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‘It can’t be a free-for-all': Mayor Adams, officials take aim at vendor reforms
By
Arya Sundaram
Published May 6, 2025
Modified May 6, 2025
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Arya Sundaram / Gothamist
By
Arya Sundaram
Published May 6, 2025
Modified May 6, 2025
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Adams administration officials on Tuesday came out against legislation eliminating all caps on street vendor licenses and permits in the city.
Carlos Ortiz, deputy commissioner of external affairs at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, told a City Council hearing the administration opposed a bill to eliminate caps on vendor licenses and permits, citing potential “quality of life” concerns.
Corinne Schiff, deputy commissioner for environmental health at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said the administration did not object to hiking the number of new food vendor permits allowed each year.
But Mayor Eric Adams himself criticized the scope of the measure pending before City Council.
"People don't want to see a free-for-all in their community around vendoring," Adams told reporters in an unrelated event, adding that he’s received several complaints about street vendors. “It can’t be a free-for-all.”
The discussion concerns Intro 431, which over several years would gradually increase the number of food vendor permits and general vendor licenses made available before removing the limits altogether by July 1, 2029.
The vast majority of vendors operate without the required documentation, according to a recent study by Immigration Research Initiative. Just several thousand licenses and permits are currently available for the estimated 23,000 vendors doing business across the city.
Vendors and their advocates argued that the status quo has unfairly penalized hardworking immigrants looking to gain a foothold on the path to economic security. Vendors who testified before the Council said they had received hefty fines for vending without a license or permit.
”We want to comply with the regulations, but the city won't allow us to obtain the permits and licenses that we need,” said Angel Flores, 39. “We're trying to do the right thing, but we're trapped by a system that refuses to help us.”
But some business leaders said eliminating caps on vendor licenses and permits would lead to congested and disorderly streets at a time when enforcement has been insufficient.
They cited concerns about vendors blocking access to storefronts and improperly disposing of materials.
“While some believe the existing mobile food vending rules are enough to deal with limited bad actors, our daily experience managing New York’s public realm tells a different story,” said Evan Sweet, director of neighborhood operations for the Meatpacking District Business Improvement District.
Advocates for street vendors argued that making more licenses and permits available will actually increase compliance with health, safety and siting rules.
“Without a license they can lose, vendors have no real incentive to bring order to the streets,” Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, the sponsor of Intro 431, said during the hearing.
Joshua Goodman, deputy commissioner for public affairs and customer experience at the Department of Sanitation, said sanitation officers’ interactions with licensed vendors tend to be more “productive” than those with unlicensed vendors.
“ We're able to work with them on corrective action around, ‘Hey, you know, you can't leave this here. This is a little too big. You're allowed to vend on that side of the street, but not this side,’” Goodman said. “ Whereas with an unlicensed vendor, the conversations are often extremely limited.”
Goodman also said the 35 sanitation police assigned to enforce street vending are “at capacity,” suggesting that more police may be necessary if the cap on permits and licenses is lifted.
A proposed amendment to Sanchez’s bill would increase the number of enforcement officers as the number of vendor permits and licenses increased.
A committee vote has yet to be scheduled for the bill.
This article was updated with additional information.
Tagged
new york city
economy
Race And Justice Unit
street vendor
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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