Recently, Jim Creedon, vice president for construction, facilities and operations, told The Temple News that the university is “wrestling with” the idea of creating a separate space called a “vending district” for the food trucks around Main Campus to service customers.
Food trucks currently line Montgomery Avenue, Norris, 13th and 12th streets. Gathering the trucks to operate in a parking-lot type space, as Creedon said when describing what the university is considering for their landscape plan, would limit students’ food options and availability to outside vendors while on Main Campus.
Every fall, The Temple News dedicates a special issue, Lunchies, to the food truck scene that’s celebrated on Main Campus. Many students said that buying from food trucks offers a more diverse and often cheaper alternative to having a meal plan.
Creedon said that safety regarding propane tanks and proximity of trucks to buildings is the university’s main concern. However, if food trucks are following all food truck and cart standards, they are allowed to park along streets but not on sidewalks or alongside buildings which are Temple property.
While Creedon said that plans for this vending district “are not imminent,” the university should recognize what an important asset the trucks are to Main Campus. As it stands now, having food trucks scattered across Main Campus allows students to grab something to eat on their way to class and caters to a student population with diverse needs.
The current situation celebrates the cityscape of Main Campus. Forcing vendors to be grouped together in one, specific area will be hindering a system that currently is a success for both students and the vendors that are serving them.
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