How Many People Have to Die In Bay Ridge For Dealerships to Stop Parking on Our Sidewalks?
In April 2021, a Bay Ridge resident was killed when she was hit by a car outside of a car dealership. (See here) Politicians spoke about safety, but it was just rhetoric for the newspaper to print.
Six months later, we see Signature Auto on 92nd Street and 4th Avenue doesn’t understand that the sidewalk is not their parking lot.
I don’t walk around here and never cared about who was parked on the sidewalk UNTIL there was a death last Spring. Pedestrians shouldn’t have to be cautious while on the sidewalk. The dealerships know better and this is not hard to enforce.
The Bay Ridge photographer who took the photos above, Tom Hilton told me: “The man with the hat in the car with the license plate, blew his horn at me while I was on the sidewalk.” (See photo)
Signature Auto shares photos of their cars on the sidewalk here, here, here and here because they know not one politician is managing this area.
When a Bay Ridge resident was killed in a tragedy outside a dealership in April, Councilman Brannan’s foul language was quoted in Gothamist (here)
Just three months before, (January 2021), residents called Brannan out on Twitter for accepting donations from a car dealership (not the same one where the accident happened, but one that people had complained to Brannan about). (See here)
People asked Brannan what happened to the 2018 bill he introduced to stop car dealerships from parking on the sidewalk. Of course the local paper made Brannan look like he stepped up, when he didn’t follow through with the bill. You can see it here.
And Brannan’s sign is above this dealership:
In July 2021, Senator Gounardes accepted money from Bay Ridge Automotive Management and the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association PAC.
Why did the Greater New York Auto Dealers Association PAC give Senator Gounardes a $1000 donation in July? – more info about this pac here
This Political Action Committee lists many dealerships, some which are in Bay Ridge (including Bay Ridge Volkswagon where our neighbor was killed).
Why would Gounardes think it was okay to accept money from this PAC?)
The following day, July 7, 2021, Senator Gounardes accepted a $4000.00 donation from Bay Ridge Automotive Management Corp.
Dealerships continue to park on the sidewalk because politicians look away.
Hugs,
marlene
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