L.A. City Council Looks to Legalize Street Vendors

Street vendors selling hot dogs, tacos and other foods are commonly seen around the city, though all of it, except at special venues, is illegal. About 2,000 street vendors have been arrested since 2012, the council's Economic Development Committee was told.

The committee voted to create a group to design a way for vendors to apply for permits and demonstrate that they are following health laws and other city regulations. The group was asked to deliver a report in 90 days.

New York City, Portland, Chicago and Philadelphia allow permitted vendors to sell goods and food on the sidewalk.

For years, the City Council has looked at legalizing street vending -- allowing a pilot programs in and around MacArthur Park at one point -- but no citywide ordinance exist for licensing and regulating vendors.

In November, council members Curren Price and Jose Huizar renewed an effort to legalize street vending.

In a statement today, Price said the time has come for Los Angeles to join "every other major city in the country" by developing a "properly regulated street vending system" that is sensitive to the needs of "vendors, consumers and small business owners."

"Thousands of Angelenos are already making their living by selling food and retail items on our streets and sidewalks," he said. "This program will simply allow us to better regulate and manage this industry."

Huizar called the existing methods for dealing with street vending "untenable and impossible to enforce."

"It's unfair to brick-and-mortar businesses and it's unfair to vendors who truly want to play by the rules under a permitted and regulated system," he said.