Lawmakers and business leaders are pursuing new restrictions on costumed performers in Times Square, saying new limits are needed to court tourists post-pandemic
As New York City tries to lure back tourists, local lawmakers and business leaders are backing legislation that would enhance restrictions on costumed street performers who pose for photos with pedestrians in Times Square.
Under an existing law, the performers—who sometimes dress as characters like Elmo from “Sesame Street” or Disney’s Mickey Mouse and—are already confined to a designated area in Times Square. But local politicians and business leaders said loopholes in the law permit the performers to ply their trade beyond the restricted zones and into Manhattan’s Theater District, which lies just outside the square.
A New York City Council bill discussed in a Wednesday hearing would close the loopholes by creating a Theater District safety zone where the performers would be banned, according to the bill’s sponsor, City Councilman Keith Powers. Mr. Powers, a Manhattan Democrat, said the current law was created in 2016 following complaints about the characters aggressively demanding tips from tourists. The city responded by creating painted zones limiting where the characters could conduct business, he said.
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