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Parked Vehicles In Loading Zones Upset Downtown Musicians

Posted at 11:46 PM, Mar 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-25 00:54:07-04

Parked vehicles in loading zones have become a growing problem for musicians on Broadway.

Musicians use the loading and unloading zones between 2nd and 5th Ave to take equipment in and out of bars.

Sometimes there's limited space if taxis are waiting to pick people up.

Roy Gabelein has played in bars on Broadway for eleven years. He said in the last two years, he started to notice more vehicles waiting in unloading zones.

"It'll be all the way down on both sides. Taxi cabs all the way down," he said.

Gabelein said Metro Police officers have helped direct traffic but there are only so many places officers can watch along Broadway. He decided to step in.

On certain nights, Gabelein will hold a 'Loading Zone Only' sign and talk with cab and ride shares drivers.

"It just hit me one night. Well I'll make a sign and I'll come do it myself and it worked. Just to get people out of the way it was great," he said.

He said drivers will sometimes move drive around the block. Others will push back and wait to pick up some passengers.

"It's a challenge on Broadway. It's certainly something we are working on and will continue to work on to make it as good as we can," Transportation licensing director Billy Fields said.

Transportation officials have placed temporary barriers to mark the zones between 2nd and 5th Avenues.

"And that's what this is all about, it's all about public safety. We want to make sure they can safely load and unload and cars can pickup and drop off passengers," Fields said.

Gabelein says he would like to see more done to not have vehicles parked in the zones.

"It's their loading zones as well, it's ours and it's their. It's anybodies, as long as they're going to get in, pick up and drop off and then get out," he said.

City officials plan to look at other fixes in the near future.