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Street vendors getting booted from city bridges

New York's Brooklyn Bridge is one of more than 47,000 bridges identified as "structurally deficient," according to the annual report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
New York's Brooklyn Bridge is one of more than 47,000 bridges identified as "structurally deficient," according to the annual report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

Pedestrian traffic has been on the rise on the Brooklyn Bridge. That's causing New York City to put on ban on street vendors on all bridges. Enforcement of the ban starts Wednesday.

Whether its hot dogs, shirts or ice cream, vendors have been known to set up shop along the pedestrian space on the Brooklyn Bridge to target huge crowds. However, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi says safety concerns with pedestrians, cyclists and tourists all competing for the same space.

"At its narrowest, it's five feet. It's crowded on a regular day. If there's an emergency, it's a life threatening experience.

The Department of Transportation staff has been warning vendors about the new law banning them from bridges and now enforcement of the ban is starting.