Peduto suggests moving carts to DeSoto Street

After one extension from City Council, the food trucks may get another reprieve.

City… After one extension from City Council, the food trucks may get another reprieve.

City Councilman Bill Peduto introduced a new piece of legislation yesterday aimed at creating a new vending area for the food trucks, which remain at Schenley Plaza for now.

Last week, City Council approved a stay until the end of February, although the vendors’ licenses expired on Jan. 31. The city originally demanded that the trucks leave by Feb. 1, but construction was delayed, and a week went by with no word about their fate.

Dan Gilman, a spokesman for Councilman Peduto, said the councilman is looking at a new site on DeSoto Street, between Fifth Avenue and O’Hara Street and near the Graduate School of Public Health.

“There’s no parking or meters there, so Oakland won’t lose any parking,” Gilman said. “It’s also still accessible to students and staff.”

The new location, although farther than the current site from the Cathedral of Learning and the William Pitt Union, is closer to the buildings of upper- and mid-campus, as well as Lothrop Hall.

“I’m happy about the location,” said Irene Frieze, vice president of the University Senate Council.

The Senate issued a resolution last week urging Pitt to work with the city in finding a new location for the vendors.

“[The new location] is not as central as before, but it’s nice for students living farther up the hill,” Frieze said.

The DeSoto Street location must be approved by City Council before the trucks can move, and their stay at Schenley Plaza expires Feb. 28. Peduto’s proposal would allow the trucks to park on DeSoto Street until June 30.

City Council will address the new legislation next week in a preliminary action. The public can testify before the Council during its meeting next Wednesday. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on the fifth floor of the City-County Building on Grant Street.

Vinay Patidar, owner of the Kashmiri truck, and Vichien Namsai, owner of the Namsai Express truck, are both distributing fliers about the council meeting, urging their customers to appear and show their support.

“I don’t mind the new location,” Patidar said. “It is still on campus, so that’s good.”

Namsai agreed, saying, “I think it will be all right.”