Merch for Madonna! A row of idling 53-foot trailer-trucks outside the Barclays Center before three-show stint. What about the permits?

It was a big deal for Madonna to start her U.S. tour with three performances at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn: Wednesday, Thursday, and tomorrow. 

That's why, on Wednesday, there were so many trucks with 53-foot trailer-trucks idling for hours on Atlantic Avenue, in a "No Standing" zone and blocking multiple fire hydrants. 

Those trucks weren't loading in for the floor show but rather, as far as I can tell, the street-level pop-up store. And, I suspect, they shouldn't have been there, as explained below. (If/when I see the professed permits, I'll post an update.)

A pop-up store

It was such a big deal that the arena set up a special Madonna pop-up store, with an entrance on Flatbush Avenue.

Rolling Stone loved the show, with a review yesterday proclaiming Madonna’s Celebration Tour Dazzles With Hits, Surrealistic Visuals, and Reminders of Our Mortality.

The venue was sold out, according to the review, with more than 14,000 tickeholders. Some were surely hankering for Madonna merch, with t-shirts--see below left--starting at $50. (I asked.)

The show didn't start until about 11 pm, according to this tweet, and lasted until 1 pm, according to Rolling Stone. 

(Note: the arena had "estimated" that the show would start at 8:30 pm and end at 11:30 pm.)

The merch

The t-shirts came from tour merch provider Culture Studio and, as far as I can tell, from the trucks in the photos below, which were lined up along Atlantic Avenue for hours, idling in a "No Standing" zone.

(A neighbor sent me the videos posted below, the first shot around 11:30 am. The situation was much the same when I walked the area around 4:30 pm.)

The boxes in the truck in the photo below say "Merchandise" and come from Culture Studio. As best I can tell, they were unloading at street level because it was closer to the pop-up store, so it wouldn't make sense to enter the loading dock on Dean Street and take the elevators underground.

53-foot trailers

As shown in the screenshot at left, from a video below, the trailers had 53-foot trailers.

Should they even have been there?

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, "53-foot long trailers are not allowed to make pick ups or deliveries in any of the boroughs of New York City." 

Such trailers are allowed limited travel through New York City to reach destinations on Long Island, using I-95, I-295, and I-495. The NYC DOT offers similar guidance.

However, such illegal trucks are so prevalent around New York City there's a Twitter account called Illegal 53' Tractor Trailer. As shown on that account, such trucks are a common occurrence around Madison Square Garden, which uses the street for loading.

In other words, if the Barclays Center was breaking the rules, it wouldn't be alone.

What about permits?

I asked arena spokeswoman Rachael Lewis about the idling and parking along Atlantic Avenue. She responded that had permits.

Such permits were not visible on the street or on the trucks, though windshield placards regarding the parking--at Pier 11 at Atlantic Basin in Red Hook--declare, "No staging next to Barclays Center or nearby community." (See photo at right.)

Well, that didn't happen.

I asked Lewis twice to point me to permits (though I didn't mention the 53-foot truck issue). I didn't hear back. If I learn more, I'll post an update.

Yes, the city offers trucks overdimensional permits, for vehicles that are passing through, but does not--as far as I can tell--permit unloading.

   

Blocking a hydrant