Harvard Halts Forbes Plaza Vendor Permits

Donald C. Moulton, assistant vice-president for government and community affairs, announced yesterday that effective today the University will not grant any new permits to sidewalk vendors on Forbes Plaza in front of Holyoke Center.

The six spaces previously allotted to vendors in the plaza have been eliminated as a result of anticipated "increased foot traffic at Holyoke Center during the bicentennial," Moulton said. All vending in the plaza will be suspended for approximately two years.

The city of Cambridge last month moved its bicentennial office into the Holyoke Center Arcade, adjacent to the University Information Center, Lewis Armistead, assistant to the vice president for government and community affairs, said last night he expects that the presence of the office will draw increasing numbers of pedestrians to the Forbes Plaza area.

Prime Factors

Tours of Cambridge and Harvard during the bicentennial period will be "the prime factor for congestion," Moulton said.

The city and University may also institute special joint tours that will include historical buildings at Harvard among visited sites, Moulton said.

Prior to July 1974, there had been no limit to the number of vendors permitted to market their goods in Forbes Plaza. When Harvard last summer instituted a system of distributing permits to only six vendors each day, 30 vendors who make their living selling products in Forbes Plaza picketed to protest the move.

Moulton said he does not expect picketing in response to the permit suspension.

"No one depends entirely on Forbes Plaza to earn a living," Moulton said. "We keep changing people, and like to give as many as possible a chance."

Moulton said that the eviction of sidewalk vendors was not related to possible competition between vendors and salesmen in Holyoke Center.

No vendors were selling in the square yesterday.