Brooklyn Bridge vendor ban goes into effect Wednesday, veteran vendors pushback

Vendors banned on city bridges

FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green shares what this means for vendors who made a living selling on the bridge.

NEW YORK - For tourists from all over the globe, the Brooklyn Bridge is a must-see part of any trip to New York City.

Wednesday marked a clearer path for tourists and New Yorkers alike to enjoy the Brooklyn Bridge with a little less bustle — while some hoped that buzz would stick around forever.

"You can definitely accommodate a small business on a 3-foot of that width and allow vendors to set up in a safe way that doesn’t intervene with the street flow," Managing Director of the Street Vendor Project, Mohamed Attia said.

City officials made due on their promise at the stroke of midnight to rid the Bridge of vendors who’ve made a living there for years.

Workers from the department of transportation marched through clearing merchandise left on the pedestrian path overnight since all vendors beyond that time were there illegally.

Mayor Adams, doubling down, making the city’s motive behind the move clear after a recent visit despite the push back.

Vendors banned from NYC bridges

The New York City Department of Transportation has announced that it is banning vendors from selling goods on pedestrian walkways and bike lanes on the city's bridges and areas approaching the bridges.

"It's not only a sanitary issue, it's a public safety issue. People were jumping over the bridge onto the bike path because we came to a blockage." Mayor Adams said.

He says the vendors and their businesses created a bottleneck which posed safety hazards in the event of an emergency.

While venders like Raul whose used his bridge-side business as a means for provision — felt the blow well-before being booted.

"It's going to be a nightmare because we're not going to be able to put our stands here. We're not going to be able to work. We're not going to be able to provide food for our kids at home," Raul said.

Bridge goers like Washington Heights resident Laura Burth support clearing any congestion along the historic landmark.

"I feel like it clogs up the walkway and people are just crowded around," Burth said.

While vendor's sales of souvenirs pays them well, the congestion that comes with it robs others of their experience at the historical landmark.

"I feel like it clogs up the walkway and people are just crowded around. If you’re just trying to enjoy a stroll across the bridge, you just can’t get through," one Brooklyn resident expressed.

Fifteen disabled veterans are hoping to get through, filing a lawsuit arguing the ban is unlawfully enforceable against veterans, who they claim should be exempt, citing a state law enacted in 1898 granting veterans the right to choose street vending as a source of income.

Unless a judge rules otherwise, authorities will begin walking the bridge to remove and relocate any vending items left on the path beginning at midnight, officials say.

"They just want to kick us out of here like we're nothing. we have our rights. I do have my rights," said Sargoto.

"A lot of them don’t know what to do. A lot of them don’t have any other location to operate in. They will be going around trying to find another location to make a living at until they look forward to something that might happen on the city council level," Attia said.