Mayor de Blasio on Monday ripped new legislation that would prohibit the Big Apple from the capping its number of street-vendor permits, saying it would pave the way to “chaos here.”
“I would argue that a lifting of the cap is not the way to go,” de Blasio told NY1’s “Inside City Hall” after being asked about a bill sponsored by state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) that would outlaw such caps in municipalities across the state.
Ramos’ district includes part of bustling Roosevelt Avenue, home to many of the approximately 5,000 vendors licensed by City Hall — as well as several scofflaws who operate illegally rather than sit on a waiting list longer than the shelf-life of a street cart soda can.
De Blasio said he’s concerned the legislation could hurt brick-and-mortar small businesses by saturating sidewalks with food carts.
“I would strongly urge the [state] Legislature to let us figure this out here locally and not create chaos here,” he said.
De Blasio has previously backed raising the cap by more than 3,000 permits — but not lifting it altogether.