year, contributes to overcrowding and takes away from the overall experience of walking across the bridge.

  Comment added October 6, 2023 4:29pm

• JPL

  These rules can’t be enacted fast enough. Bridge walking paths are there for traveling and appreciating the unique views across our waterways. Vendors selling food you can get on either side of the bridge, cheap junk, and locks that are illegal to lock on the bridge, hurt locals and tourists alike. Let these vendors pay for cart permits or pay rent for gift shops.

  Comment added October 7, 2023 7:46pm

• Lacey Galen

  I support the move to bar vendors from pedestrian walkways on bridges. The glut of vendors currently on the Brooklyn Bridge prevents the bridge from being used as a bridge—it’s almost impossible to comfortably walk across the bridge, as opposed to using it as a photo op. The Brooklyn Bridge belongs to New Yorkers as well as tourists and currently it is not welcoming to those of us who live here.

  Comment added October 8, 2023 8:19am

• Matthew Sarker

  You can’t just regulate your way to a happy city, things are going to be messy and you need to partner with people to get the outcomes you want. Some of these vendors could be migrants just trying to make it. Rather than regulating symptoms, work WITH them to find viable spots. Pedestrians benefit from this too. A city that supports entrepreneurship deters crime and makes our streets safer. Maintain safety limits, but don’t do it with blinders on. A bridge hardly anyone goes to is a “safe one” by the metrics and regulations being pushed but that’s not the kind of city we should be working towards. Regulate the extremes, let the city breathe and work with people to figure things out.

  Comment added October 8, 2023 11:00am

• Rob Campbell

  The Brooklyn Bridge has become severely overcrowded on the Manhattan side due to the unchecked proliferation of vendors. The city should limit the number of vendors to ensure safe access to bridges for residents, emergency services and tourists. We should not permit the unregulated conversion of city infrastructure into a tourist trap for private profit.

  Comment added October 8, 2023 12:21pm

• Adam Orden DDS, MS

  I am in full support of a total and complete ban on vendors, hawkers, and hucksters on the Brooklyn bridge and all pedestrian and bicycle approaches to the bridge. Enforcement should include at a minimum confiscation and destruction of all materials in the possession of violators as well as fines. I am appalled by the noise and congestion. I was recently walking on the boardwalk and was struck by a rotating camera that was swinging on an elevated platform operated to take pictures of tourists. Completely unacceptable. The police..were too busy looking at their cell phones to do anything. In addition, anyone operating a motorized / electrified scooter or bike should receive the same treatment of confiscation and fine. Sanitation should immediately dispose of these vehicles.

  Comment added October 9, 2023 9:35am

• Adam Orden DDS, MS

  Please enforce these rules immediately. I was recently struck in the head by the swinging arm of a motorized camera that was operating from a platform. Rules should include confiscating all materials on site and fines. This situation is completely unacceptable and a stain on this beautiful piece of architecture.

  Comment added October 9, 2023 9:38am

• Ken Bookbinder

  People come from all over the world to shop on the Brooklyn Bridge.
  Partially because it is the Brooklyn Bridge and partly because of the merchandise there. If the city feels it is unruly, then regulate it.
  There is nothing wrong with requiring permits, banning vendors who approach cars in traffic or don’t pay sales tax..
  Just banning this outright is not the answer.. It would keep tourists away,
  and hurt the income of hard working vendors, take away part of the remaining charm of the city, and cost the city revenue in terms of sales tax and even license fees..
  It is easier to just say no but that is not the best solution..
  Ken Bookbinder

  Comment added October 9, 2023 4:28pm

• Gary Dennis

  The Brooklyn Bridge has become dangerous as well as unpleasant. The unpleasant aspects are the over – proliferation of vendors blocking half the path. They are blasting music, ruining the experience of being on the Bridge. Some are selling alcohol, which cannot imagine the State Liquor Authority would be happy about this. Some use portable generators which I can’t even imagine is something that the Fire Department would think is a good idea. But what is even scarier is the potential for a disaster. All it will take is the perception of someone with a gun to cause a stampede off the Bridge. All those tables with all those keychains, refrigerator magnets, and other junk will be very much in the way. It would be nice to offer an alternative space but why should we wait for that to happen when a potential disaster that could have been avoided was not and the City have every opportunity to prevent it but didn’t.

  Comment added October 9, 2023 5:58pm

• Mark Crawford

  I have lived in downtown Brooklyn for over 30 years and routinely was able to walk to work from my apartment in lower Manhattan almost daily I used to enjoy immensely.

  These daily walks were my main source of exercise. Unfortunately, over the last 15 years the Brooklyn Bridge became increasingly congested to a point where it is now unbearable to walk, especially on the Manhattan side, and this is due to the congestion that is created by all of the vendors who have become, seemingly, permanent fixtures on the bridge. It is now literally impossible to enjoy this walk due to the chaos created as a result of vendor tables narrowing the walkways and creating pedestrian choke points. Yes, the removal of the bike lane was supposed to help decongest the foot traffic but unfortunately all it did was to encourage more vendors to set up shop and expand their operations.

  Unfortunately, I no longer feel that is safe to walk the bridge anymore due the constant high level of congestion. It could now easily become a terrorist target.

  Lastly, I don’t understand why the vendors can’t set up their tables in the Plaza adjacent to City Hall instead? This would be much safer and go a long way to easing congestion.

  Comment added October 10, 2023 11:23pm

• Dorothy Lyon

  I am commenting specifically in regard to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge has become overrun with vendors. This has created a hazardous situation. Given the large numbers of people on the bridge, the display tables often encroach upon the walkway making it difficult to get by them. If there ever were an emergency situation requiring people to get off the bridge quickly, these tables would be a hindrance to the flow of people. I have stopped walking on the bridge because of this worry.

  Another reason to remove the vendors is that the Brooklyn Bridge is in many ways an architectural monument. The presence of innumerable vendors detracts from its beauty and makes it harder for visitors to experience the splendor of the bridge as well as the magnificent views of New York City, the East River, and the vast harbor.

  I don’t object to a limited number of vendors – perhaps ten to fifteen – who display their wares well off the walkway and don’t impede the flow of pedestrians. But it would be hard to police their numbers, so it’s best to prohibit any vendors on the walkway.

  Comment added October 11, 2023 9:22am

• T devaney

  Removing all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge path is the best way to prevent pedestrian overcrowding, overflowing garbage, and the torment of loud music/speakers. The world famous Brooklyn Bridge is one of the only free tourist destinations in a very expensive city, and seeing it crowded and denigrated by people selling junk without regulation is very upsetting. Vendors have the entire city to sell their wares, particularly locations that have adequate sanitation services. Keep the vendors and the waste that they create from the Brooklyn Bridge, which means keeping garbage off the roadways and the river below.

  Comment added October 11, 2023 6:22pm

• Joseph E Neuhaus

  I support this proposed amendment. The number of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge approach has gotten out of hand and makes walking on the bridge unpleasant both because of the crowding and because the views are destroyed. Rather than a walk in the open air with the view of the majestic bridge, it feels like you are at a carnival somewhere, and an overcrowded and unsafe one at that.

  Comment added October 13, 2023 9:32am

• babette krolik

  I have been walking over the Brooklyn Bridge to work for decades. It has gotten worse, and worse, despite the elimination of bikes. It shames me immensely that tourists all over the world see NYC at its worst on the bridge, filthy, uncontrolled, illegal, and tawdry. Junky Chinese $1 magnets, trash under tables, and blaring revolving picture stands. The crowds are dangerous and the clutter make it impossible to clean the bridge. People even leave tables and merchandise over night. I have complained for years to my City Council person, Lincoln Restler, who endlessly said DCA was working on the problem. They put up notices about illegal vendors, but it only got worse.
  PLEASE SAVE OUR ICONIC LANDMARK AND GET RID OF THE VENDORS.

  Comment added October 20, 2023 1:45pm

• Robert Crooke

  I completely agree with this rule.
  The vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge make walking across the bridge a nightmare.
  Walking across the bridge was once a wonderful way to enjoy views of the city and to possibly find a peaceful moment to rest and think about the city’s wonders.
  With the vendors there it’s become a noisy, overcrowded gauntlet with absolutely no appeal.

  Comment added October 20, 2023 3:20pm

• Salvatore DAvola

  I wholeheartedly support this proposal. Get the vendors off the Brooklyn Bridge, it impedes pedestrian traffic and may again allow bicycles on pathway and return car traffic to Manhattan bound lane.

  Comment added October 21, 2023 7:59am

• Daniel Higgins Jr

  I fully support this rule. Vending in this area prohibits the enjoyment of these public spaces and as they are not suitable for vending at all it would not be sensible to issue permits for vending. A ban is the right call.

  Comment added October 22, 2023 6:13pm

• Austin

  Bridges, bike lanes and elevated walkways should prioritize people, not vendors. The Brooklyn bridge is an icon structure famous across that world. The limited space on the Brooklyn bridge should be for people walking/visiting and not 360 videos.

  Comment added October 26, 2023 7:58pm

• CR

  I strongly support the proposed rules. I regularly walk on the bridge, and, in the last year, it has become unbearable to use the bridge.

  Vendors take up half of the space on the bridge, and it has now become so crowded that pedestrians are brought to a standstill in narrower sections of the bridge.

  It is both a nuisance and, more importantly, a safety issue.

  Comment added October 27, 2023 12:09am

• Paul Schreiber

  I am strongly in favor of this proposed rule. The narrow pedestrian path on the Brooklyn Bridge should be free of obstructions of all kinds, including scammy vendors.

  Please ensure that this rule change takes effect immediately, and not at some point in the future.

  Comment added October 28, 2023 8:26am

• PS

  I fully support the ban of vendors on the pedestrian walkway, there is no reason why the stands cannot be at plazas on either side of the bridge. This weekend I walked the length of the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. It was the first time since the bike lane got relocated. The experience since has deteriorated significantly to a point of it being a public hazard, because of an extreme amount of vendors that have taken over the additional space and it seems potentially even more than the bike lane was taking. The bridge is dangerously crowded, I got stuck at multiple points on the walkway due to crowding and choke points at various vendors, if there were to be any sort of danger that required the people to evacuate the bridge it would impossible for anybody to leave in time and likely a stampede condition would also be created. Beyond that, experience itself is insufferable due to 360 photo vendors blasting same 8second sample of a music track the majority of the length of the bridge, blocking best view points and photo opportunities that people themselves could use to take a photo. What used to be a world class public space for residents and tourists has been reduced to a life hazard and cacophony of loud photo vendor music and litter, the stair access on the Brooklyn side has layers of litter that no one has cleared in months. Something needs to be done about it and the new legislation is a step in the right direction to fix it.

  Comment added October 29, 2023 12:55pm

• Blair McKechnie

  I have lived in Lower Manhattan for almost 20 years and the conditions caused by vending on the Brooklyn Bridge in particular are dangerous. The space (and increased pedestrian safety) resulting from the new dedicated bike lanes has been completed overtaken by vendors. The bridge is horribly congested and unsafe and it is almost impossible for New Yorkers and tourists alike to walk or jog along the bridge. The vendor stalls, umbrellas, etc. also almost totally block the views of the southern tip of Manhattan from the bridge, damaging this important landmark. I hope the new rules are passed (and then enforced) and would also suggested NYPD officers or DOT personnel be positioned at the entrance to the bridge to prevent unauthorized access. There are a number of spaces in the City that are more suitable (and safe) for vending.

  Comment added October 31, 2023 4:18pm

• Mark Levy

  I totally support a complete ban on vendors on all Bridge walkways
  They are dangerous, unsightly and an embarrassment on one of NYC’s iconic architectural and historical landmarks

  Comment added November 1, 2023 7:47pm

• Edward Kiernan

  Why is the department removing the following language: [No peddler, vendor, hawker, or huckster shall stop or remain or permit any cart, wagon, or vehicle owned or controlled by him/her, to stop, remain upon or otherwise encumber any street in front of any premises if the owner or lessee of the ground floor objects.]

  This seems harmful to small businesses and is unrelated to the prohibition of vending on elevated pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes on a bridge or bridge approaches.

  Comment added November 3, 2023 10:35am

• Elizabeth Jahre

  It has become atrocious. A tax paying resident in the area and it was sadly my walking route to work. No longer! I tried biking. The garbage falling into the bike lanes below is inexcusable and dangerous. These vendors use it as a trash can. Please stop this over crowding immediately it benefits no one.
  It’s degrading to our community and to this 19th century landmark.

  Comment added November 5, 2023 12:45am

• M Laporte

  I’m all for controlling the vendors and their stands. Set up a permit system, so you know how many people are legally able to sell on the Brooklyn Bridge. These individuals also have families to feed and are contributing to the economy.

  Comment added November 5, 2023 11:24am

• Jeffrey Lopez

  End this!! I tried to bring my out of state family (“tourists”) and we didn’t even make it up a quarter of the way before getting fed up with this garbage peddling mayhem.
  No vendors!!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:06am

• Jeffrey Lopez

  End this madness…peddling garbage.
  I don’t even take visiting friends and family to the bridge because of this nonsense

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:08am

• Barbara Ann Rogers

  I used to love walking across the Brooklyn Bridge but no more. First it was the bicyclists vs the oblivious selfie-taking tourists, then, when I thought the creation of separate bike lanes would help, the invasion of vendors of all sorts, making it frustrating and downright hazardous to attempt to walk across the bridge. Another part of the NYC I’ve loved and lived in for over 50 years has been taken from me. I suppose we can’t do anything about the relentless tourists (who have also made DUMBO nearly unliveable) but at least these unlicensed and space-hogging vendors can be removed.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:15am

• Jay Crockett

  PLEASE don’t permit vendors from cheapening the spectacular beauty of this beautiful structure. It is simply awful.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:17am

• Lisa Donneson

  I urge you to ban vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a security risk and the vendors block our iconic views.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:19am

• D. Adler

  I support this amendment. The crush of vendors destroys the ability to view the magnificent architecture of the bridge and creates dangerous bottlenecks of pedestrians. The need for migrants to have an income does not mean that they can set up shop wherever they feel like it. No tourist is visiting the bridge for “shopping.”

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:22am

• Ezra Cukor

  I generally support street vendors selling their wares and earning a living. However, stationary sales in bike lanes or on bridges creates congestion and can lead to accidents and injury. This rule should be finalized with modifications to be crystal clear that street vendors can continue to sell their wares proximate to bridges because many are tourist attractions—for example the Brooklyn bridge—just not on the approach/ walk way itself or the bike lane.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:23am

• Amy

  I’m in favor for relocating all vendors off the Brooklyn Bridge. The Bridge is one of the most glorious attractions NY has on offer for any visitor. The vendors and their landfill worthy merchandise, have made it dangerous for all pedestrians , and the cars driving below.
  Why would we welcome tourists only to put them and us in serious harm’s way?
  I have stopped walking the bridge due to serious public safety concerns.
  I felt safer when I was dodging and navigating cyclists.
  The 360 Alicia Keys photo stands are deadly.
  I trust there’s a better way for pedestrians. I trust the merchants can be supported in another fruitful location OFF the bridge.
  Best,
  Amy

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:27am

• Claire Silberman

  Over the years, the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway has morphed from one of the very few Manhattan-Brooklyn pedestrian connectors to a Major Tourist Attraction first and foremost. Just like other cities do, NYC must balance the wants ands needs of residents and tourists both— and in this case, just “because someone can make money that way” doesn’t justify the overcrowding, trash, and other difficulties that the sea of vendors (who sell the type of mass market souvenirs just as easily found in other places) causes. Please enact the Rules and revert the Bridge to what should be its primary purpose— helping people get from Point A to Point B on foot. Tourists will still enjoy the Brooklyn Bridge regardless, and New Yorkers going about their day may have a bit more breathing room. Thanks!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:29am

• Pinky Keehner

  Thank you, Lincoln, for advocating to remove vendors from the Bklyn Bridge. It is a dangerous situation- and yesterday morning I experienced a new concern. As I ran by a vendor who was unwrapping a huge container, he snapped open a bungee cord. The end of the cord with buckle was propelled into the air and missed hitting my head by an inch. I stopped and asked him to be careful – he couldn’t understand what I was saying. I hope we can relocated these folks but our first obligation is to preserve safety and protect historic landmarks for all to enjoy. Thank you! Pinky

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:40am

• Donna Karlin

  I have been a NYC resident and retail shop owner for 30+ years. Both my home and business are located in landmark designated areas (Bklyn & TriBeCa). LPC always takes a hard stance and interest in preserving New York landmarks. It’s for that reason that I’m always left scratching my head as to why New York’s most treasured landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge, is left to be cluttered, defaced and, quite frankly, disrespected by all the street vendors. I wholeheartedly believe this practice should be banned. Doing so will allow the beauty of the bridge to be highlighted once again and encourage the tourists to shop local and support brick and mortar retail – the lifeblood of our city.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 8:10am

• Judith Levine

  BAN THE VENDORS.
  As a BB walker & cyclist for 50 years, I have never seen it worse. The bike lane helps (keep e-vehicles off!). But the walkway has become so unpleasant, slow, even stressful — not to mention dangerous — that I have stopped using it. Goodbye to one of the great pleasures of living in Brooklyn.

  The vendors should have been stopped when they encroached from the Manhattan end to the suspension towers. Now they’ve colonized every inch of the bridge.

  I have sympathy for migrants trying to make a living. But the bridge should be like a city park: spectacular views, fresh air –and a respite from commerce.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 8:20am

• Toby E Gardner

  With the presence of vendors, the Brooklyn Bridge has become one of the most unpleasant experiences in the city. I used to be able to take jogs across the bridge. Now I won’t even take a walk across after several awful experiences of congestion, noise, and filth. And, while not a DOT issue, shame on the NYPD for taking zero action to even just monitor the crowds and ensure safety on the bridge. I strongly support the relocation of all vendors off the entire length of the bridge. Let them sell their junk in front of City Hall.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 8:22am

• Jean Ryan

  I am president of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan NY and I use a wheelchair. Some of our members use the Brooklyn Bridge to commute to work because of the inaccessibility of the subways. Some of us use it for convenience or to see the views and have an enjoyable outing. But with all the vendors and crowding, we are having a hard time using the Brooklyn Bridge. We don’t want any of the bridges to have vendors. We are in favor of the rule banning all vendors on ALL of the bridges and approaches. Using a wheelchair in a very congested area is a problem. We have to keep looking down and try not to hit anyone. Then we are not looking up or over at the majestic views on the bridge and from the bridge. Now all we see in certain places on the bridge are people’s backsides and feet. Additionally, some of our members are blind and use a cane. When people are crowded together near the vendors, using a cane to navigate is almost impossible to do. We also have members who use walkers and have an equally difficult time to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge when it is crowded with vendors and people. All vendors should be banned from all bridges. We are in favor of this rule.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 8:43am

• Brooklyn Fry

  Support removal/reduction of vendors. This is opposite broken window theory where the more vendors makes it permissible for even more to join. It’s cheapening the experience and where does it end?

  Comment added November 6, 2023 9:00am

• Ro Pete

  I would welcome a safe walkway dedicated to all pedestrians, including people heading to work and tourists. Was this not the reason that the bikes replaced a traffic lane, causing even slower-moving motor vehicles? Tourists come to enjoy the magnificence of this human creation, its beautiful views of the City, and to take selfies, not purchase items that might be also found in Times Square. Any peddlers/vendors should have permits for sidewalks along the streets, apart from where pedestrians enter the dedicated bridge path.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 9:05am

• Chris

  To whom It May Concern,

  The unregulated, overcrowded flea market that used to be the Brooklyn Bridge needs to be returned to the people. Allowing the free for all to continue only erodes public trust in our local governments ability to govern our basic needs. The bridge is crowded and loud. There are people mixing cocktails at multiple tables. Its truly ridiculous that it has been allowed to get to this point. The bridge is a respite from the madness of the city. Please do something. The silent majority overwhelming wants the bridge back — it should have never been given away.

  Thank you.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 9:25am

• Michael Ring

  I honestly don’t know why vending was ever allowed up there. As soon as the cyclists were giving their own lane it seems that the vendors moved in and have made it a lot more dangerous for anyone trying to walk across the bridge.

  Ever since the early 90s I have been training for marathons and have run over the Brooklyn Bridge at least twice a month.Ever since the vendors moved inI have avoided it like the plague. Only running when the weather is bad for the tourists or early in the morning.

  Now that I have a mobility impairment i am even more worried about walking over the Brooklyn Bridge. The fact that pedestrian traffic comes to a standstill because there’s no where to go makes it dangerous for me to attempt to cross the bridge during the day when the weather is nice.

  I feel bad that I’m being excluded from walking over this iconic landmark

  perhaps a limited area can be set up near the stations for vendors who pays some sort of permit to be there. If the Brooklyn Bridge would considered a park people couldn’t just plop down and start selling stuff in it.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 9:32am

• Emelie Kihlstrom

  I would love for this to happen. So glad it’s being discussed and being considered. The vendors are so distracting and adding to the chaos. Completely removes the joy of walking over the bridge.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 9:46am

• Ellen Dichner

  I am in favor of barring vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:05am

• S Park

  I wholeheartedly agree with a ban on vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. If properly permitted vendors would like to sell their wares on either side of the bridge, it should regulated and rules enforced accordingly, but there is no good reason for this to take place on the bridge itself.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:12am

• Bonnie Erickson

  These vendors must go. Safety of pedestrians is primary. Secondary is the trashing of the views from the bridge and then the tackiness of the things for sale. Another place should be found for the vendors who need a venue in order to make a living.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:39am

• CR

  I strongly support the proposal. Vendors on bridges disrupt a normal flow of pedestrian traffic, ruin the aesthetic of some of the most beautiful scenery in the city, are a nuisance that play the same music over and over for hours, and take advantage of tourists with inflated prices of poor-quality goods / services.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:46am

• Saltanat Meiram

  Yes, please make it possible to clear the bridge paths from all sales spots and any entertaining activities solicitors.
  Make the bridge for the people!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:46am

• Catherine Schroeder

  The vendor situation on the Brooklyn Bridge is a nightmare, often taking up fully half of the pedestrian lane, which makes it nearly impossible to do anything other than amble across and take selfies.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:48am

• William Yu

  Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in New York City for tourists and also a wonderful public space for local pedestrians and runners. Unfortunately the vendors take up a disproportionate amount of space making it difficult for runners and pedestrians alike and also making the landmark an eyesore. It is especially dangerous as a runner as the congestion makes it challenge and creates a serious risk of injury, especially in the summer months when tourism and also runners are at their peak. The vendors effectively cut the space on the bridge down by 50%

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:50am

• Min Koo

  I agree with this proposal to remove vendors from pedestrian walkways and bike lanes on bridges. Having vendors on the bridges has contributed to dangerous levels of crowding, which is 1) hazardous to all including the vendors themselves and 2) severely detracts from the views and ambiance that draws tourists to the bridge in the first place. Vendors will still have the opportunity to take advantage of tourist crowds by selling right before and after the bridge starts.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:51am

• Thomas Wehner

  I support the proposed rule in the strongest terms. The Brooklyn Bridge in particular is extremely congested with vendors. It creates safety hazards, slows foot traffic, and overall diminishes the experience of crossing the bridge.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:52am

• Jennifer Powers

  The Brooklyn Bridge walkway is treasured by both residents and tourists alike. The mad proliferation of vendors populating the Bridge and its entrances is a visual and practical eyesore for folks who want to enjoy this historic landmark. I would flag in particular that tourists- who are by nature transient- may not be quite as annoyed by this junky commercialism but residents of Brooklyn are truly being “crowded out” by the exponential growth of Bridge vendors. As a 30 year resident of Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo, I have “opted out” of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway in the past few years due to this phenomenon. Bring back the Bridge for Brooklynites! I fully support a vendor ban- the sooner the better!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:52am

• C R Illingworth

  I support the ban of vendors on the bridge. I understand how difficult it is to make a living in NYC and these vendors are doing just that. However, since the bikes are off the bridge vendors are flocking there and it’s starting to get congested and dangerous.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:53am

• Jaren Feeley

  I’d love to run or walk over the bridge in the morning without the overwhelming blare of ‘Empire State of Mind’ on repeat from vendors, and without having to constantly dodge people stopped to buy stuffed animals.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:54am

• Shonali Bhowmik

  I have lived near the entrance of Brooklyn Bridge for over 12 years on the Manhattan side . The vendors have continued to move farther and farther onto the bridge and cause such congestion for the pedestrians and cyclists. It’s become dangerous and has taken away the enjoyment of walking and cycling on the bridge.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:56am

• Katherine Maughan

  I miss the ability to walk/run across the bridge which is impeded due to vendors and the overcrowding it is causing. This is a public place for all to enjoy, vendors are taking away from the experience and use for tourists and locals. I would encourage the city to designate specifics areas for vendors at either end of the bridge to ensure a compromise that allows people to make a living and also allows for the safe, enjoyable use of one of NYC’s iconic spots.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:57am

• MG

  As a lifelong Brooklyn resident, I was appalled by the overbearing presence of vendors during my recent stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway. In place of dodging careless cyclists (thankfully given their own lane in the roadway below) pedestrians must now contend with far too many unlicensed vendors selling the same cheap NY-themed souvenirs as well numerous 360° rotating photo platforms that present a danger to all pedestrians. This never was (and never should be) considered acceptable use of our beautiful landmark. I urge the powers-that-be to enact (AND ENFORCE!) an immediate and total ban on all such activity.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:58am

• María Florencia Linares

  I support these proposed rules. It’d make it so much easier to run/walk over the bridge if the vendors weren’t there. They take up a lot of space and between them and the tourists that stop for their “stores” it becomes an odyssey to swerve across everyone. There are plenty of other places in the city where they can do their activity (e.g., setting up on the City Hall park).

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:59am

• SK

  I strongly support the proposed rule. Vendors on the Manhattan side of the bridge pathway significantly reduce the amount of space pedestrians have to pass and contribute to overcrowding. Materials used to create vendor setups create trip hazards for walkers and joggers alike.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 10:59am

• Alexandru Aleman

  Walking or jogging over Brooklyn bridge now is awful, with almost no space to safely pass between bikes and the vendors. A bridge is not a place for selling products, there are many other much safer places where they could plae their carts at either side of the bridge, for example

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:01am

• Laura

  I support

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:03am

• Dame Lewis

  Please prohibit vendors from using the pedestrian walkways on bridges. There simply isn’t enough room for sightseeing and recreation when the walkways are choked off by vendors

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:06am

• Marek Stepniowski

  I support the proposed amendment. Vendors setting shop on the bridges (especially Brooklyn Bridge) have contributed to overcrowding, making it harder for locals to commute between Brooklyn and Manhattan by foot. The have also made it harder to enjoy the historical landmark in its full glory, for both locals and tourists alike.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:07am

• Clifford Tsao

  All those vendors on the bridge make this great historic bridge look so getto. Have some respect, make money some where else. Have trouble walking and running across bridge with them occupying 30% of the walk way.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:14am

• Heather M Romero

  Please keep us all safe by prohibiting vendors from displaying and selling their wares on bridges and walkways. The situation has become untenable. Thank you.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:15am

• Joanne Guralnick

  The vendors pose a severe safety hazard to an already congested pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge. They don’t belong there, plain and simple.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:15am

• Crystal Cun

  I support the proposed amendment to keep our public spaces clear and accessible. It is not appropriate for vendors to use these spaces for private business purposes.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:39am

• Marco Del Negro

  I walk or run over the Brooklyn Bridge every week, often more than once. Vendors have taken large amounts of public space and decided to use it as their own shop, creating congestion and blocking passage. Public space is public! It is disgraceful that the city is not doing anything to stop the overreach. Thank you!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:40am

• lisa dupas

  It’s impossible
  To run across the Brooklyn Bridge (and dangerous) with all of the vendors.
  Please get rid of them.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:46am

• Joe Lundy

  When transiting across the Brooklyn Bridge navigating the vendor narrowing of the foot path along with the Visitors stopping proves to be a challenge
  for the regular walking commuter.
  Also, a challenge to be polite to others.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:50am

• Scott Fitzgerald

  Hello!

  I strongly support the amendment to prohibit vendors from setting up shop at the entrance, exit , or anywhere along or near an elevated pedestrian or bikeway. It creates an unnecessary danger through excessive crowding.

  Thanks

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:53am

• Michael Conroy

  A medical emergency will eventually occur on the span of the bridge, be it a Heart attack, an elderly person incurring a fracture due to falling, etc.
  The current environment is not prepared or conducive to allow Medical personnel to arrive quickly. There are vendors on both sides of the bridge, which would impede any small emergency vehicle to access driving onto the span.Secondly, any announcements to move to one side, may prove fruitless, as tourists of many nations walk the bridge, may not react swiftly to the urgency. There is no public announcement system set up throughout the bridge’s length.
  There isn’t any police presence T all throughout the bridge to enforce any sort of common civility
  There should be no vendors at all on the bridge.
  The Manhattan, GW, Williamsburg are just three alone that do not have vendors.
  The current state on the bridge is a display of cheap, low quality goods being sold in an atmosphere where no rules apply to anyone.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:58am

• Michael Doyle

  No vendors please on the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s a safety hazard.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:58am

• Robert E. Buckholz

  I strongly support the proposed amendments. The Brooklyn Bridge is in particular need of this change. The vendors there seriously obstruct and slow pedestrian traffic, and add a cheap and tawdry aspect to what should be a serene experience: enjoying the wonderful views of the City from that beautiful and iconic bridge. Please adopt the amendments.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:17pm

• Carina

  I am an avid biker and use the bridge to get to Manhattan from Brooklyn frequently. With all the construction going on in Gowanus and downtown Brooklyn, and all the litter everywhere, it would be terrific if we do not also have to traverse a bridge full of vendors and the noise and trash that comes with that. I used to love to cross the bridge and now it feels like I am on Canal street and I try to avoid it. Please restore it to be the beautiful and peaceful bridge it once was.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:27pm

• Rhonda Wehbe

  Please remove vendors. There is such limited space on these walkways.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:32pm

• David

  The proliferation of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge has made the walk across the bridge, sometimes very difficult and unpleasant.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:45pm

• Marjorie Kazin

  Hi –

  We need to make the streets safer for all New Yorkers. Any time I try to run or walk the Brooklyn bridge after 7am I get hit by someone not watching where they are going and backing up from a vendor. We need to bring the bridge back to its original purpose to get people from point A to B.

  Marjorie

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:48pm

• Kara Orourke

  The city streets are busy enough as it is. Why do pedestrians and runners have to deal with an overly crowded walkway on the bridge because of vendors? They cause so much traffic and don’t provide any real value being on the bridge. We have to deal with busy streets in the city enough, let’s keep the bridge clear so pedestrians can enjoy the walk and appreciate the beauty of NYC.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:48pm

• Sharon McCarthy

  I live in Brooklyn Heights and work in lower Manhattan, and I would like to be able to walk home after work. Unfortunately, the bridge is so crowded that it is extremely difficult to walk across the bridge. There are so many vendors selling goods on both sides of the bridge, along with photo stands with large equipment, that pedestrians have no choice but to walk single file in certain areas and/or to jostle each other to try to keep moving forward. It frankly does not feel safe on the bridge in the evenings.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:55pm

• Julius Fries

  Bridges are public space, not private commercial space. I strongly support the proposed rules.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 12:59pm

• Edwin Ferran

  I am dumbfounded that this condition has been tolerated for so long. Please enact and enforce this rule banning commercial vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge immediately.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 1:01pm

• Brian Ketcham

  As an almost daily BB walker, I also urge removal of the vendors that have now taken over the pedestrian walkway. There have been occasions where I have made my way to the middle of the walkway, only to have to turn back to the Manhattan side because it was impassable and unsafe. Some vendors even set up multiple long tables and use ropes to cordon off the surrounding areas in order to create shopping areas, and the 360 video operators often do the same with hazard tape, leaving just a couple of feet of space left on the walkway to squeeze by. One idea: I’ve noticed that there is ample empty space near the walkway entry on the Manhattan side (adjacent to the Municipal Building), where food stands used to operate, but has been vacant since the pandemic. This seems like it would be an ideal location for (licensed) vendors to offer their items to tourists without clogging the walkway on the bridge.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 1:12pm

• Josh

  I support the proposed rule. Vending should not be allowed on the bridge. It creates crowding and ruins the experience for others.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 1:26pm

• sean corey

  Please prohibit these vendors. They take up so much room

  Comment added November 6, 2023 1:30pm

• Alexa Atamanchuk

  Vendors in these lanes create dangerous conditions! On my last run, I saw two carts collide as the small space had to account for two stands (wild), tourists, bikers, and runners. One of the full displays knocked a young girl on the head!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 1:31pm

• Brendan Wilson

  As a NYC resident who lives very close to the Brooklyn Bridge, I am very supportive of this rule. Vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge contribute to the significant pedestrian congestion that makes it very difficult to use the Bridge as a healthy way to commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 2:25pm

• Michael Silver

  The vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge make it impossible to use the walkway for walking or running. As a runner, I remember when both the cyclists and walkers were on the same paths and it was dangerous. When the city moved the cyclists to a different pathway, I thought it would make everything safer. Now the pathway is clogged by the people who set up TikTok platforms for people to take selfies and videos. And there is no way to get past. It’s awful and unsafe. We should be able to have pedestrians and runners crossing the bridge in both directions without having to swerve around people, or walk through people to get by.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 2:34pm

• Mark Guralnick

  I am a cyclist and a runner who uses the Brooklyn Bridge frequently. I was thrilled when a separate bike lane was created on the Bridge to eliminate the conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.

  However, getting over the walkway on the Bridge is now worse than ever. People can’t walk or run over the Bridge because of all the vendors. The Bridge is a New York icon and can no longer be appreciated because there is no room to stop and admire the views of the harbor and skyline because of the vendors.

  I beg you to remove vendors from the Bridge so New Yorkers and tourists can appreciate the Bridge without constantly being accosted by vendors trying to sell chintzy trinkets to a captive audience.

  Thank you.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 3:50pm

• Judith Aarons

  Yes, Vendors must be banned from the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s very difficult to walk across the bridge now compared to the past. I can’t imagine what would happen if NYC has another black out or train stoppage. Last time that happened so many people used the bridge to go from Manhattan to Brooklyn. If vendors were on the span then it would take too long to get across. It would be a dangerous nightmare. There are better places for vendors to congregate. The bridge must be kept clear!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 4:00pm

• Gabrielle Kotkov

  Please enact this immediately! This is a very important for walkers, runners, bikers and anyone who wants to be able to enjoy the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. The vendors take up a lot of room on the path and the chaos they cause detracts from the experience of enjoying the bridge and significantly discourages me from crossing it on foot or bike.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 4:03pm

• Mark Pendarvis

  As a person who walks the bridge three to four times a week, the vendors are a major problem.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 4:43pm

• Brennan Rees

  As much as I can appreciate a painting of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker – why does that need to be sold ON the Brooklyn Bridge of all places?? It’s embarrassing and cheapening of the stature of the Brooklyn Bridge, not to mention incredibly dangerous what with these vendors taking more and more room on the limited space that is the walkway of the bridge. Why is there even a debate? What other city would allow for this? As a local who would like to use the bridge more so; I can’t because of the overly crowded, crass, cheapening nature of what the bridge has become. Please fix it!

  Comment added November 6, 2023 5:13pm

• Michael Wilson

  I fully support this proposal. The proliferation of vendors, and of rotating photo booths in particular, have made this NYC landmark an unpleasant place to walk across.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 5:27pm

• Matthew DiPentima

  The addition of a dedicated bike lane to the Brooklyn Bridge was enormously welcome for those of us who use the bridge to commute and/or exercise on foot. Unfortunately, the vendors on the bridge have become so numerous and take up so much space with their increasingly elaborate set-ups that they create choke points where foot traffic hardly moves. The result is that the bridge is essentially unusable for walk-commuting or jogging. I now can only use the bridge if it is very early or very cold. Tourism is most welcome, and some (foot) traffic is always to be expected in New York, but it is still a bridge and should be usable as such.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 5:37pm

• Deborah Lowenstein

  The vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge need to go. They are aggressive and take up too much room. I used to walk back and forth to work every day and have stopped because the vendors have caused terrible crowding and it’s scary at the more narrow parts of the bridge. I understand that it’s a tourist attractions but as a tax payer I feel that one of the most special places in NYC has been ruined. Please ban the vendors.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 6:03pm

• Jack Watkins

  I feel that it is reasonable to restrict the vendors on bridges. Especially the Brooklyn bridge. As a local the bridge becomes all but unusable for pedestrians because of tourists taking pictures and vendors with large stands taking up a significant portion of the walkway. There are plenty of areas on either side of the bridge that could be used to set up stands for people to by food and souvenirs. As an avid runner I would love the ability to use the bridge for recreation once again.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 7:37pm

• EPD

  I fully support the ban of all vendors from the bridge. The walk over the bridge used to be an exercise of peace and beauty and a commute for residents . Now it’s a stop and go carnival destroyed by ugly useless merchandizing on its way to a landfill . And it’s extremely dangerous as many commenters have pointed out. Please ban all vendors from the bridge immediately.

  Comment added November 6, 2023 11:52pm

• EC

  I encourage everyone who is against such very strict rules to take the time and walk on the bridge at it’s current situation (very different than an year, even 2 months ago). It’s only tourists, because it’s not walkable for locals anymore and they can’t enjoy any of the view, because the amount of vendors and music is overwhelming. I would compare it to some of the Middle-Eastern cities I’ve visited, but without the charm of it. A lot of the business seem illegal (like attaching locks, encouraging climbing on the bridge for the best view phots, etc.) and the amount of trash at the end of the day, left both by vendors and tourists, which goes in the water after, is terrible. I’ve seen them many times trying to police it, but as soon as police is away, it returns immediately to the same state. I’d like to be business opportunities for the folks, but there are other ways this to be supported, not harming the Bridge and people who want to enjoy it.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 2:15am

• KB

  Vendors on NYC bridges are a pedestrian safety hazard and a regional security problem. When present, there is no safe entrance or egress for residents or our visitors and there is no access for emergency vehicles. And as to the Brooklyn Bridge in particular, years ago our City made a point of removing attached “love padlocks” because they defaced the iconic structure. How much worse is the current defacement by commercial clutter. Please enact legislation banning vendors on City bridges and approaches and build in enough funding to ensure enforcement.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 7:56am

• Scott Teplin

  No vendors. They make it dangerous for runners. They clog what little room there is to get around throngs of tourists and they get tourists to coalesce into little areas where there is already limited space. It’s dangerous.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 9:23am

• Christopher Neff

  I strongly support banning or strictly limiting the vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. It is an important pedestrian route, and is nearly impassable as a result of overcrowding by vendors.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 10:01am

• Victoria Guisinger

  Vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge create unsafe condition for pedestrians and runners. Parts of the public walkway become bottlenecks due to the vendors.
  This is a public space and should have very limited use for private business.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 10:11am

• Garrett Weinholtz

  The bridge vendors need to be moved from the bridge ASAP. The Brooklyn Bridge foot traffic has gotten absolutely out of control in the worst way, so much so that I avoid it absolutely every chance I can, taking the Manhattan Bridge route instead. We’ve lost the Brooklyn Bridge to vendor space so badly that it was easier to walk or run the bridge back when there was a bike lane on the main bridge path! Move the vendors off the bridge proper and allow them to sell their wares elsewhere, near but not on the already limited bridge space.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 11:38am

• Betty Kay

  I support the proposed prohibition of vending on elevated pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes on a bridge or bridge approaches and look forward to its implementation. Too little space is already given to pedestrians and cyclists so adding people selling things and the related trash undermines the main purpose of bridges; mobility.

  Besides the vendors taking space needed for safe pedestrian mobility on the Brooklyn Bridge esplanade, the vending contributes to sanitation, noise pollution and a loss of views for pedestrians, especially for children and those in wheelchairs who cannot possibly see beyond the vendors and their tables. Amplified sound used by vendors to draw attention to their wares further destroys the pedestrian experience on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  In the past couple of years the sale of alcoholic drinks, the placement of 360 degree camera setups, porta-potties and the huge proliferation of vendors – at times with tables on both sides of the esplanade – illustrate just how out of control the issue has become. The trash discarded onto the pedestrian path and the bike lanes below has grown with the vendor proliferation making mobility for pedestrians and cyclists on the Brooklyn Bridge precarious and unpleasant.

  Testimony in 2012 to City Council by the Chair of Manhattan CB1 includes that “Vendors on and near the Bridge compound the heavy congestion and contribute to sanitation problems” so vending on the Brooklyn Bridge is a longstanding problem and source of complaint. A rule to make it clear that vending is prohited on and in the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge is needed so that the iconic Brooklyn Bridge can be a pleasant, safe and reliable way for pedestrians to travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn and for visitors to be able to see and admire the wonderful views from the esplanade.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 11:42am

• Nancy Kong

  Absolutely in support. It was crowded and dangerous with the bike lane. After all that work to move the bike lanes, the vendors took up another lane. The bridge needs to be clear for safety and enjoyment. I support the vendors needing to make a living and would ask that an appropriate spot be allocated for them. Also, the food trucks that proliferated in front of City Hall Park, across from the entrance to the Bridge, also needs to be moved. Thank you.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 11:50am

• James Kontnier

  I strongly support removing vendors from the public walkways and access points as well as the Brooklyn Bridge itself. Not only do I find them to be a hazard and blite on the bridge but the bridge is a national landmark and allowing these vendors to take up space, block access and compromise the experience of the thousands of people who cross it makes no sense. This was not the case in the past, there were no vendors so please reverse/revise whatever rule allowed this to happen.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 12:20pm

• Rosa Chang

  I support the NYC DOT proposed amendment banning commercial activity on the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Promenade and Approach for the following reasons:
  – The Brooklyn Bridge is a historic landmark and beloved icon for New York City and the constant recorded amplified noise completely changes the ability to enjoy the experience of crossing the bridge.
  – As one of the top tourist destinations in New York City, it has enormous foot traffic and the narrowness of the pedestrian walkway cannot easily accommodate the retail + pedestrians. This is because the retail takes over at minimum 1/3 of the space, and then the tourists perusing the available wares take another 1/3 of the width, leaving only another 1/3 for people to actually move around them in BOTH directions. The promenade barely has enough physical width to accommodate the foot traffic demand along with tourists stopping to take photos. It definitely does not have enough to do that PLUS retail.
  – this creates a dangerous and frustrating crossing that does not provide for safe use of the bridge.
  – Many New Yorkers who have traditionally used the bridge regularly as part of their daily commute can no longer do so given the congestion on the Brooklyn Bridge.
  Please remove the commercial activity as quickly as possible, and please install public restrooms so that people do not use the stairwells as urinals.
  Thank you.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 1:15pm

• Betty Feibusch

  I agree that vendors should not be allowed to sell their products on the Brooklyn Bridge. Far too crowded. Often not able to walk easily.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 4:19pm

• Michael Thornton

  I’m a resident of Brooklyn and walk across the bridge somewhat frequently, and the increase in vendors has been frustrating, especially on the main span of the bridge where the paths narrow and everyone stops to take selfies. I wholeheartedly support this proposed change. It would be great if we could create plazas at the foot of each bridge where vendors could set up instead, perhaps by pedestrianizing the section of Cadman Plaza East or expanding the plaza at Tillary/Brooklyn Bridge Blvd on the Brooklyn side.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 4:26pm

• Claire McCue

  I do not like having the vendors on the bridge. It obstructs the walkway, and negatively changes the view and experience on the bridge. I also think it could be a security hazard as well. They should be removed from the bridge. There are other places they can congregate and sell their goods.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 4:29pm

• EB

  I strongly support a ban, or severe restriction, of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. For nearly ten years I have commuted on foot across the bridge every day from my home in Brooklyn to my job in lower Manhattan. Unfortunately, the increase in vendors that occurred after the bike lane was moved have has made walking on the bridge significantly more difficult and, at times, dangerous. Every day, vendors barrel through crowds with large tables laden with goods, often with zero visibility as to where they are walking, as they make their way on and off the bridge. The unregulated nature of the vendors also causes issues, as I’ve seen fights break out between vendors vying for the same patch of the bridge. Finally, the amount of trash generated by these stands is terrible, with plastic tags, hat inserts, and other detritus littering the bridge. I would strongly encourage a ban on vendors or at least a few permits for bridge vending to maintain the usability of the bridge for all New Yorkers. I would also urge you to give a permit to “ice cold water one dollar” because he’s a lovely man and bridge institution.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 4:53pm

• Nicolo` Del Negro

  Un monitored or illegal Vending on bridges and public pathways is dangerous and is against public interest. Please do not allow

  Comment added November 7, 2023 5:20pm

• Edward Shneyder

  It makes it dangerous and already crowded walkway unattractive. Great idea on outlawing vendors on the bridge.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 6:16pm

• Morit Summers

  Some things should be available for people to just walk and enjoy the view.
  Allowing vending creates traffic and obstacles that can become dangerous.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 6:26pm

• MK

  As someone who has relied on the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway for my commute for 20 years, I am so disappointed by the vendor situation. It was such a relief when the bike lane was relocated (thank you to whoever came up with that brilliant idea!!) because it was finally possible to walk across the bridge stress-free: no worrying about being injured by a speeding bike or having to athletically dodge the tourists at the end of a hectic day. There was more than enough space for all pedestrians. Over the last several months, I have watched everyday as the vendors have slowly taken over the walkway, once again reducing the amount of space available to pedestrians by half due to the tables, photo platforms and the groups of tourists who crowd in front of each vendor stall. Every day there are new vendors creeping further and further up to the middle span of the bridge from both the Manhattan and Brooklyn sides.
  In addition, there is even more garbage across the bridge. Before the garbage cans were overflowing with discarded coffee cups and water bottles. Now, we also have discarded cardboard boxes, plastic wrappers and hangtags across the length of the walkway. The Manhattan entrance to the walkway is absolutely disgusting at the end of everyday from all of the garbage. I feel so bad for the DSNY employees who have to clean up this unnecessary mess.
  I’m also terribly embarrassed for our city. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of our most iconic landmarks which is why so many tourists flock to it every day, and what they find is a garbage-covered bargain-basement bazaar. It’s absolutely awful. I understand the vendors need to make a living, but the city has to find a way to locate them in an area where they aren’t getting in everyone’s way and creating such an eyesore. Why not section off a portion of the gigantic plaza behind City Hall for the vendors to set up in an organized manor since they are going to find a way to sell in the area anyway?
  As a tax-paying resident, there are so few daily opportunities to move through the city in a stress-free manor. Relocating the bike lane allowed that on the pathway, and that opportunity has been destroyed by the vendors.

  Comment attachment
  NYC-DOT-Brooklyn-Bridge-Vendor-feedback.docx

  Comment added November 7, 2023 6:37pm

• Pierre Granet

  I really don’t understand why WE have vendors on bridges. The experience of everybody is less enjoyable and there’s no added valie

  Comment added November 7, 2023 9:12pm

• Frank

  These regulations should be enacted immediately and enforced vigorously. I commute across the Brooklyn Bridge twice a day, five days a week, and I know from extensive personal experience that vending on the Bridge has exploded in the last five years; it is now and complete and utter mess. The number, size, and placement of tables, carts, stands, displays, clothing racks, tents, umbrellas, and other large structures has made whole sections of the Bridge almost impossible to walk through. And the more exotic vendors and performers (including spinning music/photo platforms, Polaroid picture retailers, beer and marijuana distributors, DJs, soccer trick performers, and at least a few live snake handlers) take up a tremendous amount of space and block the walkway all day long. The situation is dangerous, messy, and impractical, and it does almost nothing to enhance anyone’s experience of the Bridge. The vendors’ coming and going are dangerous, as most push (or worse, drive) massively heavy equipment up and down the walkway. They cause huge bottlenecks on the Bridge itself, as well as on the road on the Manhattan side and the stairway up onto the Bridge from the Brooklyn side. Spinning photo machines swing across walking lanes, with speakers blasting the same 15-second segment of “Empire State of Mind.” Umbrellas and other overhangs are way below walking height, so people bang their heads as they walk. And many vendors use motorized bikes, carts, and other vehicles to transport items up and down. Vendors argue with one another over placement, even though it seems none of them have any right to be doing business there. The vendors also cause tremendous mess because all of them generate garbage (and sometimes food product) that ends up littered all over the ground. Some vendors also “display” their wares by laying them out along the ground on long clothes, making it very easy to trip over hats, coasters, mini-Statues of Liberty, toy cars, and the like. Many have also started using both sides of the walkway to hang clothes and set up folding chairs for salespeople to sit on all day. With workers on both sides, the walkway is narrowed to just a few feet, and walkers have to dodge back and forth between products and retailers in both directions. The whole situation is impractical because the Bridge simply isn’t designed to have many dozens of people spending their entire days running full-fledged retail businesses off the walkway. Some vendors now bring, and routinely use, large sitting enclosures (imagine phone-booth-sized zipper-sealed plastic booths with chairs inside), gas generators, full meals, and all sorts of other personal items to allow them to spend the day there. Some also seem to have their very young children on the Bridge throughout the day, which appears unsafe for them, as the kids try to play in high-traffic areas or sit sandwiched behind or between heavy metal stands and tables. Finally, the vast majority of these vendors offer nothing unique or that even slightly improves the experience of the Bridge. It’s just table after table of the same knickknacks that tourists can find in real stores all over the city. And many have nothing at all to do with the Brooklyn Bridge itself, or even New York City: Converse sneaker keychains, Kobe Bryant bobbleheads, posters of random cartoon characters, sunglasses, generic jewelry, Croc charms, a book about rolling blunts, an opportunity to take a picture with a boa constrictor, and on and on. None of it makes any sense, and it has turned the Bridge into a generally miserable experience.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 9:14pm

• Andrea ryken

  Vendors cause congestion and serious danger to pedestrians and cyclists on bridges.

  Comment added November 7, 2023 10:12pm

• Maya Hardin

  Please ban vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. They make a cheap eyesore of this historic and elegant connection between the boroughs and absolutely ruin the views that locals and tourists come there for, as well as cause bottlenecks in an already tight pathway.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 12:08am

• James Block

  I see some vendors now parking on Adams Street and moving their food wagons to the Brooklyn Bridge. My complaint it that some try to cross over the road from 175 with their food wagons and take down the chained fence in the medium. Also, some leave garbage behind is a real bad.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:26am

• AEM

  Please don’t do this. A bit of extra traffic is NOT a problem when people are trying to make a bit of money for themselves being entrepreneurial in the spirit of the city.
  They are NOT selling alcohol, please stop lying.
  The city is nowhere near as busy as it was pre-pandemic, and the amount of traffic that people are complaining about would have been an average day in 2019.
  When did you all become so selfish and only interested in your convenient little lives that you’re willing to destroy dozens of people’s livelihoods because it’s a little annoying for you the twice a week that you walk across the bridge?
  I’m noticing nobody is complaining about the professional photographers who are often standing in the middle of the walkway for their shoots, but god forbid a non-white person has the gall to setup a table against a railing to sell a few trinkets.

  STOP CRIMINALIZING POVERTY

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:31am

• Justin

  Please remove vending they are mostly there illegally. Sanitation Police are there often confiscated illegal venders but they keep coming. Also vendor constantly litter their plastic wrappers, papers and styrofoams. The litter often gets trapped in the bike lane. However if the litter ends up on the other side of the bridge it falls into the river. I wish I took photos during the summer how bad the litter condition gets.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:31am

• Nelson Eng

  I believe that if a ban is enacted which bars vendors on the elevated walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge, it will only push the vendors towards both ends of the bridge and the surrounding neighborhood streets. This will only make the congestion, both pedestrian and vehicular, much worse than it already is. Maybe a better solution is to ensure the vendors are licensed as well as a maximum display size which will not block the walkway.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:33am

• joyce Glaberson

  Please eliminate all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge. There are so many of them that it is almost impossible to walk quickly on the bridge. The elimination of the bike lane on the bridge has enabled the vendors to sell their tourist stuff on both lanes of the bridge, so the bridge is much more cluttered with people, and booths than it was before. I basically have given up walking on the bridge, because it is so unpleasant and I live right across the street from the Brooklyn side of the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:40am

• Lois Berl

  In my opinion, besides making the pathways impassable and ultimately dangerous, the vendors cheapen the experience of walking on the bridge. It has always confused me as to why the City allows that to happen. There is a large open area on the Manhattan side of the bridge off the walkway with plenty of room for vendors who want to capture the bridge visitors.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:41am

• Tim Keiper

  the photo vendors on the bridge are too much. they all play the same JayZ/Alicia keys song on repeat. My daughter and I counted 15-20 times as we crossed the bridge. She’s 7 and knew that was terrible. The song is fine by itself but this situation is a strange way to represent one of NYC’s most iconic landmarks and is unbearable for locals.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:46am

• Robert Cook

  “Clean up this disgrace. The Roebling Family would be appalled.”

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:58am

• Christopher Martin

  Please enact these rule changes. The bridge has become a mall for souvenirs as opposed to a historical tourist attraction. The pathway and bridge roadway has increasing amounts of trash and debris. Please allow vendors to operate in the areas surrounding the bridge so they can earn a living, but in a manner that respects the neighborhood and the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:06am

• Margaret

  I am strongly in favor of this proposal. As someone who walks the bridge to work many days, I have watched the steady increase of vendors on the bridge. It is actually harder to walk across the bridge now than it was when there was a bike lane. The vendors take up easily half of the walking space. In some places, there are wide tables on one side, then bags and hats hanging for sale on the other, along with food vendor carts. In other places, there are multiple platforms where vendors blare “Empire State of Mind” and offer 360 degree pictures. These platforms are five feet across and take up half the path. The number of vendors seriously impacts the usability of the bridge for Brooklyn and Manhattan residents. It is a beautiful tourist site but please do not forget those of us who also use it to get from home to work!

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:07am

• David Nankervis

  I approve of this proposal. In the time I’ve lived in Brooklyn, the vendor problem on the Brooklyn Bridge has grown from a scattered few near City Hall on the Manhattan side to become a real nuisance, with vendors now choking the pedestrian walkway along the entire span of the bridge, as well as around both towers and along the approaches. This creates bottlenecks that impede the flow of foot traffic, and numerous vendors now play amplified music as well, which adds to the overall feeling of chaos and cheapens the experience.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:18am

• Bobby

  The tourists like the vendors on the bridge, but there are too many of them. After the separate bike path was inaugurated, more vendors appeared on the walking path, including several that take pictures and videos on a rotating platform. There are too many vendors selling the same items, also. Don’t ban them because the tourists buy. They should be licensed and spots allocated. And then, enforce the regulations.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:31am

• Tony Eglesias

  Are the vendors causing a danger in any way? I walk the bridge regularly and I’ve never seen the vendors engaging in negative behavior.
  IS THIS THE LAW WE ARE GOING TO CHOOSE TO ENFORCE?!!!
  Let’s focus on the myriad of people that enter EVERY subway station without paying. Especially the High Street and Borough Hall stations, which are near the bridge. How about placing law enforcement at the intersection of Boerum and Tillary? A traffic violation occurs at this intersection at least every 90 seconds. I cite these two facts because I feel that over 99% of subway crimes are committed by people who do not pay their fare. Let’s stop them BEFORE they enter!The traffic violations cause a danger to all (pedestrians, cars and cyclists).
  I wish this city was in a position where our biggest problem was vendors on the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:45am

• DM

  Please let the vendors be. They are not truly bothering anybody. Instead, they are busting their butts, working outside in all types of weather, just to hustle a few tourist for a magnet and make an honest living. This is what makes NYC great. As New Yorkers let’s get the sticks out of our rear ends and cool it with the over regulation of things that don’t matter. Instead maybe we should focus on a prohibition of drug use and homelessness in our subway system.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 12:15pm

• Linda Marroquin

  I live in Adams street directly across from the walkway, and since the city designated a bike lane on the roadway the vendors have been crazy. What was opened up by losing the bike lane where pedestrians walk has been completely used by vendors. I believe vendors should be removed from the bridge completely. Not to mention the park their trucks in Adams street taking over the limited parking for residence in our area.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 1:41pm

• SETH SCHLUSBERG

  I support the proposed amendment but would point out that many of the vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge right now are unlicensed so if the city would provide the resources they could be removed without an amendment to the rules.

  There are far too many vendors there now creating congestion, unwanted light and noise.

  Please get rid of them.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 1:47pm

• Jared Smith

  I support the proposed amendment as the BK bridge is dangerous to run on and barely passable currently. However, the NYPD has not shown the aptitude to enforce other rules like traffic, parking, placard, and obstructed/defaced license plate violations. How would the proposed amendment be enforced if not by the NYPD? Setting up an enforcement system that bypasses NYPD would be more impactful than putting in rules that will just be ignored by our current enforcement agents.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 1:49pm

• JH

  I am fully supportive of banning vendors from the bridge. They have completely taken over the walkways! They leave garbage and clothing tags that totally litter our bridge. I over heard one vendor on the phone with his friend saying he was going to the bathroom on a tent in the bridge! Totally inappropriate. The worst offenders are the circular video stands that take up over half of the path! I was almost hit by one once.

  It’s impossible to walk the bridge in the evenings because the vendors clog the pathway. As a Brooklyn resident and tax payer I am saddened to not be able to walk across the bridge that is in my own backyard.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 2:14pm

• Andrew Greene

  Vendors on the bridge interfere with the walkway and bike lanes. They should move off of the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 2:20pm

• IG

  I support banning vendors from the bridge. This is ultimately an accessibility issue; currently, the bridge is currently not accessible for ALL New Yorkers to enjoy.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 2:30pm

• Christine Ford

  Vendors on the bridge are excessive and obtrusive or those of us just trying to commute to or from work. This proposal will make the bridge much more pleasant for walkers.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 2:31pm

• Freddy

  Vendors are helpful to tourists and in the summer when one needs water or other basics. It would be helpful to control the number of vendors or how far their presence extends into the walkway, however, so as not to impede the enjoyment of this gem.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:20pm

• Amy Miller

  Ban the vendors. I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge on nearly a daily basis in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a relaxing and healthy way to commute between lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, which I and other NYCers greatly enjoyed. I do not recognize the Bridge as the same place anymore, in part, due to the vendors. Make the Brooklyn Bridge a more pleasant experience for everyone again by passing the proposed rules. Thanks!

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:29pm

• Charlotte Penenberg

  There are too many vendors and it’s really messing up what could be a nice experience walking freely across the bridge. Please get rid of them!

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:44pm

• Hamilton Regen

  Hello, I live in Brooklyn Heights and I would like to say that we need to both enforce and clarify existing rules. This is a similar struggle to dealing with bicycles on the sidewalk. We all know it’s wrong; we need law-enforcement or a conversation about changing the rules won’t make any sense. For the record: I believe the DOT was originally correct in prohibiting vendors as an issue of public safety.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:46pm

• Monica Elias

  I am strongly in favor of prohibiting vendors and services on the bridge. It creates pedestrian traffic and often obscures the view. The bridge has become a souvenir alley, with music blasting from one vendor to another, it completely detracts from the beauty of the view and structure.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:46pm

• Alan Lipchin

  The bridge is so crowded already and it doesn’t make sense to continue to crowd it with vendors. It’s honestly a safety hazard, in addition to being extremely unnecessary. Please remove these vendors.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:48pm

• Lisa Scheps

  As a resident of Brooklyn Heights, I now avoid the Brooklyn Bridge at all costs. With the amount of vendors now on the bridge, it has become a tourist trap and somewhat similar to Times Square. I also cant imagine that such an old bridge can withstand all of that additional strain. Essentially the Brooklyn Bridge is ruined for New Yorkers with these vendors and I strongly believe they should be removed.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:49pm

• Zachary Wentz

  Vendors should not be permitted, or there should be a robust permitting process with limits to allow for free flow of pedestrian traffic.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:53pm

• Michael English

  Please get rid of those vendors. They tie up the walkway which is over crowded already. PLEASE!

  145 Henry street.
  Brooklyn.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:54pm

• Jo Ann Mannino

  I support banning vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian pathway. There are currently so many that there is constantly an obstruction on the pathway. It makes walking or running there extremely dangerous. Removing bikes was a huge improvement and I thank you. I hope you will do the same for these souvenir vendors. Then the only thing left will be the locks left behind by tourists. The fines need to be enforced.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 4:55pm

• Janice Hall

  The pedestrian walkway has become overcrowded, unsafe and unable to fulfill its two primary uses: passage across the river and views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, which are blocked by the vendors and the crowds at or trying to get around them. There should be NO vendors of any kind allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:01pm

• Jason Fry

  Completely support banning vendors from the bridge. With space so constricted, an accident/gunman/etc. is guaranteed to result in a panic and a heartbreaking number of injuries. Even without such a grim event, the pedestrian walkway is now all but unusable because of the vendors’ booths reducing the available space. This has turned a pleasant, convenient and free NYC commute/experience into just one more teeth-grinding ordeal. I do sympathize with the vendors and appreciate that some tourists like their wares — let them set up in the plaza on the Manhattan side of the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:12pm

• Lorraine Bonaventura

  All vendors and any commercial activity should be prohibited from the pedestrian walkways and vehicular lanes on the bridge and the bridge approaches on the Brooklyn and Manhattan sides. I have lived in Brooklyn since 1983, and I can remember when the bridge was not subject to this situation. The bridge has become a significant tourist attraction, now presenting a negative face to the world. It is also unsafe at the current time, between vendors, photo booths, noise and foot traffic.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:12pm

• Elena Marie Brescia

  I agree that vending should be prohibited as stated in the proposed text.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:19pm

• Zelda Josephs

  I find the vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge maddening. The space we gained from putting the bicycle lane with the cars was immediately taken over by the vendors selling junk diminishing the importance and the elegance of the bridge. There is no room to walk on the bridge anymore. They have spread out taking over both lanes in places.
  Additionally many of the vendors are blaring music. It’s an assaualt on the senses. It’s unpleasant t say the least.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:37pm

• Joan Caridi

  I support the rule. The pedestrian walkway of the bridge is not designed to accommodate retail. As a shopping venue the bridge walkway has become dangerous and dirty. I know because I struggle to walk there a couple of times a week.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:48pm

• Ann Marie Morris

  It makes the Bridge look so trashy! Make them go away. And it interferes with foot traffic. It has started to spread so there are way too many.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:52pm

• Terri Pezzolanti

  Vendors should not be allowed to sell on the Brooklyn bridge. It will cause overcrowding and is unsafe for the pedestrians

  Comment added November 8, 2023 5:57pm

• Sarah Jane Horton

  I fully support the complete ban of venders on the brooklyn bridge ramps and walkways. They cause dangerous overcrowding and ruin one of the cities most beloved public architectural monuments.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 6:09pm

• Stefan McGrath

  I’m strongly in favor of a ban. As someone who walks, runs, and bikes across the bridge multiple times a week, the vendors cause severe overcrowding as they take up valuable space, forcing commuters into narrower areas, and can also be personally very aggressive and hostile, contributing to an atmosphere of menace and lawlessness that is threatening to both New Yorkers and tourists. The bridge is there for walking, not for scam artists to make money.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 6:10pm

• Andrew Bellas

  I agree with the proposed rule. The Brooklyn Bridge is not an appropriate place for any vendors for many reasons, including safety.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 6:11pm

• JC

  I do not want vendors of any type anywhere on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 6:15pm

• Jan Sileo

  I am strongly in favor of enacting this proposal. Not only do the vendors take up precious space, but the crowds they attract expand out into the walkway. These crowds basically stand still to look over the vendor’s wares and clog the walkway bringing traffic to a slow grind of people walking shoulder-to-shoulder. This makes opportunities for pick-pockets. And it ruins the unique experience of walking the bridge. People come from all over world to see and experience the bridge, the views and the City, not the unsightly vendors selling cheap do-dads. There are plenty of places in the City for that. Worst of all, if there were any reason for a need to quickly evacuate the bridge for any reason, it couldn’t be done with the throngs of people clogging the walkway.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 6:48pm

• Jan Erica Bertisch

  I’m an active, retired senior citizen and long-time resident of Brooklyn. I walked across the bridge from Brooklyn a few weeks ago and was horrified by the number of vendors and how they distracted from the simple joy of walking across the bridge! I took the subway back to Brooklyn to avoid the sensory assault of the vendors. What should have been a pleasurable experience on a nice day (now that bicyclists aren’t zooming impossibly close to the walkers), became a stressful, annoying experience that I won’t do again unless the vendors are removed.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 7:03pm

• Cara Beckenstein

  In a huge city like New York, there are plenty of places where vendors can interact with customers (tourists and locals) without cramming them onto the Brooklyn Bridge. The overcrowding impedes easy movement across the span, it’s annoying, inconvenient and unnecessary. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot or on a bicycle should be a pleasure. The views are amazing. The experience is shared with people from all over the world. It’s the kind of thing people will remember fondly when they get home, unless all they can remember is that the roadway was stuffed with people hawking their tchatchkes.
  There’s a time and place for everything. The available area for walking on the bridge is narrow, and the crowds are enormous. That’s enough! It’s more than enough.
  I’m all for commerce and capitalism. But there are 19,587,296 other places in the city where people can purchase souvenirs and fast food. That place should not be on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 8:31pm

• AS

  Why is it often when something breaks, then a law comes to mind? Try practicing foresight. A misdeed, in this case the rampant vendors, is only as good as its enabler. With that said, there’s a more immediate fix that could happen to expedite less vendors. If you send an inspector at late night, you will find vendors living overnight in their vending encampments. Especially located at the two towers. Have fun fixing up your mess.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 9:00pm

• Tyrone

  I’m a current vendor and disable veteran that fought for many of you to even be free, when you guys was crying foul anout the World Trade Center, I didn’t have time to because I was in Arms with some of my fellow past amd present who vends on the Bridge Bridge, not all of us bends illegally, we were given licenses by tje City of New York to vend, this is how we feed out families,it may not only be the Brooklyn Bridge, but dawm if you do and dawm if you don’t, we’re not steeling or taking away from any of you guys, we’re there making an honest living, and are you guys going to help us feed our families, verdors are a part of New York City, let’s look for a better solution !

  Comment added November 8, 2023 9:06pm

• Mauricio Estarellas

  I strongly support this rule as there seems to be a very limited pedestrian walkways in the city alone. I would also highly encourage the stopping of bicyclists on the sidewalks and to discouraged runners on the pedestrian sidewalks and walkways. I seen quite a few people get inquired and the sidewalks should be for no other activity, than for walking.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 9:12pm

• cecilia worth

  I agree with the The New York City Department of Transportation’s proposed amendments to its Traffic Rules to clarify that an elevated pedestrian walkway or a bicycle lane on a bridge or a bridge approach may not be used for the vending of merchandise or services.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 9:15pm

• Sarina Meones

  The Brooklyn bridge is already much too crowded with commuters and tourists. there is no room for bicycles and certainly no room for venders of any kind on the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 9:43pm

• Norma Green

  No vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:39pm

• Wajid Shah

  I would like to express my thoughts and concerns regarding the proposed rule by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding vending on the Brooklyn Bridge. While I understand the need to address overcrowding on the bridge’s elevated pedestrian walkway and ensure public safety, I believe that a more balanced approach can be taken to preserve the rights of disabled veterans while addressing these concerns.

  In 1998, NYS General Business Law Section 35a was enacted to address vendor overcrowding by empowering local licensing authorities in cities with a population of at least one million to create “specialized vending licenses” for honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service. These specialized vending licenses (SVLs) granted disabled veterans the right to hawk, peddle, vend, and sell goods, wares, or merchandise.

  I acknowledge the increasing pedestrian counts on the Brooklyn Bridge, which have led to safety challenges, especially in narrow sections of the elevated pedestrian walkway. It is essential to ensure the safe passage of pedestrians, especially during emergencies and protests, and to prevent any obstruction to traffic flow. I also understand the concerns raised about the structural load capacity and security threats.

  In this regard, I propose a compromise that takes into account both the safety concerns and the rights of disabled veterans who have been granted specialized vending licenses (SVLs) under NYS General Business Law Section 35a. Instead of an outright ban on vending, I suggest restricting vending on the Brooklyn Bridge to only two disabled veterans with yellow or blue licenses. By implementing this restriction, we can significantly reduce overcrowding while allowing these veterans to continue their vending activities.

  Additionally, I recommend prohibiting vending in the narrow sections of the Brooklyn Bridge, as you mentioned in your proposal. This will address the safety concerns in areas where the walkway narrows to 5 feet while still providing a reasonable compromise that allows disabled veterans to vend in wider sections of the bridge.

  I believe this approach strikes a balance between addressing overcrowding and ensuring that disabled veterans are not deprived of their vending privileges. It respects the intent of NYS General Business Law Section 35a, which was enacted to support honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service.

  I would appreciate your consideration of this compromise and the potential benefits it can bring to both the safety of pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge and the rights of disabled veterans. I look forward to your response and further discussion on this matter.

  Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:40pm

• Jason Walker-Yung

  I fully support this measure. The vendors and the crowds they attract diminish the enjoyment and utility of the bridges for the public at large for the benefit of a handful of vendors and a small number of customers. I understand that where there are people, there is money to be made, and if we really feel that commerce needs to be supported, there are plenty of places on either side of the bridge for people to set up shop. Those spaces are quite crowded as well, but at least the city can monitor and regulate those places more closely.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:42pm

• Wajid Shah

  I would like to express my thoughts and concerns regarding the proposed rule by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding vending on the Brooklyn Bridge. While I understand the need to address overcrowding on the bridge’s elevated pedestrian walkway and ensure public safety, I believe that a more balanced approach can be taken to preserve the rights of disabled veterans while addressing these concerns.

  In 1998, NYS General Business Law Section 35a was enacted to address vendor overcrowding by empowering local licensing authorities in cities with a population of at least one million to create “specialized vending licenses” for honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service. These specialized vending licenses (SVLs) granted disabled veterans the right to hawk, peddle, vend, and sell goods, wares, or merchandise.

  I acknowledge the increasing pedestrian counts on the Brooklyn Bridge, which have led to safety challenges, especially in narrow sections of the elevated pedestrian walkway. It is essential to ensure the safe passage of pedestrians, especially during emergencies and protests, and to prevent any obstruction to traffic flow. I also understand the concerns raised about the structural load capacity and security threats.

  In this regard, I propose a compromise that takes into account both the safety concerns and the rights of disabled veterans who have been granted specialized vending licenses (SVLs) under NYS General Business Law Section 35a. Instead of an outright ban on vending, I suggest restricting vending on the Brooklyn Bridge to only to disabled veterans with yellow or blue licenses. By implementing this restriction, we can significantly reduce overcrowding while allowing these veterans to continue their vending activities.

  Additionally, I recommend prohibiting vending in the narrow sections of the Brooklyn Bridge, as you mentioned in your proposal. This will address the safety concerns in areas where the walkway narrows to 5 feet while still providing a reasonable compromise that allows disabled veterans to vend in wider sections of the bridge.

  I believe this approach strikes a balance between addressing overcrowding and ensuring that disabled veterans are not deprived of their vending privileges. It respects the intent of NYS General Business Law Section 35a, which was enacted to support honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service.

  I would appreciate your consideration of this compromise and the potential benefits it can bring to both the safety of pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge and the rights of disabled veterans. I look forward to your response and further discussion on this matter.
  Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 10:54pm

• Barbara Zahler-Gringer

  Thank you for the opportunity to comment. As someone who walks the Brooklyn Bridge as many as five times a week, I couldn’t support this proposal more. We didn’t take off bicycles to bring on vendors-personally I prefer bicycles. My only concern is enforcement- there must be a plan to ensure enforcement. It is a long time since I have seen an officer on the bridge.

  Comment added November 8, 2023 11:05pm

• Judy Stanton

  In my opinion, the Brooklyn Bridge walkway should never be a place to allow vending. During the day it is much too crowded, filling up with speeding cyclists and slow-walking tourists and view seekers. There is no space for vendors. I support the proposed regulation.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:22am

• Jose Loor

  I would like to express my thoughts and concerns regarding the proposed rule by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding vending on the Brooklyn Bridge. While I understand the need to address overcrowding on the bridge’s elevated pedestrian walkway and ensure public safety, I believe that a more balanced approach can be taken to preserve the rights of disabled veterans while addressing these concerns.

  In 1998, NYS General Business Law Section 35a was enacted to address vendor overcrowding by empowering local licensing authorities in cities with a population of at least one million to create “specialized vending licenses” for honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service. These specialized vending licenses (SVLs) granted disabled veterans the right to hawk, peddle, vend, and sell goods, wares, or merchandise.

  I acknowledge the increasing pedestrian counts on the Brooklyn Bridge, which have led to safety challenges, especially in narrow sections of the elevated pedestrian walkway. It is essential to ensure the safe passage of pedestrians, especially during emergencies and protests, and to prevent any obstruction to traffic flow. I also understand the concerns raised about the structural load capacity and security threats.

  In this regard, I propose a compromise that takes into account both the safety concerns and the rights of disabled veterans who have been granted specialized vending licenses (SVLs) under NYS General Business Law Section 35a. Instead of an outright ban on vending, I suggest restricting vending on the Brooklyn Bridge to disabled veterans with yellow or blue licenses. By implementing this restriction, we can significantly reduce overcrowding while allowing these veterans to continue their vending activities.

  Additionally, I recommend prohibiting vending in the narrow sections of the Brooklyn Bridge, as you mentioned in your proposal. This will address the safety concerns in areas where the walkway narrows to 5 feet while still providing a reasonable compromise that allows disabled veterans to vend in wider sections of the bridge.

  I believe this approach strikes a balance between addressing overcrowding and ensuring that disabled veterans are not deprived of their vending privileges. It respects the intent of NYS General Business Law Section 35a, which was enacted to support honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled due to injuries sustained while in service.

  I would appreciate your consideration of this compromise and the potential benefits it can bring to both the safety of pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge and the rights of disabled veterans. I look forward to your response and further discussion on this matter.

  Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
  Respectfully,

  The Brooklyn bridge disabled veterans association (twenty seven combat disable members)

  Comment added November 9, 2023 6:38am

• CM

  I strongly support this rule. There should be NO vendors or other private impediments on the walkway. On crowded days it’s already a disaster in the waiting: with shoulder to shoulder pedestrians it would be very difficult if not impossible to quickly clear an area, or provide quick access to officials in an emergency. Please enact and ENFORCE the rule.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 6:38am

• Cory Reynolds

  I walk over the bridge to work several times every week. I like the festivity of the vendors – people are legitimately having fun on the ipad stations and the vendors are all nice – but there are too many people up there. the congestion is a big problem, especially after covid. it can be like riding the subway at rush hour on warm afternoons and evenings. I wish the vendors were limited to the area across the street on the NYC side and closer to Cadman Plaza on the Brooklyn side.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 6:39am

• Emily Bernstein

  All vendors should be removed from the Brooklyn Bridge. The walkway has become completely impassible since they have started proliferating on there. What used to be one of the best things about the city is now miserable.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 6:47am

• Julie Beglin

  I support the initiative. The level of congestion on the pedestrian approaches to the Brooklyn Bridge takes away from the otherwise beautiful walk over the river, and likely is a public safety hazard. I would support finding another site for a set number of vendors, perhaps on the sidewalks near City Hall Park, but the current situation is untenable.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 7:00am

• Scott Wooledge

  I enthusiastically support this ban on vendors. I speak from the perspective of a New York City tour guide who has had the pleasure of sharing this great landmark and its rich history with hundreds of the city’s guests. These vendors do nothing to enhance the experience of seeing the bridge and so much to ruin it. They create overcrowding conditions that are unpleasant and, in the event of an emergency, unsafe. They are disrespectful of the space, blaring loud music such my guests can’t hear me, I can’t even hear myself think! They block views people would like for picture taking and block historic markers that people might want to read. So many merely offer the same cheap junk as the table next to them. Vendors are a blight on a cherished national landmark that deserves better treatment.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 7:14am

• Shirley Ranz

  The vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge are a hazard, and a visual blight on the bridge. I have stopped walking over the bridge since they have invaded. They should be removed by law.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 7:37am

• Anne Silverstein

  Certainly, NYC has room for vendors – people just trying to make a living – around the end of the Brooklyn Bridge in both boroughs as well as on the nearby streets. Why must the beautiful bridge become a street fair?

  The congestion caused by the vendors is awful. A narrow strip of walkway becomes nearly impassable at peak times. I have walked across the Brooklyn Bridge countless times in my life in blazing heat, in snowstorms, in rain, late at night and early in the morning. The vendors add nothing to the experience during the day and detract from the bridge’s sublime lines.

  Must every city landscape become a crowded commercial thoroughfare?

  Comment added November 9, 2023 8:00am

• Jean Dugan

  Please enact the proposed rules and then enforce them. The creation of the separate bike path should have made the pedestrian walkway a pleasure for residents and tourists alike. The vendors and shoppers have instead created a new hindrance to enjoying a pleasant walk and views of the harbor and sky lines.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 8:17am

• Martin solomon

  The Brooklyn bridge is impossible to walk over, the vendors block the walks, especially the turning video vendors. They do not collect sales tax, and many are not individual vendors. In fact a truck illegally parks at the end of adams and sands street, and supplies many of the vendors..

  Comment added November 9, 2023 9:01am

• Laura H

  As a frequent pedestrian on the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, I fully support the amendment to clarify that the bridges’ pedestrian walkways and approaches are not an appropriate place for vendors. I normally run early enough to miss the worst of the crowding, but if I walk over the Brooklyn Bridge mid-day, the video vendors, keychain vendors, (and even one person selling shots of tequila) take up way too much real estate. The subsequent crowding, especially on weekends, makes the whole experience walking across the most beautiful bridge in the world harried and unpleasant.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 9:19am

• ET

  I strongly support the change. The proliferation of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge since the bike lane closed has almost ruined the walking experience. Could there instead be a controlled market in the plaza on the Manhattan side, as on 5th Avenue approaching The Met?

  Comment added November 9, 2023 9:33am

• Salma Khalil

  I think that vendors should be allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge. It is part of the experience of New York City, and, wonderful to have water or an icee halfway through on a hot day. Also it gives lower income and migrant New Yorkers a means to make a living. There clearly is an economic need for this, or else it wouldn’t have popped up and been popular. Why can’t the City be proactive about this need and team up with the vendors to give them areas (WITHOUT charging for permits) that are deemed “safe” or out of the way?

  Comment added November 9, 2023 10:03am

• I Sussman

  I agree with the proposal….the pathways on the bridge have become so crowded with vendors that it is often hard to walk by plus it creates more of a boardwalk atmosphere making it harder to use the walkway for its intended purpose or to just reflect and enjoy the view.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 10:46am

• Marley Kalan

  We should ban vendors on bridges, elevated bridges and the pedestrian approaches to bridges. Not every spot in the City need to be commercial. We need spaces we can just enjoy without the clutter and commotion vendors bring.
  The Brooklyn Bridge is already crowded with walkers and byclists. At some pints where the vendors are , it is so congested, there is no way to get through. We need to clear out the vendors and provide New Yorkers and visitors the exceptional experience of spending time on our bridges.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 11:22am

• Peter Steinberg

  The removal of the bike lane from the Brooklyn Bridge has turned one of the city’s truly most iconic landmarks into an open-air bazaar of cheaply manufactured crap. People walk over the bridge to marvel and the views, design and engineering prowess… not to buy the exact same merchandise available at most every other vendor table in the city.

  Remove the vendors from the bridge. NOW.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 11:38am

• Julia Ryan

  Finally we are doing something to let the Brooklyn Bridge again be an enjoyable walk for long time Brooklyn residents and visitors. This bridge is no longer a walkable option! The view is totally blocked by merchandise & racks.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 11:52am

• Jennifer Little

  Vendors occupy nearly ¼ mile on the Manhattan side of the bridge while taking up most of the south side of the walkway. Given the increase of foot traffic over the past few years, this creates a significant hazard to those passing over the bridge. If there’s an emergency where people need to exit the bridge in a hurry, many could get hurt or worse. Please ban vendors from the bridge.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:22pm

• Anne La

  Please, please, please tighten the rules to eliminate the vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge elevated walkway!
  They are dangerous and having all those vendors totally negates the benefit pedestrians got when they moved the bikes to the roadway.
  They take up way too much room, making it very difficult for pedestrians to walk. They only show up at the most busy times when there are lots of pedestrians. Also, some started taking up only maybe 1/4 of the walkway (each vendor) and now they have spread out to taking almost 1/2 of the walkway!! I was knocked over by one of the guys taking the photos on that turntable thing they use for photos. He moved back to get the shot and knocked me over as I was walking. At that point, while taking the shot, he was taking up the whole walkway. Thank you so much for stopping these vendors.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:31pm

• Heather Norton

  Venders should not be allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge, period. The Bridge is an iconic historic and functional structural element that serves the community and visitors alike. Since a separate bike path has been established on the motorway, the vending situation on the walkways has gotten worse, blocking the walkway and creating unnecessary congestion. There is no positive for having venders on the Bridge.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:36pm

• Jon

  I fully support the proposed regulations.
  As with other commentors, I have walked the bridge to work for decades, going back to when there were staircases going up to the towers, before the walkway was revamped. When there were bikers, the narrowness self-imposed a no vendor rule (save for the planted plaza across from City Hall. The separation of bikers brought out illegal vendors who have now taken over the bridge. Their stalls (and the 360 photo “booths”) take up half the width at some points.
  I have so sympathy for the vendors. They are simply taking away business from merchants who may pay taxes and rent. The vendors are using valuable and beautiful locations for their own advantage. Food vendors have been mainly moved to the City Hall plaza and if any space is allocated, it should be there, not on the bridge and certainly not blocking movement.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:39pm

• Civik

  I wholeheartedly agree with NYCDoT’s proposal to Prohibit Vending on Elevated Pedestrian Walkways and Bicycle Lanes on a Bridge or Bridge Approaches.

  Safety and space are specific concerns.

  This proposal led me to wonder about how the world’s other scenic and famous bridges address this issue… Does the Golden Gate Bridge allow vending? Does the Pont Neuf allow vending? How about the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

  I am pro-earning-a-living, but commercial vending on the Brooklyn Bridge is not a(n inalienable) right.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 12:58pm

• Joseph Colletti

  I strongly support the amendment.

  I used to walk across the bridge almost every day but a growing presence of vendors and “photo booths” creates a hazardous pathway for myself (I use a cane) joggers, and other pedestrians. (I have been hit twice by revolving cameras.) At points on the Manhattan side the pathway is no more than six feet wide with merchandise hanging from fences, clothing racks blocking passage, delivery men on scooters weaving in and out to deliver food to vendors and truck bikes loading and unloading crates full of merchandise and equipment. On the Brooklyn side vendors now occupy both sides of the pathway.

  Food vendors are prohibited or removed; why are vendors exempt? Without strict and ongoing enforcement this amendment will mean nothing, as we saw after the removal of vendors this past January. They were back within two days.

  I have no desire to deprive vendors of a livelihood. There are many places such as the area around City Hall Park, Police Plaza or the plaza at the base of the Manhattan Bridge that could accommodate these vendors.

  The Brooklyn Bridge is an iconic image of this city. Let us show we are proud of it.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 1:10pm

• Emily Roebling

  A few days after the Brooklyn bridge opened in 1883, a stampede occurred in which several people were killed. We may think of that nothing of the sort could happen in modern times, but there was a killer stampede up in Rochester THIS YEAR.
  The 1883 stampede occurred when the 15′-wide walkway was perfectly clear. But now tons of tables and junk block the path of people who may panic in their need to get off the bridge, in case of a loud noise or sudden thunderstorm. There would be deaths, followed by a worldwide media frenzy against many City officials.
  BAN BRIDGE VENDORS NOW.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 1:33pm

• Elizabeth Oporto

  The Manhattan side is almost unpassable at this point, I’m not opposed to some vendors but it needs to be severely limited if not completely banned. The 360 photo booths blasting music on a loop are also a nuisance

  Comment added November 9, 2023 2:46pm

• Jacqueline F. Cantwell

  The Brooklyn Bridge’s pedestrian walkway is a narrow path linking Manhattan and Brooklyn. Many city workers rely upon it to go to work. Unfortunately, the dangerous conditions that existed when bicycles used the pathway has since been recreated by the crush of vendors selling trinkets. Bottlenecks have formed with pedestrians unable to move in the narrowest part. The Brooklyn Bridge is public space that should be dedicated to the public.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 4:25pm

• Richard M Goldsmith

  I believe having vendors on the bridge takes away from the beauty and adds tremendous bottlenecks for people trying to enjoy the walk.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 5:23pm

• Brenda J Gannam

  As a frequent user of the Brooklyn Bridge, both as a driver and as a pedestrian, I support this Rule. It makes sense from several standpoint:
  1) safety (vendor stands and the customers they attract hinder the free flow of pedestrian & bike traffic)
  2) aesthetics (the bridge and its unobstructed views of Manhattan, the East River, and NY Harbor are priceless for everyone, residents and tourists alike, and should not be cheapened and degraded by the visual effect of vendor activity)
  3) personal/financial security (the presence of vendors and the exchange of cash, credit cards, etc., create an environment ripe for pickpockets and other forms of theft, assaults, etc.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 6:52pm

• Robert Swartz

  I am wholly in favor of this rule. The bridge walkway is becoming ever more popular and the vendors both impede movement and block the view of the river and harbor.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 7:26pm

• Edward de Laurot

  I fully support banning all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge walkway. The vendors create unnecessary hazards by exacerbating congestion and detract from the experience of enjoyable a walk over the bridge.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 7:34pm

• Jennifer Lee

  Vendors should not be allowed on the Brooklyn bridge. There’s too many tourists and the vendors take up room and cause congestion on the bridge. Moreover there are new vendors that blast music and have large video making machines throughout the entire bridge. It is extremely noisy and causes alot of congestion and bottle neck at certain points. Please stope all vendors on setting up shop on the bridge.

  They can set up shop at the beginning of the bridge in Manhattan and at the end of the bridge.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 8:36pm

• Stephanie Louie

  The vendor carts on the bridge are a hazard – they lead to congestion of pedestrians and it’s overflowing with people. Additionally, the bridge has become filthy as the vendors litter all the plastic that their products are wrapped in. There is not enough sanitation to take all the garbage off the bridge with these vendors.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 11:06pm

• Zoran

  I support this proposal. The vendors on the bridge take up too much space and obstruct traffic. They should not be allowed on the bridge and nearby paths. The Brooklyn bridge is a beautiful landmark and not a flea market. Please get rid off the vendors asap. Let New Yorkers and tourist enjoy this bridge for what it is.

  Comment added November 9, 2023 11:15pm

• Paul Ryan

  The vendors should be removed from the Brooklyn Bridge. These vendors block the pathway, they degrade the look of the Brooklyn Bridge.
  I walked over the bridge 10/21 it was a disaster, it felt like I was exiting a sporting event, the vendors created this jam. There is no place for street vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  All New Yorker’s and visitors should be able to walk along the Brooklyn Bridge to enjoy the view and quiet time. This is lost with all the street vendors

  Comment added November 10, 2023 5:48am

• Charles McFaul

  I support the adoption of these rules prohibiting vending on bridge walkways. The saturation of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway shows how the lack of regulation resulted in congested conditions that impede people who want to enjoy the walkway and the views from the bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge is a national historic landmark that should not be treated as a vendors’ bazaar.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 8:29am

• Kevin Clark

  Fully, completely support this measure! Don’t mind if vendors are on the street by the entrances in DUMBO or in City Hall park on the Manhattan side but their presence on the bridge itself is a little bit dangerous, and frankly, really tacky. Not every inch of this town needs to be devoted to commerce, particularly selling tchotchkes on a national landmark.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 9:00am

• Constance Halporn

  The vendors have made it almost impossible to walk across the bridge, and are obstructing all the views. This has been allowed to go on too long.
  Time to get ride of them all

  Comment added November 10, 2023 11:24am

• Lee Palmer

  PLEASE prohibit vendors from the bridge, which is a national historic landmark and should be treated with respect as a national park/monument. As a Brooklyn resident who has been crossing the bridge regularly for 20 years, I’m grateful for efforts to keep the bridge safe, clean, and beautiful. Thank you for eliminating the bikes from the pedestrian bridge but that action led to a huge increase in pedestrian volume and vendors. I still see people riding bikes, electric scooters, skateboards, and other wheeled devices through the pedestrian areas. There is no police presence, signs are ignored, and the bridge is regularly vandalized with locks, graffiti, trash, etc.

  In a perfect world, entrances would be created at either end of the bridge walkways that provide information, history, rules, and anything else that provides an atmosphere of respect, maybe even a gate of some sort that, while open at all times, makes people stop and think about what they are about to walk on. There should be some kind of authoritative presence at either end at all times and maybe even a small visitor center at the base of one of the columns.

  I understand that the vendors are trying to make a living, but just like you wouldn’t allow this kind of activity all over Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and any number of treasures, this activity shouldn’t be allowed on the bridge.

  My observation is that most of the pedestrian traffic now is tourists rather than commuters (as opposed to the bike lane).

  Comment added November 10, 2023 12:56pm

• Wolfgang Lehner

  As a pedestrian and cyclist I wholeheartedly support the measure. Thank you!

  Comment added November 10, 2023 2:12pm

• Barbara A. Minakakis

  The Brooklyn Bridge has become a tawdry mess of cheap-trinket sellers, its walkway barely passable for all the blankets and tables crowding every inch right and left, leaving at some spots only a three-foot center gap that serves pedestrians.

  It’s unseemly, unsafe, and a pulsating symbol of what this once-great city has become.

  Unless we pass this law and forbid any selling of any kind on the Brooklyn Bridge, and stick with it, we can file the once-storied Brooklyn Bridge with subway crime, random sucker punches on our streets, litter, unruly, even violent demonstrations that clog major arteries serving hard-working New Yorkers (or what’s left of us), cars blowing past red stoplights, the ubiquitous, pervasive stench of marijuana, and blasting sound systems.

  A landmarked symbol showing that, here in our cosmopolis, there’s no escaping dysfunction and chaos.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 3:01pm

• Derval Whelan

  The vendors are a blight on the aesthetic of the beautiful bridge and the NY and Brooklyn views. The wares they sell are the same at practically every stand and cheapen the whole experience. I have walked nany bridges in Europe that are of similar quality and signifigance and don’t rememeber any of them having vendors selling crap such as these.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 3:43pm

• Whitten Morris

  Please remove the vendors. It ruins the natural beauty of the walking the Brooklyn Bridge. It also causes crowds that block the walkways. It is an eyesore and muddies what is otherwise a historic bridge. Respectfully I can’t see how you allow them

  Comment added November 10, 2023 3:55pm

• Maureen Weicher

  The vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge are a fairly recent development. They detract from the enjoyment of this national landmark and causes congestion for pedestians. The Brooklyn Bridge is a national treasure that attracts visitors from around the world. Vendors can find other places to sell their wares. Personally, I feel ashamed on when I see vendors selling goods on the walkway, and treating this magnificant bridge as an second-rate bazaar.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 5:16pm

• Frank P

  The Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian area is severely overcrowded. I have stopped using it because there are so many crowds of pedestrians slowed or even stopped by vendors. There are so many places where they can sell their wares. Please let tourists and pedestrians walk the bridge in a comfortable and uncrowded way. A tiny percentage of persons buy from these vendors, but they could usually buy these things anywhere. Meanwhile, the rest of us are massively inconvenienced.

  I also want to emphasize: a COMPLETE BAN is necessary. Do not compromise by giving, say, small spaces to them. They will expand, just as the Canal Street vendors do, as soon as the police are not watching. There needs to be a complete ban with none of the vending activity.

  I have felt endangered by the crowds on the Brooklyn Bridge and there’s no way this is solved without completely stopping the vending on it.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 8:27pm

• Jesse Lamas

  I agree that there should be a ban on sales on the Brooklyn bridge path. Let the vendors have a space on either side of the bridge, but the bridge gets so full with people that it would help significantly not to have the vendors there.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 9:20pm

• Helen Fung

  I support the proposed rule. There are too many vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. They take up so much space and make it difficult to move around and enjoy the walk across the bridge. Prohibiting vending will greatly improve the experience for the pedestrians including the tourists to our great city.

  Comment added November 10, 2023 11:34pm

• HZA

  The rule is much needed to reduce the strain on bridges and other public walkways. Foot traffic has increased on the Brooklyn Bridge, as an example, and seeing a reduction in vendors will greatly increase flow. I’m not opposed to vendors and I think we need to have a solution to not displace them, but not on these walkways which also draw safety concerns.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 10:28am

• Eileen P Doherty

  I am on the bridge several days a week. I don’t mind the venders that take up the space of a regular folding table or two. I’ve even occasionally and conveniently bought something, especially water in the warmer months. The Empire State of Mind soundtrack from the video vendors adds to the positive atmosphere. The biggest issue is the tourists who block the way taking photos, oblivious to other walkers and though who continue to ride bikes, ebikes, scooters, and skateboards in the pedestrian lanes.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 10:34am

• LA

  Thirty years ago I used to run across the bridge then the bicycles made it dangerous. Once the bicycles were moved the vendors, hucksters and junk dealers moved in. Looks like some are living there in tents.
  Remove all vendors from the bridge. The situation is dangerous, dirty and has turned a beautiful architectural gem into an unrecognizable junk shop.
  I live in Brooklyn and walk to work in Manhattan. This is my main means of exercise. I remember a time when the only people who walked across the bridge were people who lived here. I welcome visitors to the city but the situation is out of control with the proliferation of vendors. There is a profusion of junk,trash and loud music. Except for 10PM (even at that hour they are set up and ready for the morning )the bridge is overrun and I no longer can walk over the bridge. I now walk over the Manhattan bridge.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 1:12pm

• Gerard Anthony Cabrera

  I am a commuter who uses the Brooklyn Bridge walkway to get to work five days a week, weather permitting. I have been doing this since 2009. It is the one time a day I can get fresh air, a little exercise, and enjoy one of the reasons why NYC is the best city in the world.

  But the situation on the bridge walkway has gotten worse and worse. Over these past few years, especially since the end of the pandemic, the vendors have worked their way higher and higher over the bridge and now block the width of the pathway by at least 50% with tables, displays, freestanding racks, beach umbrellas covering the displays whose spokes stick out horizontally at eye level, loosely assembled lightweight merchandise that can be blown away by a strong wind, and other things for sale to tourists. They sell nothing of practical value. I have also seen alcohol for sale, cold and hot food for sale, a charcoal grill once, a cot for naps, and what looks like a DYI latrine. Tents, lean-to’s, and booming music from large speakers. I have seen a man cooking hot dogs during the summer, and I saw a man washing his feet, with the water forming a large puddle on the wooden boards, which are slippery when wet.

  Nowadays, I see the vendors setting up before 8am! Already they are blocking the walkway! And I never walk back home over it, because of the vendors and the tourists. I would love to walk home over it, but it is impossible and it is not safe.

  Aside from the nuisance of it all, described above, especially when there are plenty of other spaces for street vendors, it is a SAFETY ISSUE.

  My mail complaint is that it is not safe to block the walkway in any fashion. AT ALL. There should not be ANY vendors on the BB walkway! There is no reason for it; nobody needs to go shopping on the Brooklyn Bridge for tchotchkes. It is a world monument and should be treated with respect. What if there is an emergency? What if God forbid there is some sort of attack or crime? There is only one way on and off on the Manhattan side and only the narrow stairway down to Cadman Plaza or the narrow walkway on the Brooklyn side.

  The Brooklyn Bridge is a public thoroughfare; it is a real, working transportation route for pedestrians. It should be treated as such and I support the proposed regulations prohibiting vendors. It’s long overdue. I’m surprised they don’t already exist. Fix the problem, please, before there is a big accident or disaster where something happens — and guess what? No one can move or run or escape because the bridge walkway is jammed up with junk for sale!

  I want to be able to walk to work safely.

  Thanks.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 2:51pm

• Alan Posner

  I wish I could be at the Hearing live; however, I started my Grand Jury service last week. therefore, I am submitting this statement for the record.
  My name is Alan Posner. I reside at 140 Cadman Plaza West. From my window I look down on the majestic Brooklyn Bridge in its full glory and beauty. Up until the last year, I walked back and forth across the bridge every day to my workplace in lower Manhattan. After the separate bike lane was created, and the bikes were no longer present, traversing the bridge became exactly what it should be – a quiet, tranquil trek for pedestrians, commuters, and tourists.
  However, soon after the bikes left, the unlicensed vendors arrived. First a few. Then, in hordes. They set up their tables early in the morning, and stay till late at night. Many have 3, 4 and more tables. Some simply display their trinkets, shirts and caps on the walkway itself. Many of them have boom boxes blasting music. This is not the only loud noise the vendors create. Every 100 – 200 feet pedestrians are subjected to the blasting of JayZ’s Empire State of Mind at the numerous rotating circular photo booths. There are never fewer than 6 or 7 of them. Sometimes more than ten.
  In the last few months, walking across the bridge, trying to navigate in and out, and all around the obstacle course that these unlicensed vendors have created has made the once-pleasant walk into a nightmarish journey. They are more than a nuisance. The glut of vendors and the congestion they cause are a danger (especially God forbid should there be criminal or terrorist activity on the Bridge, we would be tripping over the tables and each other trying to avoid the tables and other wares placed on the walkway).
  I have read in some of the local papers that the defenders of allowing these vendors to operate on the bridge say they are a “welcome sight” for tourists. I can tell you first hand they are NOT. They are seen as a nuisance. For example, the vendor that has a huge set-up against one of the Bridge pillars. During the summer he put up an awning over his tables as sun protection. The awning blocked off from view the plaque dedicating the 125th anniversary of the bridge. I observed a tourist very politely asking the vendor to move the awning so she could take a photo. His response was, “Sure. For twenty bucks!”. I have also read the defenders of these venders claim that since many are immigrants, they should be allowed to set up tables on the Bridge to sell their trinkets. This is patently absurd. First, many of these vendors are NOT immigrants. Secondly, those that are, have a responsibility to obey our laws, and not create a dangerous environment on the Bridge.
  The Brooklyn Bridge is an architectural wonder. It is a landmark. Sadly, it has been allowed to be turned into a large outdoor flea market, ruining, what is for many tourists, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Bridge walkway is only about 12 feet wide. The vendors have set up their tables not only on the east and west sides (and in between) of the walkway, but also on the north and south, leaving very little room to walk. It is a menace. It is a danger. Would Rome allow vendors in the Colisseum? Would Paris allow vendors on the Eiffel Tower? Of course not.
  Also, where do you think all of these vendors go when they need to relieve themselves? I’ll tell you where. The stairs, especially on the Manhattan side, are where many of them urinate.
  Thousands of people cross the Brooklyn Bridge walkway every day. The walkway belongs to us, the people.
  Please, please, please give us back our Bridge! Restore this remarkable structure to its previous glory.
  Please remove the vendors from the walkway. Set them up anywhere else. But not on our beloved Brooklyn Bridge. Please do it soon. And please include strong enforcement provisions in the new rules.. Only the threat of arrest and confiscation of their goods will deter the vendors.
  Thank you,

  Alan Posner

  Comment added November 11, 2023 3:47pm

• Erin OConnor

  I support banning vendors in the Brooklyn Bridge – it’s gotten very bad since bike lanes have gone away and significantly reduces bridge access and causes problems for pedestrians.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 3:55pm

• Roy Walter

  A long time brooklyn resident, I’ve seen the brooklyn bridge walkway become a mall of cheap crap, turning a gorgeous landmark into a crowded and dangerous place. I applaud the wonderful bike lane and use it regularly, but it’s not pleasant walking across anymore because of the vendors.

  Please pass rules to remove the vendors.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 5:21pm

• Denia McGuire

  I wholeheartedly approve of this prohibition. It’s been a long time coming. The approaches to the Brooklyn Bridge have gotten more and more crowded with merchandise; most of it has nothing to do with the bridge or its history.
  The Brooklyn Bridge has become one of the top NYC attractions to tourists. Let’s not make the approaches to it look like cheap outdoor markets in a Third World country. It’s unsanitary, it’s crowded and it’s an accident waiting to happen.
  Please pass this prohibition as soon as possible. Thank you.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 6:22pm

• Tom McGuire

  I am strongly in favor of this proposed ruling of the DOT. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the premier historic attractions of New York City and helps to attract millions of tourists here each year. It has recently been turned into a flea market that greatly reduces that attraction. Allowing that development is economically short sighted in a city that has a large dependence on tourism. It should be prohibited.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 6:31pm

• D Bacon

  I have lived in Bklyn all my life, and lived right by the Bklyn Bridge for 40 years. Walking across used to be a glorious experience with the splendor of the city, majestic views to be easily enjoyed, from the Statue of Liberty to the wonderful other bridges. One could appreciate the incredible architecture of the bridge, and the open space, views made for a thrilling walk no matter how many times, an opportunity to connect with oneself, humanity, and appreciate the magic of the city sometimes lost when down in the hustle and bustle of the streets. When the first vendors appeared, I was surprised they were allowed. They cheapened the atmosphere with the tourists trinkets. Now they have exploded and cover almost the entire walkway from Manhattan over to Bklyn. Walking across it is no longer an enjoyable experience that can let one’s spirit soar or shake off one’s concerns. It is crowded, tacky, one has to worry about the people bumping into you, worry about being hit by a bicyclist because there’s so little room especially with tourists crowding around the tables for t shirts and sunglasses. It is sad to see the bridge so cheapened and one of the best free experiences ruined. I used to feel very safe crossing the bridge, happy to have done something for my health, for my mind and marvel at the planning years ago. Now it is really saddening to see tacky, cheap commercialism, with the atmosphere reminiscent of how tacky, jarring and sometimes unsafe Times Square was back in the day. The Brooklyn Bridge is an amazing, beautiful structure, has come in handy for many a power outage, subway strike…and also to flee lower Manhattan on 9/11. It was wide, welcoming and inspiring. One could sit on a bench mid way and just sit and soak up beauty and feel connected to fellow New Yorkers yet still in one’s own private space, just look out over the water and watch the sun rise or set. How contemplative, healing and a great way to re-set oneself. Now it is an eyesore and a dangerous thing to walk on due to the congestion. Certainly not peaceful to sit there and not fun getting elbowed/squeezed in by everyone, it is even worse than walking down Fulton Street at its most crowded in the summer! Still haven’t gotten over the visual pollution from when push carts started to be allowed on 5th Avenue near Rockefeller Center. This is even more awful! I am tense waiting for someone to get into a physical fight after being accidentally shoved, someone getting robbed, someone getting knocked down by a bicycle zooming buy. Please return the bridge to its former beauty and sanity. I see below a PDF can be attached, had I realized that I would have taken a picture. Go down yourselves, walk the entire expanse. If you’ve never walked over the bridge before then maybe you won’t realize what a huge change this is! Not safe. Not visually pleasing. Also NOT necessary!!!

  Comment added November 11, 2023 7:53pm

• T. Lu

  I have been a resident of Brooklyn Heights for over 5 years and like many locals as well as millions of visitors, love walking the Brooklyn Bridge. It is an iconic structure that’s rich in history and innovation and I feel tremendous pride to live near it. I used to love doing my daily runs across the bridge, but now, it is impossible. Over the last 2 years, I have seen it become a place for a growing number of vendors to sell NYC tokens and turn this beautiful experience into a marketplace of cheap merchandise. Five years ago, there was only a few that lined up on the west side of the bridge near the City Hall, but since Covid, the bridge on both ends have been taken over merchants setting up their stuff on tables and on the ground. There are even multiple 360 filming stations that take up space, playing Empire state of mind song in constant repeat – it is so freaking annoying. The public – locals and visitors, didn’t ask for these vendors to set up shop, and don’t want this. I no longer visit this bridge because of what these vendors have made this bridge into – a cheap, congested, and commercialized experience.

  I get the point about supporting entrepreneurship but commerce needs regulations – do you want a vendor to set up their shop anywhere they want? How about right outside a residential building or next to a children’s school? There are places where these vendors are more appropriate – it’s not on the Brookyn Bridge.

  5 years ago, there were about 3, now there’s maybe 8-10… How many is enough – 25, 30 vendors? when they take up the entire bridge and make it so unpleasant and dangerous to walk the bridge?

  I support any rules that eliminate these vendors and merchants from the Brooklyn Bridge immediately. REMOVE ALL VENDORS AND GIVE US BACK THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. Thank you.

  Comment added November 11, 2023 8:55pm

• Vince

  I am in support of vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge. In reading the comments presented before me, it is clear that most people are not aware of the regulations already in effect and how they address most of the concerns presented.

  A vendor can already set up on a sidewalk that is at least 10 feet wide. There is no exception to this rule made for the expectation of an immense amount of foot traffic in the event of an emergency. In the event of another 9/11, the roadway would also be utilized and therefore the vendors are a moot point. The roadway was recently utilized for a protest of 7000 people in roughly 1 hour. It could certainly handle more if needed.

  A vendor has specific limitations on the size and manner of their display. They cannot have pop up canopies, or display items on the ground.

  A vendor almost always needs to have a vending license. Multiple displays left over night are being attended to by the same individual who also has a different vendor’s license than those that are present during the day. This would be multiple violations.

  A vendor must possess a state issued sales tax ID. It would be a very simple check to see if the vendor is actually paying sales tax and target the instances where a person with a vending license is being hired to stand guard at the location in the event of police showing up. Often, these random tchotchke locations are doing just this. A sales tax ID would also create a paper trail for anyone that has any formal complaint to lodge.

  A number of people have commented on how “beautiful” their experience used to be in crossing the bridge, but they are sorely mistaken. When bikes shared the span with pedestrians and were separated by just a 4 inch wide strip of paint, the experience was insanity. Maybe the people that talk about 30 years ago were right, but in the years just before they removed the bikes the number and speed of bicycles was greatly increasing. That was a FAR worse situation than there is now. There will always be people that are resistant to some change to preserve the “splendor” of THEIR experience. Frequently they are going to be people of privilege that get to afford living right in the vicinity of this icon. But all it takes to fix most of their complaints is to enforce the rules that are in place. Besides, if the rules that are in place aren’t enforced, why would you make new rules under the expectation that they would be enforced? It seems like the issue is not with the vendors but the enforcers of the current rules. Are the current rules lacking clarity of who enforces what? Perhaps. Are the police or DSNY or DOT just failing to enforce? Perhaps. Is the enforcement not a major priority? Perhaps. But none of those are reasons to ban vendors trying to make a living. Clearly there is enough support from the people on the bridge to keep the vendors coming back. You are not going to hear from them in these comments. You are probably not going to hear from most of the vendors that make their living on the bridge either. Their collective voices greatly outnumber the few you will hear from.

  There are enough regulations in place to vastly reduce the complaint behaviors. They need to be enforced properly and then everything can be in symbiosis. Absent actual enforcement, then what are we even doing here?

  Comment added November 11, 2023 10:52pm

• Katie Grow

  Vendors now have neon lights and dance techno equipment!
  Let’s call this complaint:

  WHAT WOULD EMILY THINK?

  Comment added November 12, 2023 8:01am

• NG

  I support the banning of vendors on and around the Brooklyn Bridge. They have created an unsafe and unpleasant environment that has basically ruined one of the treasures of NYC. This includes on the bridge itself and around the bridge, including at the pedestrian steps at Washington St in DUMBO, where vendors play loud music to sell food and souvenirs to the flow of tourists. The whole situation is an embarrassment for the city and a slap in the face to local residents. I hope the city will put an end to this.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 11:24am

• Danny Swift

  This is dumb and racist. Let poor people earn money

  Comment added November 12, 2023 6:14pm

• Jean Dulskey

  Agree with this proposed rule. I have seen this on the Brooklyn Bridge wkere the numerous vendors on the approach make walking unpleasant and dangerous.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 6:29pm

• Emily fung

  The vendors on the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn bridge are a huge problem and should not be allowed on the bridge. The bridge is too crowded as it is, vendors clogging up precious space makes the situation worse.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 6:52pm

• Jeremy Wilcox

  If random, unlicensed vendors starting selling cheap souvenirs, food and drinks, or 3D camera stands inside Grand Central Terminal, would the city hesitate to enforce rules and laws, and protect that landmark? Of course not. And yet outdoor landmark spaces like Central Park or the Brooklyn Bridge have been abandoned by the city to this mess.

  These vendors are not only unlicensed, but pose an ADA violation on the bridge’s walkway, and an affront generally to pedestrian flow. Not to mention, again, the sanctity of one of the world’s most famous bridges.

  The city has an obligation to pass many new rules and restore order to our great landmark spaces.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 9:34pm

• eliot niles

  It took years to make the Brooklyn Bridge safe for pedestrians by removing bikes from the walkway. That valuable public place has now been taken over by street vendors. The DOT has been aware of this illegal activity for many months, without doing anything. The proliferation of vendors, tables, carts, umbrellas, motorized 360 photo setups etc on the Brooklyn Bridge poses a serious safety issue for all: it severely narrows the path, preventing rapid exit for crowds, or entrance by first responders during natural or man-made emergency. There are many safe and profitable locations the vendors can sell their products; however, this National Historic Monument–one of the most famous bridges in the world– is not one of them. I urge the City to clarify and enforce rules against all commercial enterprise on the bridge.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 10:27pm

• Norman Oder

  I’m saddened and alarmed by the proliferation of vendors on the bridge, as it not only mars the experience, it adds a significant safety hazard.

  The return of “locks of love,” in which visitors selfishly attach locks to public infrastructure, also should be addressed. Signs warn about fines; enforcement is necessary.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 10:40pm

• Johnny Planchin

  This will be a major blow to the Brooklyn Bridge. Tourists enjoy the vendors, they’re part of the culture of the bridge. The issue is that too many have decided to set up shop. The most annoying are the Instagram videographers.

  Rather than ban vending outright, a permitting/licensing system should be enacted where people can apply on, say, a yearly basis, and only a small number are given out, and only for businesses deemed useful for the bridge. I imagine that licenses would easily go for thousands of dollars, given how much foot traffic the bridge gets.

  Comment added November 12, 2023 11:22pm

• Audrey Millington

  I fully support these amendments to prohibit vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge.
  When the bicycle path was moved to allow more space for pedestrians, it was great. It really allowed more movement. But the vendors have since taken up that extra space and it is too crowded and unsafe for the public, especially wheelchair users.
  Some friends visiting from out of town wanted to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge this afternoon. I hadn’t done it in a long while and didn’t realize so many vendors had taken over that extra space after the bike path was moved.
  One friend is in a motorized wheelchair and it became scary. We barely got to the first tower and decided to turn around. One of the 360° swinging lights nearly hit one friend and a couple of people backed up into the side of the friend in the wheelchair, while they were taking pictures.
  After the second person nearly fell into my friend’s lap and one of the wheels lifted a little, we all realized it was getting dangerous and time to leave. If someone knocked her and her chair over and she got hurt, medical help would have had difficulty getting through the crowd.
  There are SO many sidewalks, plazas, and spaces for vendors in the city. A narrow pedestrian path on a bridge is not the right one.
  Please do not allow vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 1:04am

• Liam McCarthy

  I fully support this rule; when the bike lane was moved off the Brooklyn Bridge to the road I was excited about how nice it would be to walk over the bridge more often, but the vendors and selfie-promoters (all playing Alicia Keys ad nauseum) clog the walkway and overwhelm the space. Maybe some of the tourists like it, but as a local it’s just annoying and tacky.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 8:37am

• Ray C

  I support this proposal. The vendors imped the path of walkers making the iconic walk across the bridge, more than just unpleasant, but also dangerous.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 9:54am

• Jennifer Phillips

  I strongly support the proposed rules. The bridge is way too crowded and the amount of vendors lined up has gotten out of control.
  In addition, enacting safety laws so that e-bike riders follow traffic laws and stay off of sidewalks.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 10:19am

• Armando A Crescenzi

  Under NYS GBL 35 and 35a the city can not create placement restrictions on service-disabled veteran vendors. The new regulations must include wording in the text indicating that this regulation will not interfere with service-disabled veterans State privileges.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 12:58pm

• RS

  As a long time Brooklyn Heights resident I have been dismayed by the out of control vendor situation on and around the Brooklyn Bridge. What used to be a destination for our visiting guests is now a spot to be avoided. The conditions are unsafe, crowded, and tacky! Such an iconic symbol of both New York and Brooklyn should be protected like the historical landmark it is. The detritus from vendors and also now people clogging the bridge is dismaying. It also feels unsafe from a potential terrorist event. It doesn’t seem to be policed and I’ve observed people climbing up on the beams, dangerously close to traffic to have their photos taken. It seems a simple fix for the city do address this situation. I am fully supportive of the amendments and most importantly enforcement of the amendments with significant fines if not observed.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 1:17pm

• AA

  Enact the proposed amendment A.S.A.P.
  Removing all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge and pathways is the best way to prevent pedestrian overcrowding, overflowing garbage, and the torment of loud music/speakers. The world famous Brooklyn Bridge is a Historical Landmark. The mess that it has become is symbolic of the decline our city. Seeing it crowded and denigrated by people selling junk without regulation is very upsetting. Vendors have the entire city to sell their wares, particularly locations that have adequate sanitation services. Keep the vendors and the waste that they create from the Brooklyn Bridge, which means keeping garbage off the roadways and the river below. As a long time Brooklyn Heights resident I no longer take guests to the bridge, it feels unsafe and it is frankly sad that it is now a place to avoid. Please ensure that there is proper enforcement of any and all rules in place on a consistent and ongoing basis. Have some foresight to protect our surrounding neighborhoods from the inevitable of next spots these vendors will set up.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 2:08pm

• Nadine Peyser

  Dear Commissioner,

  As an urban planner and someone who has spent 35 years deeply engaged within New York’s historic buildings, bridges and neighborhoods, I would ask that you please remove all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge has lost all its majesty for walking across now is simply an expedition in navigating a tight route of vendors, rather than allowing pedestrians to take in the full Brooklyn Bridge experience (majestic) and vital connection between lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Removing the bikes was excellent for safety reasons; I think the same about the vendors who are a total mind-bending distraction to millions of annual visitors who deserve a more joyful walk across the bridge.
  This past summer when I walked the bridge I was stunned by the number of vendors and what felt like a lapse in control/security/density on the bridge. It was an AWFUL experience. PLEASE consider relocating the vendors to another place that does not clog narrow pedestrian walkways onto/off the Brooklyn Bridge. Thank you. Nadine Peyser

  Comment added November 13, 2023 5:02pm

• Jared Goldstein

  Vending on the bridge, on a peaceful day, creates bottlenecks / blockages.

  If a car backfired it could create a stampede with the merchandise impeding egress. Something like this happened there in 1883 and it caused deaths from the crowd. Add tables and boxes and tents to that.

  Let’s say the stampede was caused by something worse than a car backfiring, then it would be a worse stampede with egress blocked, making those left behind vulnerable.

  Also, sometimes the vendors sell locks that consumers attach to the bridge. This is a safety issue for the cars below.

  Please have police patrolling the bridge and enforce no vending.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 5:42pm

• Ray Fallon

  I strongly support the proposed ban. The increasing number of vendors — who are there both day and night — has made the elevated walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge a hazardous place to walk or run. It is a disaster waiting to happen. And in the event of an emergency, it would be almost impossible to quickly evacuate the bridge.

  Comment added November 13, 2023 5:57pm

• Alan Posner

  For those who try to deny that alcohol is sold on the Brooklyn Bridge, please see this photo attached.
  That’s Julie the bartender. Up until recently when the weather got chilly, Julie set up her bar alongside the pillar serving up $15.00 Margaritas. She was out there every day and night during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
  The Brooklyn Bridge walkway is out-of-control. It is total chaos that is a danger to pedestrians, commuters, and tourists. Why has it been allowed to fester so long? The vendors need to be removed ASAP. This is a landmark bridge. Not a flea market.

  Comment attachment
  BklynBridgeBar.docx

  Comment added November 14, 2023 6:59am

• Randy Karr

  This causes undue congestion and interference with pedestrian traffic. It has gotten totally out of hand and should be at least limited.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 3:36pm

• Lara Birnback

  The Brooklyn Heights Association supports this amendment clarifying the rules prohibiting vending on the Brooklyn Bridge walkways. The Brooklyn Bridge is truly a New York City icon-attracting thousands of locals and visitors alike to admire its architecture, views, and the to experience the feeling of awe when one looks across the waterways to the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines. Vendors greatly contribute to overcrowding, unsafe, and unpleasant conditions for everyone on the bridge and should not be allowed. We do not believe they provide a unique or necessary service for bridge visitors, and significantly detract from the overall experience of being on the bridge.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 4:20pm

• Rev R

  I could not agree with the proposed rule more strongly. As a Brooklyn resident who regularly uses the Brooklyn Bridge to get back and forth to lower Manhattan for work on foot, I can attest that any gain to safety, convenience, and the quality of the bridge experience that was achieved by moving the bike lanes has been reversed now that the bridge is glutted with vendors. These vendors could easily hawk their wares at designated spaces near either end of the bridge, protecting the bridge for New Yorkers and visitors both. I hope this rule will be adopted.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 4:39pm

• Skip Blumberg

  Nothing should be sold on the bridge walkway except water and art made by the artist selling it.
  1. All of the products on sale are available a short distance away. Except for water, nothing is healthy. Much toxic. Mostly sold for cash that can be unreported for taxes.
  2. Vendors’ working conditions are deplorable.
  3. Vendors interfere with pedestrian’s safety & enjoyment of the fabulous historic landmark. There is no enforcement of rules. Vendors’ & customers’ trash is destroying indigenous prickly pear cactus bed. Recorded music & sales pitches should be prohibited.
  4. Vendors should not be allowed to move to the NE Plaza of City Hall Park, which is opposite the walkway’s Manhattan entrance.
  5. There should be a separate eastward bike lane.

  Comment attachment
  Skip-Blumberg-testimony.docx

  Comment added November 14, 2023 6:40pm

• Laurie Crawford

  I 1000% agree an Amendment or new Rule must be passed. The Brooklyn Bridge is way too crowded, dirty and unpleasant to enjoy any longer. The majority of the items being peddled are not created by local artisans, nothing is unique nor pertains to the history of the bridge, Brooklyn or Manhattan. The simple pleasure of a hassle free stroll with family and friends across the river has been rendered unsafe & ruined and for whose benefit – the non-tax paying vendor who is making profits on items that will end up in the trash? There are enough places to purchase trinkets – like stores and markets set up in parks. Pedestrians shouldn’t be harassed by pushy salespeople.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 8:48pm

• Mary Anne Killeen

  I fully support this ban and am grateful that this is finally being addressed. As a native Brooklynite, I have been a regular user of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway for many years as a runner and a pedestrian. I was accustomed to keeping to my side of the walkway and dodging bicycles and scooters who strayed across the line but it became more dangerous with the advent of e-bikes and scooters. I breathed a big sigh of relief when the decision was finally made to make a bike path in one lane on the Manhattan-bound traffic lane and felt that improvement would make the walkway safer and more enjoyable for all users.
  But the overcrowding now caused by vendors has made me avoid the bridge altogether. What used to be a great run in the morning or a refreshing walk home from work at the end of the day has turned into sensory overload, with cheap trashy items for sale, garish lights on stands at night that distract from the beautiful views, blocked exits at both ends of the bridge, with loud music blaring from speakers and worst of all, a slow trudge as everyone tries to wend their way through the chaos.
  Please pass this resolution prohibiting vendors from the bridge and surrounding streets. The vendors pose a monumental safety hazard to both regular users of the bridge and the many tourists. The merchandise, noise, lights and loud music all detract from this incredible landmark. Please allow the beauty of New York, the river, the views out in all directions be the hallmark of the experience again. Thank you.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 9:50pm

• Patrick Casey

  I am a lifelong New Yorker, a licensed New York City Sightseeing Guide and the Secretary for the Guides Association of New York City which represents the interests of 3,000 licensed guides in New York.
  I am here to advocate for the proposed rules intended to prohibit vendors from our bridge walkways.
  The poster child for the problem is the Brooklyn Bridge. The number of vendors have all but made those always impassable.
  This is a disaster waiting to happen. On 9/11 an estimated 500,000 people evacuated Manhattan using the Brooklyn Bridge. That could not happen today. There would have additional fatalities.
  9/11 will not be the last crisis this city will experience. A transit strike or failure, or the failure of our electrical grid will require clear and obstructed access to our bridges walkways.
  The DOT’s own 2008 study states “Walking is the predominant mode of urban evacuation in catastrophic events.” Every bridge with a walkway is an emergency exit. Would the DOT allow anyone to sell anything in front of a fire door?

  Comment added November 14, 2023 10:29pm

• Shyaporn Theerakulstit

  I like the Alicia Keys hook from Empire State of Mind as much as the next person, but I don’t need to hear the chorus on a loop the entire length of the bridge as people hawking 360-degree iPad video clips on rotating platform rigs dot the whole walkway.

  It seems ridiculous that the city went to the effort of changing an entire car lane of traffic into a dedicated bike lane in order to make room on the Brooklyn Bridge Walkway for pedestrian traffic, only to have half that space immediately filled by vendors selling souvenirs on wide tables lit so brightly with LED strip lights that you can see them from the FDR, and making it impossible to see the actual bridge itself while walking across.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 10:36pm

• Tom W

  The many vendors on the bridge create crowding conditions and are a detriment to the experience of this wonderful NYC landmark.

  Comment added November 14, 2023 11:55pm

• Catherine Wornom

  I support banning all vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge walkways. They are a nuisance. They block the walkways, generate trash that has to be removed by our city employees, sell locks for tourists to clamp onto the bridge creating an even bigger nuisance and costly project for our taxpayer dollars. I walk the bridge on a regular basis but find it can be an unpleasant experience witnessing the vendors urinating on the bridge. P

  Comment added November 15, 2023 12:00am

• Katherine Had ll

  As a member of GANYC, as a Licensed NYC Tourguide and resident of Lower Manhattan, I am 100% in agreement for removal and f all vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge and it’s Approaches.
  The steady increase of vendor presence on the bridge has become an obstacle to safety. The approach on the Manhattan side is so congested- the depth of the vendors tables and merch displays take up already narrow pedestrian space. In addition, when tourists slow down to browse or stop to view said merchandise it causes blocks in the pathways. From the approach to the first towers and on through the modules and second tower the clutter of souvenirs alters anyone’s experience on the bridge. Stopping for a photo, looking at the view… there is barely any room. God forbid there ever need be an evacuation where the bridge is actually a necessary corridor for pedestrians like on 9/11. Vendors setting up carpets and stanchion as if the bridge is their real estate to add such barriers for their unlicensed businesses. One vendors had an actual tent and several coolers selling cocktails!! It needs to stop. The congestion is a serious safety issue and must cease. Thank you for this hearing.

  Comment added November 15, 2023 9:52am

• Stacey Shub

  I support the banning of vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge 100%!

  There are so many reasons it’s hard to know where to start.
  They are destroying an icon! It’s dangerous! It’s overcrowded! ! It’s becoming I cheap chintzy bazaar!

  It takes a BEAUTIFUL internationally renowned, historic landmark visited by people from all over the world and turns into a schlocky, jam packed, crowded, ugly circus. The bridge deserves better. WE New Yorkers deserve better.

  It makes it impossible for locals and tourists alike to go for a leisurely stroll across the bridge anymore. Why? Because it’s too crowded, repetitive NY NY music is BLASTING from speakers, cameras are spinning around your head and now they have moved carts with unbelievably powerful lights all the way up near the arches. Try looking at the lights of the original bridge from the highway and you will be blinded by the vendors lights!

  Please License the vendors, collect taxes dur AND MOVE THEM.

  (perhaps monitor the quality of their goods like good night markets do, there are already enough magnets and hats available on the streets a d they should not sell locks to illegally place on the bridge)

  Comment added November 15, 2023 12:13pm

• Marcy Wilkov-Waterman

  Please ban this honky tonk scene that has taken over our wonderful Brooklyn Bridge and made it impassable for tax paying New Yorkers trying to use the bridge for transportation (it is the connector between Brooklyn and Manhattan, after all and not just a site seeing destination) and exercise. The vendors can use City Hall Park and environs, but please keep them off the bridge! Thank you.

  Comment added November 15, 2023 1:37pm

• Patricia

  I agree that the bridges are not places for these vendors…it’s too crowded and unsafe..detracts from the beauty of the views and it becomes difficult to walk or bike. . If it was possible to really limit the space to the veterans,that seems reasonable..but enforcement would be an ongoing problem and require excessive city expense. Let’s leave bridges to their original purpose..moving people to their destination.

  Comment added November 15, 2023 5:43pm