Most mornings, garbage trucks come and go from a parking lot on Pier 36, next to a busy bike lane along South Street.

It has long been a sanitation facility, but last month, residents say more garbage trucks started showing up, creating a dangerous situation for people who run and bike here.

"They're not used to combating with trucks and vehicles moving in and out on their pathway," said Frank Avila-Goodman, a local resident.

Residents say they've counted 36 new trucks. The Sanitation Department says only 11 more vehicles are based in the lot. 

The new trucks arrived in September after the department lost its lease for a garage on West 30th Street in Chelsea, which is expected to be torn down and replaced with an apartment building. 

Needing new space, the city moved the trucks to the other side of Manhattan - Pier 36 and some side streets, including East 10th Street in the East Village - angering residents who don't want the hulking vehicles in their neighborhoods.

Residents say they learned of the plan just a couple of days before the trucks started arriving, and they don't know how long they're going to be parked in the lot. 

"We didn't have much of a say," said resident Trever Holland. "It was more, 'We're putting the trucks there,' and it starts the following Saturday."

To help keep pedestrians safe, the Sanitation Department is stationing employees at two entrances to direct traffic. Residents say that doesn't address the problem of so many cars parking on the sidewalk along the bike lane. They also complain the trucks will ruin the ambiance created when a new park next door to the sanitation garage eventually opens. 

"To have these trucks in an open lot next to this where they're cleaning trucks, dumping garbage is unacceptable," said resident Sam Moskowitz.

The department says some of the trucks residents see entering the lot may be for a nearby construction project. A spokeswoman adds, "The Department is committed to being the best neighbor possible at all times. We will speak to our staff about residents’ and cyclists’ concerns and remind them not to park on bike lanes."

The department says it is also looking for a new location to house the trucks that were once on 30th Street.