If you're wondering why the Barclays Center's nearest neighbors feel they get the short end of the stick, well, consider the photo below of the scene around the southern flank of the arena, on Dean Street between Sixth and Flatbush avenues, at 8:15 am yesterday.
As the annotated photo--sent to me by a resident--shows, a truck at right is parked in the travel lane (outside a residence), a truck in the center distance is parked in the bike lane, and one car is parked illegally, another improperly.
Yes, it's possible that the truck on the right is associated with another construction project, at Bergen Tile (a site that would be in the right of the photo). But the rest surely are connected to the Barclays Center and overall Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project.
Why no intervention?
Last night, at the monthly meeting of the 78th Precinct Community Council, a neighborhood resident told Deputy Inspector Frank DiGiacomo that people were concerned about safety on Dean Street, including illegal standing and parking, and the blocking of bike lanes.
"We'll send guys to look at it," DiGiacomo replied. (The photo was not shown at the meeting, but sent to me later.)
But the precinct is literally around the corner--just turn right at that center truck--and policing the full range of infractions around the Barclays Center does not seem to be a priority. (A precinct official separately said at the meeting that a special unit has cracked down on trucks driving illegally on Fifth and Sixth avenues in adjacent Park Slope.)
In fact, the arena and overall Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project likely couldn't function without relatively gentle treatment by the cops, which I suspect comes from 1) policy set from the mayor's office and 2) a general NYPD focus on responding to crime.
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