Excerpt:
City Hall debated a new law on Thursday that expands the no-vending zone around the World Trade Center (WTC) complex — legislation proposed by City Council Member Margaret Chin that would force 22 food vending business to leave the area. At face value, it’s a safety measure: Chin, who represents lower Manhattan’s district 1, says the bill accommodates an increase in congestion caused by the opening of several newly completed WTC buildings. “This legislation is about safety – for residents, visitors and workers alike,” says Chin’s spokesperson Marian Guerra.
Oleg Chernyavsky, NYPD director of legislative affairs, added that while NYPD acknowledges the value street vendors bring to the downtown community, street vendors carts can be used to conceal explosives and often contain flammable gases — saying that their proximity to the WTC is an issue for safety and congestion.