Police Chief Revises Tour Bus Only Parking Plans In Dyker Heights Following Uproar, Sources Say

We have it on the record from a very reliable local source that NYPD Brooklyn South Chief Steven Powers has decided to revise controversial plans to reserve holiday parking along 86th Street for tour buses.

Now, instead of the original plan to allow only tour busses to park along 86th Street between 11th and 13th Avenues from 5 p.m. to midnight through January, our source confirms that only three bus lengths along 86th Street will be reserved for buses. As well, bus drop-off and parking will be organized for nearby Poly Place.

This news follows days of upset in the area, where area residents were repulsed by the idea that the city should reward their lovingly displayed holiday light show by revoking parking privileges from locals.

Some pointed out that the strip originally intended to be reserved for buses is alongside the Dyker Beach Golf Course on one side, and private homes equipped with private driveways and garages on the other, thus minimizing the impact on parking.

It is bus parking to prevent traffic due to Christmas tree lights in Dyker Heights,” the police told us yesterday of the plan, adding that, “Cars will not be towed or relocated.”

Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann told the Brooklyn Home Reporter that the no parking, tour bus only signs were posted last year as well.

Justin Brannan, a local community activist, probably put it best:

Over the past 30 years, homeowners in Dyker Heights have created a national treasure but these same homeowners are concerned because the gawker gridlock has gotten out of control. During the holidays, the streets become so jammed that it would be impossible for a fire truck or ambulance to pass in the event of an emergency.

“What started with just a few homes has become this wonderfully unique tradition that is now famous around the world! But we can’t forget that Dyker Heights is and always will be a small, tight-knit residential neighborhood. This isn’t Disneyland.

What we need is a solution that mitigates traffic and prioritizes safety but doesn’t further burden the residents. Nobody wants to imagine losing parking spots in an area where it already comes at a premium but the traffic here has become more than just a nuisance; it has become a safety issue and the powers that be all agree something needs to be done before someone gets hurt.