Street vendors, a core part of L.A.’s culture, often struggle to survive
1 year, 5 months ago

Street vendors, a core part of L.A.’s culture, often struggle to survive

LA Times  

Across L.A., street vendors can be seen on almost every other block. Vendors must obtain a business tax registration certificate, a California state seller’s permit, pay the vending permit fee as well as obtain an L.A. County public health permit. Orozco said the main reason she has not been able to renew her food vending permit is because she is trying to sell food in one of L.A. County’s “no vending zones.” Merlin Alvarado displays a variety of mango, watermelon, kiwi and other fruit on Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive. The city’s ordinance lists no vending within 500 feet from multiple locations across L.A. That includes the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, Crypto.Com Arena/LA Live, Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl and the L.A. Coliseum/Banc of California Stadium on event days. A recent lawsuit, brought by street vendors and community organizations, is challenging the city’s no vending zones policy, saying it violates SB 946.

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History of this topic

In a win for street vendors, L.A. agrees to lift restrictions and cancel fines
5 months ago

In a win for street vendors, L.A. agrees to lift restrictions and cancel fines

LA Times  

Street vendors gather on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in December 2022 to demonstrate against a Los Angeles city ordinance that created no-vending zones in the city. The city of Los Angeles has settled a lawsuit brought on behalf of street vendors by agreeing to repeal bans on vending near schools and farmers markets and canceling citations issued to vendors for …

L.A. County backs a legal path for street vendors in unincorporated areas
10 months, 3 weeks ago

L.A. County backs a legal path for street vendors in unincorporated areas

LA Times  

For five years, vendors hawking grilled meats, fresh fruit and used clothes on the streets of unincorporated L.A. County have been stuck in a strange legal gray area: no longer banned, but not yet regulated. “Now the county must do its part,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, adding she believed the rule change would bring marginalized entrepreneurs, overwhelmingly from Latino and …

Authorities forced us off the streets in the name of G-20 security, say city vendors
1 year, 3 months ago

Authorities forced us off the streets in the name of G-20 security, say city vendors

The Hindu  

: While the city is all set to host the G-20 Summit, street vendors say the authorities have forced thousands of them to vacate public space over the past month. What law says As per the Street Vending Act, 2014, authorised vendors are provided with a certificate of vending, which gives them legal safeguards. However, Arbind Singh, who heads the …

Inside the ruthless crime wave targeting L.A.’s vulnerable street food vendors
1 year, 4 months ago

Inside the ruthless crime wave targeting L.A.’s vulnerable street food vendors

LA Times  

It was nearly midnight, and Saul Martinez was cleaning up Tacos Los Chemas’ kitchen, a cramped space fragrant with the scent of pork roasted on the trompo. “It’s making me rethink selling food,” said Gladys Lopez, 51, a carne asada vendor in Westlake who uses the extra cash from the job for rent and other necessities. Antonio said the robbers …

Pedestrian safety drive running roughshod over street vendors’ rights?
1 year, 4 months ago

Pedestrian safety drive running roughshod over street vendors’ rights?

The Hindu  

“I had been selling vegetables by the roadside for years. Like her, hundreds of street vendors have been evicted across the city over the past few weeks as part of a special drive taken up by Bengaluru’s civic body and traffic police to clear footpaths of all “encroachments” to make way for pedestrians and prevent them from jaywalking. However, street …

L.A. street vendors sue city over right to sell in prohibited zones
2 years ago

L.A. street vendors sue city over right to sell in prohibited zones

LA Times  

Eva Garcia, center, joins street vendors and supporters Thursday on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame to demonstrate against an L.A. city ordinance that created eight citywide “no-vending zones.” On a good night, street vendor Merlín Alvarado sells 25 sizzling bacon-wrapped hot dogs to tourists along Hollywood Boulevard near Highland Avenue. “Now, one ticket wipes out an entire night’s work.” Alvarado sued …

Street vendors’ policy shelved
2 years, 1 month ago

Street vendors’ policy shelved

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: The GHMC has put the street vending policy, first announced in 2014, in cold storage. The policy was to demark vending zones, which would ensure safety of vendors and minimise traffic snarls on arterial stretches. Approximately, 20 town vending committees were formed at the circle level, which would comprise 20 per cent of government officials, 40 per cent street …

Editorial: Most street vendors still can’t get permits. There’s a bill to fix that
2 years, 4 months ago

Editorial: Most street vendors still can’t get permits. There’s a bill to fix that

LA Times  

The taco and hot dog stands that dot Los Angeles sidewalks are beloved for their tasty fare. But for the estimated 10,000 street vendors in Los Angeles County, only about 200 have permits to sell food. Despite a 2018 law that removed criminal penalties for street vendors and legalized street vending, the state’s Retail Food Code still makes it nearly …

Attacks on street vendors should be charged as hate crimes, Santa Ana councilman says
2 years, 5 months ago

Attacks on street vendors should be charged as hate crimes, Santa Ana councilman says

LA Times  

Silvia Trujillo, 50, a street vendor, sells fruit and other food and beverage items, in Santa Ana. Councilman Jonathan Ryan Hernandez will raise for discussion a proposed law that would classify all attacks on the Orange County city’s street vendors as hate crimes. In what would be a first for California, Santa Ana city officials considered Tuesday whether they can …

Column: In defense of street food vendors and the right to honest, hard work
2 years, 5 months ago

Column: In defense of street food vendors and the right to honest, hard work

LA Times  

Kelly Parra shows his support in May for street fruit vendor Tomas Escamilla, who was attacked in Woodland Hills. In my hometown of Anaheim, councilmember Jose Moreno — who fought a lonely fight for years against corruption at City Hall and is the chair of the longtime civil rights group Los Amigos of Orange County — shocked supporters when he …

Column: Liberal Santa Monica versus the street vendors
2 years, 10 months ago

Column: Liberal Santa Monica versus the street vendors

LA Times  

Street vendors approach employees at a police mobile command center in a parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier on Jan. 22. “You can’t get a plastic straw anywhere in Santa Monica,” said the 42-year-old lifelong resident, “but all of a sudden, we’re going to lower the standards of what food to sell?” Across the parking lot and the army …

Op-Ed: Hands off our taco carts! Small legal changes would protect vendors
3 years, 4 months ago

Op-Ed: Hands off our taco carts! Small legal changes would protect vendors

LA Times  

Fruit cart operators like Elizabeth Medina, at South Alvarado and 7th streets, and other street vendors in Los Angeles are vulnerable to fines because the county Department of Public Health’s rules were written to apply to larger vehicles. Instead, thousands of sidewalk food vendors in Los Angeles remain unpermitted, denied the dream of entrepreneurialism by laws that undercut food safety …

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