What's The Latest On Roosevelt Island Mobile Food Truck Service? RIOC Operations Committee Meeting Will Discuss Location Near Subway Station Today But Does RIOC Have Right To Regulate Street Placement?
Last February 16, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) staff presented their plan permitting Mobile Food Trucks to serve the Roosevelt Island community. As reported in this previous post:
... After 2 months of study and deliberation, the RIOC staff presented their proposal yesterday for allowing Mobile Food Trucks to serve the starving, restaurant deprived population of Roosevelt Island. The result? As Roosevelt Island resident and RIOC Director Margie Smith commented during the meeting:After more than a month, we shall see later today whether the RIOC staff has come up with a plan to allow Mobile Food Trucks near the subway because that subject is among the items on the Agenda for today's 5:30 PM RIOC Board Operations Committee meeting.
I think you are going to kill the whole thing if you start doing this ... If we don't want vendors, this is the way to do it...What was the Mobile Food Truck Killing Plan proposed by RIOC staff? The RIOC staff proposed allowing Mobile Food Trucks or street vendors to operate in six locations - but incredibly, not on the West Channel Road by the F Train subway station used by several thousand Roosevelt Island residents
on their way home from work or school in the evenings and the location where Luke's Lobster Rolls Mobile Food Truck was kicked off by Public Safety last December opposite the Starbucks which started this brouhaha....
... After much prodding and insisting from the resident RIOC Directors, I think, though am not sure, the RIOC staff agreed to add a location for Mobile Food Trucks near the subway if the space complies with NYC regulations....
3. Status of Locations of the Mobile Food TrucksOn Monday I sent the following inquiry to RIOC President Leslie Torres and VP of Operations Fernando Martinez:
Has RIOC reached any decision updating previously announced policy regarding the placement of Mobile Food Trucks on Roosevelt Island? Specifically, will Mobile Food Trucks be allowed to park on the West Channel Road anywhere between Starbucks and the Blackwell Turnaround?RIOC's Press Spokesperson replied yesterday:
Also, RIOC has never stated under what legal authority it believes it can regulate NYC licensed Mobile Food Trucks that wish to serve the Roosevelt Island community on Roosevelt Island streets. If RIOC still believes it has the authority to regulate licensed NYC Mobile Food Trucks on Roosevelt Island streets, can RIOC also regulate licensed NYC taxi cabs, tour group operators, moving companies and other licensed NYC entities that wish to come to Roosevelt Island.
If it so chooses, can RIOC regulate take out food delivery services from outside Roosevelt Island that wish to use Roosevelt Island streets as well?
Thank you.
Several readers have noticed that the Mr. Softee Ice Cream Truck has been operating recently near theThe policy regarding the placement of mobile food vending trucks on the Island has not been finalized and will be subject of further discussion at the meeting of the Operations Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 5:30 PM.
RIOC has consistently stated that its authority to regulate operation of motor vehicles on Roosevelt Island stems directly from its enabling legislation.
Tram Station:
I got the impression that new licenses were on hold until the locations were worked out, etc, but Mr. Softee was at the Tram on Sunday, 3/11.and:
Yup. The Mr Softee knock-off has been selling its goods for the last few days in front of the tram. How did she get away with this? If she's allowed I'd love to see a real ice cream truck as well (Van Leeuwen anybody?)Turns out that the Ice Cream Truck has obtained a permit for the space by the Tram Station. Hopefully, there will soon be permits for the West Channel Road near the subway as well.
UPDATE 9:30 PM - Excellent news from today's Operations Committee meeting. After a very long and sometimes lively discussion, RIOC Operations Committee decided to allow up to 3 mobile food trucks to serve the Roosevelt Island community from the West Channel Road north of the subway between the Starbucks and Blackwell Turnaround. This location is in addition to the previously agreed locations for street and mobile food vendors at:
- Lighthouse Park
- Octagon Soccer Field
- Existing Farmers Market
- Existing Fruit Stand Market on Sidewalk by Subway/Duane Read
- the Tram Station and
- Southpoint Park
Will have video of the meeting later.
UPDATE 3/22 - Video of Operations Committee meeting discussion of Mobile Food Trucks is here.
8 comments :
I came off the Tram on Sunday and saw the Mr. Softee Truck parked there. I walked over... no line or anything, and ordered a cone. While being served, I asked how they got their new permit. Turns out, it's not new. Their permit actually expires in about 2 weeks. I, like most, wonder if it will be renewed.
The thing is why ptting food trucks by the tram or especially near the train is the amount of business that would be taken away from Nono's Pizza and Riverwalk bar and Grill.. I am sure the owners of the Bar and Grill will fight tooth and Nail for the food trucks not be anywhere near the tram or train station. We are part of Manhattan and oprate under laws, rules, nd regulations as thy pertain to Manhattan. If Roosevelt Island was their own entity outside of NYC ten RIOC could operate as they see wish. What RIOC and Hudson-Related fail to see is if the Island community bands together they ha ve the power to shut down any buisness here on R.I. They wonder why 85 cents to every dollar is spent off Island. And Gristedes needs to go with a Trader Joes in it's place
Quality of food on the Island is not very good, and Food trucks would be a welcome sight.
Can't wait to see the video to learn 1) how the awkward $345/month figure was calculated and 2) why it is so much higher compared to the $200 for a two-year period (if that is the correct fee). Similar to what Margie Smith said, if you want to discourage vendors, this is the way to do it.
The ice-cream truck doesn't directly compete with any existing restaurants on RI - that is undoubtedly why it being permitted to sell ice-cream by the tram. The existing restaurants on RI should welcome the competition from food trucks; if they are any good, they will benefit from the comparison. If they are no good, the public will flock to the trucks. They can then improve their restaurants based on the "feed-back" of customers' preferences.
Well, the $345/mo fee will keep that faux froyo at the tram away from us. Only high-end vendors will be able to pay that much and I doubt they would have any interest in coming to RI at all because very few people here would be able or willing to pay that kind of money for street food.
I'm not sure how the placement is "excellent news" when there will be no trucks with a $345/month fee. Why would a vendor pay that fee when they can go anywhere else in the city and not pay it?
Mr. Softee forked over $345 on 3/13 (though, they started selling the weekend before).
Trucking companies and their charge of pay is a deliberation when choosing a costume. In addition to the basic mileage allowance, there are various other important matter to consider when selecting a vehicle.
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