Residents on the 3400 block of Miller Street in Port Richmond say their once-quiet neighborhood has become a late-night nuisance zone, filled with screeching tires, blaring music and piles of trash they blame on a nearby delivery hub.
Several neighbors told CBS News Philadelphia the problems began after DashMart — an online convenience store operated by DoorDash — opened a supply pickup location at Schiller and Gaul streets a couple of years ago.
Although the site is not open to the public, delivery drivers operate there nightly, often until 3 a.m.
“It’s been a quiet neighborhood,” Anthony Fox, who has lived on the block for nearly 15 years, said.
Fox said traffic “increased 100-fold” after the DashMart opened, estimating that “200 or 300 cars a day” now pass his home. He said drivers frequently park outside his house and blast loud music late into the night.
Fox also said the increased activity has brought trash and rodents.
“Rats have been gathering. Trash — every day I’m out here picking up trash,” he said.
Other residents echoed the concerns. Erika Young said she’s routinely awakened in the early morning hours.
“The noise — I’m up at 3, 4, 5 in the morning because they’re out on their phones in the parking lots, the music’s blaring,” she said.
Neighbors say they’ve repeatedly called police but have seen little response.
“All the neighbors have been calling,” Fox said. “They say they’ll be out there. We never see them.”
A DoorDash spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia that drivers are independent contractors. In a statement, the company said, “Our focus is on empowering local economies, and DashMarts allow us to connect communities with local products and the small businesses they love. We strive to be good neighbors, and understand that in this instance we may have come up short. We’ll continue to improve operations at the Gaul St. location to minimize any disruptions to the neighborhood.”
Philadelphia police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
