Bedford Avenue residents call on DOT to rethink loading zone, citing safety issue with school buses

Those who live in Bedford Avenue say the loading zones are often filled with cars, despite no parking signs and ticketing, and frequent double-parking cuts the moving traffic down to just one lane.

Rob Flaks

Dec 2, 2024, 11:15 PM

Updated 16 hr ago

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Residents along Beford Avenue in Williamsburg are calling on the Department of Transportation to rethink newly implemented vehicle loading zones in their community.
The loading zone sits parallel to a bike lane that residents have voiced concerns about in the past.
Those who live in Bedford Avenue say the loading zones are often filled with cars, despite no parking signs and ticketing, and frequent double-parking cuts the moving traffic down to just one lane.
They say the street has thousands of children getting on and off buses daily, with the loading zones creating a narrow sight line for the kids to navigate before reaching the sidewalk.
They are calling for the busses to be able to get as close to the sidewalk as possible to maintain safety, and call on DOT to reconsider or remove the loading zones.
"They are not solving the traffic issue, they are not solving the traffic issue, because the Idea is the busses can use these zones, they are full so the buses are stopping, they are now blocking a lane, the child is darting between the loading zone and is then face to face with a biker who cannot see them," said Parent Joel Weberman, who has seven children riding the bus per day.
He says he believes that families who live on the block should be able to park, but between the bus lanes and loading zones, the community now has no parking without tickets, and in their view less safety for their children.
"They want the safety, and I understand that from the DOT, but it is not working out here as envisioned, we just have too many cars and children," Weberman said.
According to the DOT, over 500 zones were recently rolled out citywide to address issues of double parking.