BAY RIDGE — The Merchants of Third Avenue (MOTA) held an informative, passionate meeting at the Greenhouse Café the evening of Nov. 13, where the group discussed driving more traffic to the avenue and attracting new members.   

MOTA President Daniel Texeira told the Brooklyn Eagle that of the 430 businesses on Third Avenue, about 95, or less than 25%, are MOTA members.

“We’d like to get our membership up,” Texeira said. “But unfortunately, Third Avenue is a tale of two cities. From around 88th to 74th, the street is active, and then there are few dead blocks. But it is starting to pick up again down around 69th Street.”

Texeira, addressing the crowd of 30 plus, said, “If you have people on your block that are not members, I ask you to go out, solicit them and bring them in, because we want to keep Third avenue thriving.”