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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
BY JESSICA PARKS
The city’s plan to
clear Kings Highway of
delivery vehicles is being
thwarted by unscrupulous
drivers, who illegally
park in recently
installed loading zones
and force truckers to idle
in the street, according to
the area’s Council rep.
“Kings Highway is a
complete disaster with
trucks — double parking
and triple parking,”
said Councilman Chaim
Deutsch at a Jan. 29 transportation
hearing. “You
can go four or five blocks
and you have to drive in
the opposite lane.”
In an effort to ease congestion
along the bustling
commercial corridor, city
Department of Transportation
installed 28 loading
zones along a two-mile
stretch of Kings Highway
between Stillwell Avenue
and Ocean Avenue
in September 2018, but
the traffic situation remains
lousy as result of
shoppers, who simply ignore
signage indicating
the loading zones, according
to one fed-up delivery
guy.
“It’s very hard for us
to park our trucks,” said
Daniel Baron, a driver for
FedEx. “It is usually the
worst from 8-3 pm. This
is a main strip, and since
people are shopping and
stuff they need to park
and they don’t even pay
attention to the loading
zone signs.”
Department of Transportation
Commissioner
Polly Trottenberg blamed
the issue on lack of enforcement,
but Deutsch
argues that the signage
DOT installed around
the loading areas doesn’t
stick out from regular
parking signs, and leading
drivers to unknowingly
hog the illicit
spots.
“It shouldn’t really get
to the point that the NYPD
needs to come and issue
double-parking summonses,”
said Deutsch.
“We need to make it very
clear for trucks and vehicles
that this is designated
for truck loading
and unloading.”
But transportation
honchos said while they
have received the councilman’s
request, the current
signs with white letters
on a red background
are the agency’s standard
signage for “no parking”
areas.
“DOT is aware of
Council Member Chaim
Deutsch’s request for a
potential different sign,
however, the current
signage is our agency
standard, which is used
citywide,” said a DOT
spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Baron
claimed that police have
been going after delivery
drivers and other vehicles
for double-parking,
forcing drivers to seek
out more distant loading
zones and then make the
long walk back to their
destination.
“Sometimes we even
get a ticket for double parking,
but we have no choice
because we have to unload
in a loading zone,” he said.
“I usually end up parking
in loading zones by Target
or a few other specifi c
places where they’re usually
empty and just walk
to all my delivery spots on
the streets because I know
Trucks are forced to double park to unload their shipments on
Kings Highway. Photo by Meg Capone
I won’t fi nd another spot
to unload.”
At the same time, local
shopkeepers are blaming
the police enforcement of
double-parking laws on a
loss business, saying customers
can’t run in for a
quick purchase without
getting fined!
“Yeah it’s a problem —
We’re losing business because
of it,” said Khalliq,
who declined to provide
his last name. “People
usually like to park and
buy things quickly, but
they can’t because they
get tickets for double
parking.”
‘A complete disaster’
Locals fume over state of loading zones on Kings Highway
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