Hello petition signers,
While we won a small victory getting the food trucks off the Eastern Prom roadway for a season, we’re about to lose the war. Mr. Tuna (the most egregious bad actor) is putting on a full court press to have the trucks reinstated on the roadway. He claims the move caused them a 40% drop in revenue. Even if that number is accurate, the weather and the diminished COVID risk making people feel safer eating in restaurants, probably had more to do with it than being moved a hundred yards.
Please, all of you, email the Mayor, City Council and City Manager (email addresses below). Thank them for the much needed reprieve the move has given the Eastern Prom roadway and encourage them to continue the change.
Mention some of the benefits:
- Generator noise and air pollution has been moved away from residents and playground users
- Trash has been contained in a smaller area, so it’s easier to clean up. (City workers only empty trash cans. They don’t pick up the food trash left behind in the park. Eastern Prom residents often do that.)
- Hundred-year-old trees in the park are recovering from the root damage caused by food truck patrons
- Residents and park visitors (including food truck patrons) are finding more parking availability.
- The Eastern Prom roadway is far less congested and therefore safer for park visitors.
Also, it might help to remind them:
- The century old park was built precisely to give Portlanders a quite nature setting away from the hustle and bustle of commercial businesses
- The Food Trucks are just a hundred yards away from their previous spot.
- Food trucks pay $500 yearly food safety inspection fee. That’s 2/3 less than what restaurants pay.
- Food truck’s water view rent is fully tax payer subsidized
- Food truck trash removal is mostly tax payer subsidized
- Food trucks usually have multiple “support” vehicles (sometimes up to six). So it’s not just the food trucks themselves stealing parking space and adding to congestion.
- Most of the 12 food truck operators are not Portland City residents
- Before the move to Cutter Street, food trucks (mostly Mr. Tuna) left their food service vehicles, and/or support vehicles, in place overnight (sometimes for months) despite regulations requiring them to be off-street by 11 p.m.
Email addresses of City Council and Manager:
ksnyder@portlandmaine.gov
atrevorrow@portlandmaine.gov
vpelletier@portlandmaine.gov
tchong@portlandmaine.gov
Azarro@portlandmaine.gov
pali@portlandmaine.gov
rrodriguez@portlandmaine.gov
afournier@portlandmaine.gov
Citymanager@portlandmaine.gov
Recent news articles:
Press Herald: Send rebuttals to: letterstotheeditor@pressherald.com
Portland Phoenix: Send rebuttals to: colin@portlandphoenix.me; suzanne@portlandphoenix.me; karen@portlandphoenix.me; marian@portlandphoenix.me; mo@portlandphoenix.me
https://portlandphoenix.me/as-summer-winds-down-portland-food-trucks-go-lukewarm-on-cutter-street/