Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Signage recently went along 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, announcing a scheduled cleanup of the heavily trafficked e-bike, moped and bicycle area.
The effort — slated to begin today — is a joint initiative by the 9th Precinct and the Department of Sanitation, prompted by a surge in community complaints.
The block is a popular spot for e-bike delivery workers to gather as they wait to fulfill deliveries, in part given the proximity of the under-renovation Madina Masjid Islamic Council of America, one of the city's most prominent mosques, founded in 1976.
The signs, posted in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, and Wolof, notify residents and delivery workers that any bikes not moved by the cleanup date (the deadline was yesterday) will be removed and impounded.
According to residents and local officials, complaints about congestion, noise, and sanitation issues tied to the unofficial parking and staging area have intensified in recent months. The issue has become a recurring topic at neighborhood council meetings at the 9th Precinct.
Police say this is part of a broader effort to address quality-of-life issues while balancing the needs of workers and residents.
While some in the community have voiced frustration, many delivery workers — aka deliveristas — say they've taken steps to keep the area clean.
Several riders on the block pointed out trash bags and brooms they've been using to manage the space themselves.
They also spoke to me, stating they need security here because they say their methods of transportation for making a living are often stolen. Despite using GPS and tracking devices, they claim police are not willing to help them track down their bikes.
In past years, the Madina Masjid mosque has drawn criticism from local residents and business owners due to "cabbies filling metered spaces and parking in front of fire hydrants, in truck loading zones and in bus lanes" to attend prayer services, according to published reports.
Parking for prayer services has been an issue since the religious institution opened, per DNAinfo in 2013. What was once a battle over car congestion has shifted gears — now, it's all about the bikes for some residents.
Updated
Late yesterday afternoon, EVG reader Choresh Wald shared this photo, noting that the city added a sidewalk extension on the SE corner of First Avenue and 11th Street. The perpetual food truck here even relocated to the SW corner of First Avenue and 11th Street...
... but it had returned within an hour...
We haven't received any updates about an extension here... we'll see if we can get clarification on what's happening.
