New York City Bans Vending on City Bridges

(Brooklyn Bridge -- April 13, 2024) - Before January 3, 2024, the Brooklyn Bridge was a hotspot for vendors selling items such as "I Heart New York" merchandise, souvenirs, hot dogs, and pretzel.  However, in the recent months, the increase of vendors on the bridge lead to safety and sanitary concerns. Overcrowding on the Brooklyn Bridge was observed during past holiday seasons and protests. Vending on the bridge posed unsafe conditions such as obstructing the entrance and exit of the pedestrian walkway, and specific areas  of the bridge where the width of the walkway narrows to 5 feet. 

In consultation with  the Department of Sanitation, New York City Police Department and the Department of Sanitation, The City of New York enacted a new rule  that prohibits street vending on city bridges including the Brooklyn Bridge. This new rule is referred as Title 34, Section 4-12 under the City of New York., which went into effect on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. 

Section 1. Subdivision (g)(2) of Section 4-12 of Chapter 4 of Title 34 of the Rules of the City of New York, the new rule states: "No peddler, vendor, hawker, or huckster shall stop, remain upon or otherwise encumber, or permit any cart, table, wagon, vehicle, or other object owned or controlled by such peddler, vendor, hawker, or huckster to stop, remain upon or otherwise encumber any elevated pedestrian walkway or bicycle lane on a bridge or a bridge approach for the purpose of selling, displaying, storing or creating merchandise or producing a service."

The prohibition of street vending was created to ease congestion on city bridge walkways, promote safety and security on the bridges.  Vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge were forced to remove all items prior to January 2, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Properties that remained on the bridge after 11:59pm were immediately removed and confiscated by New York Department of Police and Department of Transportation. 

Signs reading "No vending allowed" were hanging on the bridge's trusses.  Pairs of NYPD officers were stationed across the one-mile span to prevent vendors from selling merchandise on the bridge. Flyers Despite the public favoring this rule, street vendors are struggling to find areas where vending is legal.

For information about Street Vending Enforcement in New York City, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/what-we-do/cleaning/street-vending-enforcement.page