Street vendors who were removed from the Brooklyn Bridge due to safety and congestion concerns have now set up shop on Washington Street in Dumbo, abc7ny reported.
Residents told abc7 that vendors moved their stalls after January 3, or when they were kicked off the Brooklyn Bridge by the city. Locals who spoke to the television station said the new location allows the vendors to sell to tourists when they step off the Brooklyn Bridge.
Resident Jimmy Ng said some vendors have set up tents to mark their new vending spots. Mohamed Attia, an advocate from the Street Vendor Project, said vendors preferred to earn their living rather than wait for government handouts.
“Shutting down the bridge and banning vending on the bridge would not be the answer," Attia said. "Because what happens, these people need to make a living. A lot of them don’t want to wait home and stay home and get a handout from the government."
The Department of Sanitation, which enforced the ban on the bridge, told abc7 it is monitoring the conditions in line with its focus on cleanliness and quality of life.
Mayor Eric Adams previously said the ban would ensure that locals and visitors enjoyed the Brooklyn Bridge without “being packed together like sardines” and end the “disorder” plaguing it.
