U. to push City Council for food truck regulations

Citing "intolerable" conditions, University administrators are pushing the City Council to regulate the vendors who set up shop near campus. Carol Scheman, vice president for government and community affairs, said she hopes the Council will approve some regulations by next spring. An ordinance on vending would ease enforcement of health and safety codes, Scheman said. With the spring deadline in mind, she said she plans to start pushing ideas through the Council immediately. In an attempt to reach a consensus on vending guidelines, Scheman met with students and faculty last week and previously spoke with the vendors themselves. The vending situation in University City has worsened since 1992, when the imposition of regulations in Center City caused an influx of vendors into West Philadelphia, Scheman said. "The current compliance with public health standards is variable," she added. Unregulated vending can also interfere with the University's safety efforts. Director of University Police Operations Maureen Rush said vending trucks often obscure certain areas from the view of patrolling officers. Rush cited an incident last month when four students were robbed behind vending trucks on the 3900 block of Spruce Street. "The conditions made it a nice place for a robber to be," she said. "Three big silver trucks were left there for the weekend and provided cover from the street." She added that the Department of License and Inspection subsequently ordered the removal of the trucks. Rush also said she has seen "many near misses" where pedestrians crossing from behind vending trucks couldn't see oncoming cars. "I know from just driving around here," she said. "Instead of going to cross at an intersection, students stick their little heads out from behind the food trucks. If there had been a big truck coming, they wouldn't have a head." Scheman pointed to vending trucks as "sitting bombs," noting a case last year when a vendor's gasoline tank exploded. Restricting vending trucks from Spruce and Walnut streets is also part of the University's lobbying agenda for City Council. Vendors on Spruce Street restrict ambulance access to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to Scheman. After two hours at City Hall, Scheman said she was able to push an agreement to remove the 11 vendors who blocked Spruce Street in front of HUP. But two have since returned. "Dealing with these issues one at a time is irrational and a waste of resources," she explained. Scheman said most vendors seem optimistic about plans for regulation. "They know not everyone will be included," Scheman said. "The vendors understand they are in a competitive business where there are winners and losers." But she noted that a limited arrangement would be preferable to the current situation, where many vendors have to get to campus as early as 2 a.m. to fight for a space. "Vending is an important Penn tradition," Scheman said. "But it can be done better." Following authorization of the City Council ordinance, the University will proceed in developing more specific plans, such as where certain vendors will be situated around campus, which vendors will be included and parameters for cart design.

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