Verdi Square is bounded by 72nd and 73rd Streets, Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway. Photo by Bobby Panza.
The new year may become more convenient and comfortable for e-bike delivery workers making stops on the UWS, with the recent announcement that Verdi Square is among two proposed sites for so-called Street Deliveristas Hubs. (The second site is located in Fordham Heights in the Bronx, and another site in City Hall Park was previously announced.)
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The “hubs” will be created by repurposing vacant newsstands into charging stations, shelter and rest areas for delivery workers.
Mayor Adams and Senator Schumer announced the program in October, describing it as a “First-of-its-kind program for app-based food delivery workers.”
The Worker’s Justice Project (WJP) is the intended recipient of $1.17 million in federal funding Senator Schumer secured for the project in May 2022. The money will be used to design and plan the pilot version of the hubs.
According to information provided by the Senator’s office, the first go-round will “test a prototype of the first-of-its-kind indoor electric charging station, programming, and workforce development to professionalize the app delivery industry.”
Upper West Side Council Member Gale Brewer told The City that she supports the concept of charging stations for bikes and delivery people but stressed that community feedback was important. “I would like to have input from the community because they may have ideas about how it could be best done.”
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Upper West Siders who want to share their opinions on this project have two upcoming opportunities to do so:
- The Franchise and Concession Review Committee on Wednesday, January 11 at 2:30 p.m.: More info here.
- Community Board 7’s Transportation Committee meeting (the next one is on Tuesday, January 10 at 6:30 p.m., however, they don’t yet know if it will make the agenda … ILUWS readers can check for updates here.
There’s no exact timeline on the rollout, but we’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
And if the proposed “hub” is built, I assure you that jerks on throttle e-bikes, and a few e-assist bikes, will more than inconvenience Verdi Square users and subway users entering- exiting from the north doors of that north blockhouse in the picture.
These delivery guys are a significant danger to pedestrians, until the City can+will enforce the laws that require them to drive with traffic, not drive on sidewalks, or on paths in City parks (Verdi Square is a City park), and not run reds, they should get nothing extra.
Many of them should have been arrested long ago and their “bikes” should have been seized.
Nope nope nope…. first things first – enforce the traffic laws, register every delivery bike and put speed cameras in the bike lines…. then we can discuss supporting a “hub”
Put red light cameras in “bike” lanes, of course that would mean there would have to be plates of some sort.
Millionaires started this delivery model, taking 20-30% of restaurant receipts, and deploying “contractors” to do the actual work. No overtime, no benefits, no workers comp.
What a joke.
And our response is to put public land and money into this?
What a bigger joke.
Get the apps to take care of their workers or BUST THEM.
This is a NO from a 72RSD resident. That space is a public park and a subway entrance that needs to be free of more bikes and loitering. The delivery companies would PAY their workers a FAIR wage. The delivery companies need to build accommodations for their delivery staff, it is NOT the BURDEN to the residences of the UWS.
I can tell you right now what we need in Verdi Square: We need more POLICE and more PLANTS.
BEYOND STUPIDITY
The subway entrance was doubled in recent years with the north side of 72nd Street addition due to high volume of pedestrian traffic entering/leaving subway.
We already know of the frequent e-bike/pedestrian accidents and fatalities as often reported in this newsletter and elsewhere.
This simply is going to increase the level of both.
ONLY clueless politicians could dream up this Nightmare.
The city’s bicycle policy is currently awful. Us Pedestrians fear for our lives as soon as we leave our apartments and walk on sidewalks that were designed for us pedestrians. That could mean new laws that penalize bicyclists who travel on sidewalks, who ride north for example on streets where traffic goes south, and who deliberately go through red lights. Penalties should include escalating fines for the bicyclists and for companies that use them to delivery food, etc.; confiscation of bikes for various time periods; and permanent termination of Citi Bike usage. All bikes should be required to have front and back lights and large licenses that are easy to read. And maybe prison time if a pedestrian is killed or badly injured by a bicyclist. No more bike lanes!
Some politician has to step up to do something very soon about NYC’s bicycle chaos. He or she would probably get A LOT of immediate support. The city should establish maybe a special street team to deal with the chaos. And maybe NYC media should consider publishing frequent articles about the need to do something about the chaos.
I am opposed to providing more opportunities for motorized bicycles, scooters, uniwheels. These operators have no regard for the rules of traffic and safety. We used to think we had to watch out for cars. Now, that has taken a backseat to the motorized and non-motorized bicycle riders. I have had many a near miss when I was crossing in a designated cross walk when the light and symbol showed it was, “My Turn”. I am not talking about crossing against the light or in the middle of the block. Clearly there is no penalty issued for riding the wrong way, through a red light, on the side walk, or in the park where it says clearly that the rule is to dismount any wheeled conveyance. I have been known to call them out loudly; the response is a smile or a laugh.
The place to start is some measure of enforcement to the laws for riders of these electrically powered 1 and 2 wheelers
I use this subway entrance and it is beyond crowded. This is a “square” not a transient depot. A young girl was almost raped at this subway stop a week ago. What we need is police presence!
Those delivery corporations need to pay their delivery staff a decent wage and offer them accommodations on their dime not mine! I want to see these facilities built in neighborhoods that will benefit from these delivery staff!
Are you going to add more bike lanes? Who will be cleaning these facilities?
If you oppose this, don’t just leave a comment here — Write to Senator Schumer and to Council Member Brewer concisely and politely explaining why you oppose it.
Why not Sherman Square, or perhaps “Needle Park”*? Why must it be right next to a busy subway station?
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* https://mapper.acme.com/?ll=40.77727,-73.98209&z=19&t=S&marker0=40.77727%2C-73.98209%2C1.5%20km%20WxSW%20of%20Manhattan%20NY
jms:
Because then something would have to be built at Sherman Square; there’s no building there. And, the “square” is simply a tiny fenced off area of grass and a bush surrounded by sidewalks.
Also, along the Broadway side, Fresh Direct already treats the “No Standing” area as a company depot.
Dear City,
Verdi Square is a public square. It is not intended as a transient stop for people to loiter. That station is the W72 station and it serves many people who live and visit our community. We have very little sidewalk as it is. We live in constant fear of cyclists, drivers, tour buses and other large vehicles as they recklessly drive past us. We do not need this in our neighborhood. Please support our community with more walking paths as we are a pedestrian focused community!
Why can’t they re-open it as a new coffee shop or a cookie stand?
Dear Sue,
I hope you are having a fantastic Friday evening. I couldn’t agree more with you; we need to build a more wholesome community and this could include a cute little bake shop at Verdi Square. We don’t need any of this nonsense area. If the delivery people need a place to rest and recharge; it is top to the corporations to finance and build those facilities.
Best,
Hilda S Krane
Riverside Drive
they already do this in front of the McDonalds at 71st and broadway. they need to shut down that McDonalds — we want a safe neighborhood
paul:
And these guys lockup to the construction shed at the public atrium just north of the Apple store.
Not quite the mess of the McDonald’s fight zone, but a taking, by clueless jerks, of public space.
Yes, I realize things will improve a bit when the construction shed comes down, in 72 months. (I’ll have to check the permit for a real date.)
I agree — it is terrible and the police needs to move them along
Samantha:
The terrible part about the Broadway atrium construction shed north of Apple is the arrival and departure of the delivery guys; they oft behave as if they’re the only people on the sidewalk in the steel framed lanes of the sidewalk.
The apartment building can stop them from locking up to the shed framing, but not sure the cops can do anything. Albeit, I’m sure the cops can, but won’t, do anything about these jerks driving on the sidewalk under the shed.
Samantha:
The terrible part about the Broadway atrium construction shed north of Apple is the arrival and departure of the delivery guys; they oft behave as if they’re the only people on the sidewalk in the steel framed lanes of the sidewalk.
The apartment building can stop them from locking up to the shed framing, but not sure the cops can do anything. Albeit, I’m sure the cops can, but won’t, do anything about these @holes driving on the sidewalk under the shed.
I am a delivery worker and I would rather have the station built in Harlem