LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) — A hub for delivery workers to rest, safely recharge their e-bikes and escape inclement weather opened Tuesday on the site of a former newsstand next to City Hall.<\/p>\n
It marks the first hub for delivery workers in the United States.<\/p>\n
While it marks a major step forward for worker support for the city’s 85,000 delivery workers, critics argue more could still be done.<\/p>\n
The $1 million hub will act as a shelter to get out of the rain, charge their phones, and pump up or replace their bike tires — self service style.<\/p>\n
Eventually the idea is to add heat and air conditioning and a bathroom.<\/p>\n
The hub was paid for by a federal grant that goes back four years, pushed for by Sen. Charles Schumer and then-Mayor Eric Adams.<\/p>\n
“The workers had nowhere to rest, no shelter from harsh weather, it was just a grueling job and you saw that a simple kind of shelter which we hope to have many more of throughout the city, for not a big expense, provides real relief to the people,” Schumer said.<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was not there for opening of the hub, but fast-tracked it as he wanted it completed in his first 100 days.<\/p>\n
“Delivery workers keep this city running – through the cold, the rain and every storm that comes our way,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “They make it possible for families across all five boroughs to sit down to a warm meal or get the groceries they need right on time. After long hours on the street, workers deserve a place to rest, access resources, charge their e-bike batteries safely and be in community. This space provides all that and more. In opening the Deliverista Hub, we’re building a dedicated place for the City to take care of its own.<\/p>\n
In addition to providing a place to rest and charge e-bikes, the city’s app-based delivery workers can also access guidance on safety, wage theft and app deactivations.<\/p>\n
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