Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Worker's Justice Project announced the installation of the City Hall Park Deliverista Hub, the first worker-designed rest and e-bike charging hub for delivery workers in the United States.
The City Hall Park Deliverista Hub will provide integrated services for the city's 80,000 app-based delivery workers, with separate modules for rest, bike repair and education and support services. Workers can access guidance on street safety, safe e-bike operation, wage theft and app deactivations. External battery charging cabinets at the rear of the hub will provide 24/7 app-based access to safe e-bike charging for delivery workers and the public. The hub will be staffed by the Worker's Justice Project five days per week and will also be open to the public.
“Delivery workers keep this city running — through the cold, the rain and every storm that comes our way,” said Mayor 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.”
“For years, I’ve worked to bring critical infrastructure to the tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers who serve our city day and night,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m proud to have secured $1 million in federal funding for this first-of-its-kind deliverista hub, which will improve access to e-bike charging, shelter, bike repair and much more. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Ligia Guallpa of Worker’s Justice Project, Gustavo Ajche of Los Deliveristas Unidos, Mayor Mamdani, and many others, this hub is now a reality.”
“Delivery workers have spent years powering this city while app companies have failed to provide even the most basic infrastructure needed to work safely and with dignity. This hub is the result of workers organizing, leading and building what companies would not. We are grateful to Mayor Mamdani and Senator Schumer for supporting worker-led innovation and helping turn this vision into reality. As the first deliverista hub of its kind in the nation, it marks a new beginning — giving immigrant workers the power to transform their industry and positioning them as leaders at the forefront of reshaping the gig economy, creating safer streets and advancing New York City's transition to a zero-emission delivery system,” said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker's Justice Project & Co-Founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos.
“At NYC Parks, we are always looking at how our public spaces can better serve New Yorkers, including the essential workers, commuters and recreational bikers who rely on them every day,” said NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “This hub transforms an underused space into a vital resource for deliveristas, a place to take a break, recharge, access support and make basic bike repairs. It is a great example of how thoughtful design can meet real community needs.”
“Every worker deserves a safe, welcoming workplace,” said NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn. “NYC DOT is proud to partner in the construction of this first-of-its-kind hub as we work to build safer streets, create more public e-battery charging options and hold app companies accountable for unsafe practices.”
“For years, we've been working on the streets without the most basic support — generating billions of dollars for app companies that exploit us in return and treat us as disposable. No matter the conditions — in the cold and snow, in heat and smoke, or rain and floods, with nowhere to rest and few places to charge safely — we keep this city running. Far too many of us have been injured on the job, with no support or protections from our employers. This hub started as an idea from workers who knew things had to change — and who organized to make that change real. It's not just about what this space provides today, but what it makes possible tomorrow: a future where delivery workers are organized, leading and transforming our industry into something safer, more innovative and more just,” said Gustavo Ajche, delivery worker and Co-Founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos.
“The Deliverista Hub represents a transformative new typology of public infrastructure. Much like the first gas stations that emerged in early 20th century America, this mobility hub introduces a new kind of service station — one purpose-built for the e-mobility era — offering safe battery charging, free bike tune-ups and a welcoming, human-centered space for delivery workers and riders alike,” said J. Manuel Mansylla, Principal, FANTÁSTICA, designer of the hub. “At a time when cities are being challenged from all sides — by extreme climate events, global pandemics and rapidly shifting technologies and commuting patterns — the pace of infrastructure adaptation simply isn’t keeping up. A customizable, prefab modular approach offers a faster, more flexible path forward, enabling cities to quickly scale a network that truly supports the deliveristas and e-bike riders who keep New York moving every day.”
“Delivery workers need more than recognition, and more than a charged battery. They need real infrastructure, safe places to rest and practical solutions that support them throughout their workday,” said Thomas Duscha, CEO of Swobbee.
Located at 249 Broadway, the City Hall Park Deliverista Hub was developed and built through the organizing of delivery workers alongside the Workers' Justice Project. The facility directly addresses safety risks in one of the city's most dangerous jobs, where one in five workers is injured on the job and the fatality rate is five times that of construction. NYC Parks provided the location at the site of a former newsstand near City Hall Park, and NYC DOT provided bike parking and a street access zone on Broadway near City Hall.
The hub was designed by FANTÁSTICA, an urban design and street furniture company focused on sustainability and smart infrastructure, and built by Boyce Technologies, a local engineering and fabrication firm that has produced public infrastructure for the MTA and other New York City and State agencies.
The hub's development is part of the City's commitment to improving worker conditions and advancing safe, sustainable e-bike delivery. Funding was provided by the Office of Sen. Schumer through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The project will serve as a model for future citywide infrastructure for New York City's rapidly growing delivery workforce.
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