Dyker Heights Drivers Upset Over Holiday Lights Parking Restrictions

Drivers in one Brooklyn neighborhood are turning redder than Rudolph's nose over a month of daily parking restrictions so buses can take sightseers on a tour of the area's extravagant holiday displays.

Bright pink signs were recently posted on 86th Street in Dyker Heights between 10th and 14th avenues barring parking from 3 p.m. to midnight until Jan. 3.

The NYPD told NBC 4 New York that the regulations are meant to keep people safe as tour buses begin to stream through the neighborhood, but some drivers said the parking ban eliminates more than 100 spots they need on a daily basis.

"It's nice (for people to come see the lights) but all the residents here are flipping out," said John Dileo, one driver who had to move his car on Wednesday. 

Another resident, activist Liam McCabe, posted to Facebook that "this is about more than parking spots" and that the city is prioritizing tourists over tax-paying residents in the neighborhood and nearby Bay Ridge.

"This is #BayRidge, not #TimesSquare," he said. "We don't want our neighborhood taken away from us. 

Josephine Beckman, a member of the community board representing the south Brooklyn neighborhood, said that safety is more important than the lost spots. She added that similar actions were taken last year without many complaints.

"The tour buses are coming," she said. "We can't stop them. We want to encourage that, but we want it done safely."

It's not the only headache linked to the yearly displays, either. One homeowner said that a thief walked up to his front porch and stole a large inflatable decoration. 

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