Food Truck Vendors, Drexel University Students Pushing Back Against Proposed Parking Restrictions
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A food truck fight is going on at Drexel University. Operators and administrators are battling over where the trucks can park.
Even on a cold, rainy day, a quick trip to a nearby food truck on Drexel's campus is how many students satisfy their hunger.
"You gotta couple bucks, you get a quick bite to eat between study sessions or classes or whatever is going on," one student said.
But for a busy stretch of campus -- Market Street between 33rd and 34th Streets -- food trucks and their smaller food cart companions could soon disappear.
Jess Caldwell, who operates both the Dos Hermanos Tacos and Red Stone Pizza trucks in that area explains.
"Unfortunately, we just found out that City Council is looking to take away open vending on Market Street," Caldwell said.
That means no more cart or truck vending along the very busy route.
Caldwell and other operators say Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell introduced the new bill weeks ago at the request of Drexel University administrators.
"They're trying to push the trucks more up toward the dorms," Caldwell said.
Caldwell says Drexel staff was supposed to let operators know about the proposed changes.
"They had a representative that said they came by. Nobody was informed," she said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Drexel University writes, "The draft legislation would not prohibit vending at Drexel University but aims to improve public safety and related traffic conditions on Market Street."
"These are some of the widest sidewalks in the city. There's no safety issues," Caldwell said.
Students seem to agree.
"Whenever you are ordering you're on the sidewalk here, so I don't see safety as a big issue," one student said.
Now, both the food truck vendors and some students are hoping for a last-minute change before the end of the legislative term this Thursday.
Eyewitness News reached out to Blackwell's office but did not get a response.
Meanwhile, vendors started a petition that has garnered nearly 500 signatures in just six hours.
The final vote is scheduled for Thursday.
