Bridesburg Residents Blame Carvana For Tractor-Trailers Causing Parking Troubles, Damaging Vehicles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia City Councilmember steps in, trying to settle a neighborhood nuisance in Bridesburg. Apparently, the newest way to buy a car is causing parking problems.
Neighbors blame a used car dealership based in Fishtown that is storing thousands of vehicles in Bridesburg. It has tractor-trailers traveling in and out of the neighborhood to move those cars all day long. Some say it's leading to traffic troubles and even damaged vehicles.
Eyewitness News exclusively obtained security video showing the driver of a tractor-trailer making a turn onto Bridge Street in Bridesburg before swiping a pickup truck with so much force the pickup moves.
And that's not all.
"Tractor-trailers are ignoring traffic laws, they're ignoring stop signs, they're turning the wrong way down one-way streets and they're speeding," City Councilmember Bobby Henon said.
Henon showed us photos of the traffic troubles in Bridesburg. He says the drivers of those trailers are third-party contractors for Carvana, a used-car dealership.
It's known for its so-called car vending machine that rises just above I-95 over in Fishtown.
But Henon says Carvana stores many of its vehicles, up to 4,000 of them, on a big industrial lot here in Bridesburg, and it hasn't always been a courteous neighbor.
"They're parking their delivery trailer trucks in any location they can find a spot. And it is extremely problematic and is creating dangerous situations," Henon said.
People who live in Bridesburg say they've had enough.
"The neighbors have been contacting me, complaining, so we contacted the councilman to see what we can do by rectifying the problem," said Harry Enggasser with the Bridesburg Civic Association.
Henon met with Carvana Thursday and says Carvana is now committing to making changes, including no longer parking tractor-trailers on the street and even repairing any vehicles that were damaged.
"A huge relief. And I trust them enough where they're gonna come through," Enggasser said.
Henon's office sent Eyewitness News a list of changes Carvana promised to make. Emails and calls to Carvana were not answered.