N環球 
New York City Council weighs 50-foot pedicab buffer zones outside Broadway theaters
A bill would bar pedicabs from stopping or picking up passengers within 50 feet of theater entrances in the Theater District; Actors' Equity backs the measure, now under committee review.
Why it matters
Pedicab chaos around Broadway has persisted for years: blaring speakers disrupting shows, aggressive solicitation, and outrageous fares. If passed, this bill would create the first legally mandated buffer zones at theater entrances, directly changing street order around Times Square.
Full report
The New York City Council is weighing proposals to require pedicabs to stay 50 feet (about 15 meters) away from Broadway theater entrances, barring them from parking, stopping, or picking up and dropping off passengers in those zones to ease congestion and safety hazards in the Theater District. CBS News New York reports the Council is also considering extending similar limits to Central Park and other tourist hot spots, and Actors' Equity — the union representing 51,000 actors and stage managers — has publicly backed the proposal.
The bill, Intro 1274-2025, was introduced on May 1, 2025 by Council Members Keith Powers, Erik D. Bottcher and others, and is now before the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. It would prohibit pedicab drivers from parking, stopping, or standing a pedicab, or picking up or dropping off passengers, within 50 feet of any entrance or exit of a theater in the Theatre District Zone, and would require the Department of Transportation to post signs marking the restricted areas.
Supporters say unlicensed pedicab drivers routinely blast music outside theaters — sometimes an hour before curtain — with noise penetrating theater walls and disrupting performances, while some drivers charge $300–$400 for short rides. Industry groups including The Broadway League support tighter regulation. The bill remains in committee and has not yet been scheduled for a full vote.
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