Rowdy teen dirt bike riders ripping up popular NYC athletic field near Yankee Stadium: ‘Devastating’

These teens are heading down the wrong path.

A multitude of dirt bike-riding youths are damaging a track and athletic field in the South Bronx, creating dangerous holes and slippery conditions for local residents who frequent the park, locals told The Post.

“It’s terrible,” expressed soccer coach Naim Kurtovic, gesturing to large depressions in the turf at Macombs Dam Park—renovated only in 2010 due to the construction of the new Yankee Stadium nearby.

The coach noted he has also discovered syringes on the field just moments before high school athletes arrive.

Other teams, such as the football squad from Cardinal Hayes High School, have completely withdrawn from practicing on the field, as coaches have declared the area too hazardous.

“This has been devastating for our kids,” Cardinal Hayes Coach C.J. O’Neill commented to The Post. “We may not have a fancy stadium like some other schools, but playing right across from Yankee Stadium was a point of pride for them.”

A dirt bike accident involving a 5-year-old at the track in 2021 sent the young parkgoer to the hospital with facial injuries, yet locals report that regulation has been minimal since the incident.

A representative from the Parks department confirmed to The Post that no dirt bike-related citations have been issued at the park this year.

“This is a venue for physical activity, not a space for scooters, motorcycles, or dirt bikes—those should be kept on the streets,” fumed 55-year-old Eli Ocasio, who has visited the track for over a decade with his adult son, Gian.

“The track is being ruined,” he added. “We want this track to be [well] maintained for future generations.”

Local resident Ana, who chose not to share her last name, mentioned that the teen dirt bike riders have caused disturbances countless afternoons since the field’s renovation.

This reckless riding has led to dangerously slick conditions for senior citizens who stroll the track as well.

“The kids are restless; they lack outlets,” said Ana, who has been utilizing the track since her high school days.

“This is one of the few locations where you can truly workout, but it’s not what it used to be because of the dirt bike tracks—it’s slippery, and without the right gear, it’s tough,” she continued, mentioning she will “completely avoid” the park between 3 and 6 p.m. when numerous 15 to 24-year-olds are known to zoom around.

Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson, representing the South Bronx, informed The Post that the dirt bikes are just a facet of the more extensive issue of the $35 million city-funded park deteriorating mere years after its renovation.

“The track has not received proper management, and funds for its repair are lacking,” Jackson explained to The Post, adding that she has personally cleaned the track due to a shortage of sanitation staff.

“Dirt bikes are certainly an issue, but they aren’t the core problem,” she added.

A representative from the Parks department asserted that the city executes “routine” cleaning and upkeep of the field, which “is one of the most heavily utilized in the Parks system.”

The agency has conducted numerous repairs on the field since 2018, with a representative attributing some issues to the field being built atop the roof of a public parking garage.

According to the rep, this has “impacted the quality of the turf field.”

“Recently, we met with the coaching staff from Cardinal Hayes High School about the field and will be making some internal repairs to the turf,” the rep added, and they are now “exploring renovation options and cost estimates linked to repairs of the garage roof, which will lead to a future capital project to upgrade the field.”

This year’s complaints about the park also include eight garbage/litter grievances, along with several calling out loud music, graffiti, “unsafe use of the park,” and “obstructing public access,” according to 311 data—yet the assemblymember insists that most issues remain unreported.

Track runner Jonathan concurred, stating to The Post that he can frequently hear dirt bikes revving up from his apartment blocks away—but he believes this issue pales in comparison to the more pressing matter of “people dying from drugs on the street right there.”

“Residents are suffering from poverty,” Jackson noted. “They often do not have the time or resources to address these issues.”