By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Sept. 11, 2024: We have experienced a summer like no other in terms of the proliferation of delivery service vehicles picking up orders at our food establishments. Many of you have reached out to us lamenting the increase in traffic, congestion and general quality of life issues as a result of this phenomenon.

The Trustees and I are in complete agreement and continue to collaborate with our Police Department and the Chamber of Commerce to help ameliorate some issues and improve the quality of life in our beloved downtown, but we also need your help for a concerted community effort.

Scooters & Mopeds Impounded, Tickets Given, Patrols Increased 

On the law enforcement front, our police department has impounded 76 scooters/mopeds and issued over 500 tickets just in the environs of Park Place/Pondfield Road since late May.

To further refine:

-210 summonses were issued to scooter/moped operators

-250 double yellow line violation tickets were issued

-143 tickets issued for disobeying traffic control devices

Traffic enforcement overtime since May added 250 hours of patrol specifically focused on enforcing traffic violations within the business district.

The overtime dollars funded 64 extra tours targeted to the business district and our Community Policing Officers, when scheduled, walk the business district 8 AM until midnight. These are the tools our police department has to legally ameliorate the situation and frankly they are frustrated as am I that they do not have more tools at their disposal.

As example, in New York State, the current permutation of the loitering law allows a police officer to only disperse individuals if they are congregating for the specific purpose of gambling or prostitution.

To use an example, on evenings when you sometimes see people sitting in parking spaces with lawn chairs, it’s not a violation of any law in New York unless open alcoholic containers are visible.

Challenges of Ticketing Delivery Drivers on E-bikes that Don't Need Licensing

As to delivery drivers, we have designated an area for delivery vehicles to park for free with benches nearby for seating, but we have no legal authority to require someone to go there when asked. Many of the drivers we engage with tell us they must be near the place of business to pick up the orders immediately as their tips are reflective of the speed of delivery.

It is also not illegal to lay on public benches.  As part of our annual fall clean up, we are systematically bringing benches in for cleaning and refurbishment, adding partitions on some so that those who use them for socializing can enjoy upright seating with companions.

As a piece of history, you may have noticed delivery folks from some of the major services such as DoorDash and Uber started with car deliveries; then when the cars received an excessive amount of violations, they switched to mopeds.

When mopeds began to be ticketed per New York State laws, delivery vehicles morphed into E-bikes as they do not need licensing and the regulation of E-bikes by the State of New York is virtually nonexistent.

We have also noticed the phenomenon of someone working for a major company having their scooter impounded and reappearing the next day on an E-bike. Those managing these business are certainly aware of New York State laws or lack there of.

As example, under current New York state law, if a resident parks an E-bike on the sidewalk near a store to pick up an order, it is a violation. If the same bike was driven by a delivery driver, they are exempt. Bikes also do not require any licensing from the State of New York. This grew out of legislation championed by folks representing New York City who wanted to encourage this kind of employment.

In terms of delivery drivers, it is also important to know that none of the major employers have any vetting process. It is also important to note here that we, too, recognize and admire the initiative and hard work of the drivers trying to make a living and we want to partner with them to conduct business in a safe manner.

The Smell of Marijuana in the Village

In addition, many of you have mentioned the acrid smell of marijuana which seems to permeate the Village on some days.

Per the provisions of the recently passed New York State marijuana law, in essence marijuana may be smoked anywhere that a cigarette can be legally smoked. By local law, we were able to ban cigarettes of any kind from all public parks and Village buildings but lack firm legal ground to ban smoking on public sidewalks.

You may have also read that there has yet to be a test in New York State that police can use, analogous to the breathalyzer for alcohol, for monitoring driving under the influence of marijuana.

Need to Work Together to Limit Local Deliveries

It is so imperative that we work together as we need the help of our restaurant establishments and our residents because we could limit some of the issues if the incredible demand was not there. In speaking to a gentleman who makes deliveries, he told me on a good day he makes 150 deliveries in the area.  

We are reaching out personally to all of our restaurants who use these services to be mindful that they are reaping the profits and they need to be conscious of their drivers’ patterns so as not to create profit to the detriment of their fellow business owners and valued customers. Unfortunately, many of the businesses with the most volume of delivery service have not chosen to join our Chamber of Commerce.

It would be so helpful if you encouraged your family to make use of the walkability of our beautiful business district and come pick up items of food in person or at least perhaps even combine orders as merchants have told us a significant number of folks order one iced coffee as an order or one ice cream cone. 

As you can imagine, Village government navigates a balancing act ever mindful of the rights of those trying to conduct business and provide a service while at the same time providing for a safe, peaceful and orderly business district. It really does take a Village to establish a new norm that is fair and respectful to all.

Note: The Trustees’ hour and a half open meeting with Chamber of Commerce members that delves even deeper into the issues above is currently available on YouTube.