Buses line Atlantic Avenue (thanks to NYPD) for un-announced youth basketball event. Barclays Center would have it much tougher if towers were built there.

So, the Barclays Center doesn't like to tell neighbors about private, non-ticketed events at the arena, though such events may bring disruptions (link) such as buses idling and double-parking, or crowds on residential streets.

Bus blocks hydrant on Atlantic Ave. Photo: Norman Oder

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, two private events were scheduled, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

I was nearby and noticed the afternoon event, a basketball game for students, which, it later became evident, involved middle-scholars from the Success Academies charter school network.

Success has 57 free public charter schools in the city, among them 19 middle-schools. This event apparently involved "[s]eventh and eighth-grade scholars from across our middle schools."

The NYPD posted "No Parking" signs on Atlantic Avenue. Buses blocked hydrants and a B45 bus stop. A few were idling. See videos below.

The bottom line

As things go, it wasn't an inundation--I counted 14 buses on Atlantic Avenue between Sixth and Carlton avenues, and ten buses on Atlantic between Carlton and Vanderbilt avenues. There were a few more closer to the arena.

What's notable, though, is how arena operations not only rely on the blocks nearby, they rely on the unfinished--and stalled--nature of the remaining project. 

If and when there's construction of a platform over the Vanderbilt Yard below Atlantic Avenue, and then construction of six towers, well, construction fencing and delivery vehicles would block any chance at bus parking. 

Once those towers are open, with retail at the base, it's hard to imagine residents, commercial tenants, and landlords are going to want a row of buses at their curb. 

 

Then where do the buses go? Well, maybe much farther away (like Red Hook), as was once promised by arena reps, then return when needed. By then, with less space to work with, it will be more of a challenge to load and unload.