Councilmember Alan Gerson is planning to introduce a new bill soon to sharply reduce vending on city sidewalks.
“I certainly intend to put it on the Council agenda,” Gerson said last week.
Gerson said he’s particularly concerned about what he calls “the unacceptable situation in Soho.” The peddler sprawl on Prince and Spring Sts. is “totally unacceptable,” the Lower Manhattan councilmember said.
He said there need to be new regulations on the number of vendors allowed per block and the space between them.
Gerson added, “We need to identify spaces, not on sidewalks, where the city can establish vendor marts, as the city has done in Brooklyn.” Gerson said he’s not ready to discuss specific locations, though he did let drop that Pier A, which is under renovation, in Battery Park could be a temporary spot.
“For example, there’s a parking lot on Lispenard St.,” Gerson added.
No one would be forced to go anywhere, Gerson noted, adding, “The idea is to make areas available and let vendors decide for themselves.”
