Bulky Tour Buses Will Be Kept Off Narrow Cobble Hill Street With 'Geo-Fence'

COBBLE HILL, BROOKLYN — A tour bus company will use "geo-fence" technology to keep its big, bulky buses off of a narrow Cobble Hill street that drivers were using as a shortcut.

Big Bus Tours drivers were using Henry Street to get to their re-fueling station in Red Hook, which was causing traffic problems and even total jams when buses would get stuck making tight turns.

So, representatives from the Cobble Hill Association reached out to State Sen. Daniel Squadron's office, which has been a big help for the group with other issues involving big companies, most notably at the old Long Island College Hospital site.

"This is not just a quality of life issue but a serious safety concern," Amy Breedlove, president of the Cobble Hill Association, told Patch. "These trucks and buses cannot make the turns and go up on sidewalks and curbs. We fear for children and pedestrians waiting to cross. These large vehicles also, on occasion, hit parked cars and vans."

Squadron's office then went to Big Bus Tours and told them what was happening. The company told its drivers to stop driving down the street and installed "geo-fence" technology to enforce the new rule.

Basically, the buses are installed with GPS systems that will alert management if a bus uses that now-forbidden route. As of the beginning of this week, the bus company said it hadn't had any more violations, according to Squadron's office.

"It's great that millions visit our city and borough from across the world each year, but quality of life in our neighborhoods can't be sacrificed as a result," Squadron told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

"Big Bus Tours is working with my office and the community to ensure its tour buses stay off streets that can't handle them."

(h/t Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

Lead photo courtesy Amy Breedlove