You’ve seen the signs: huge block letters declaring Hollywood Boulevard and the surrounding community a “No Vending Zone,” complete with a big red line crossing out a silhouette image of a street vendor. While this intimidating signage accurately represents the economic erasure that vendors in L.A. have long experienced, the actual policy is illegal.
Like the old redlining maps and restrictive covenants that were used to segregate our city, these discriminatory zones should be struck down. Last year, our organizations joined street vendors to file a lawsuit that aims to do just that.
Almost a year after the lawsuit was initially filed and just months before the trial is scheduled to start, the City may finally see the writing on the wall. Last week, the City Council approved a motion to amend the current street vending ordinance to ensure that it is compliant with state law and to create a process for a pilot “Special Vending Zone" for Hollywood Boulevard. This is a good first step, but it doesn’t do enough.
First, a little history. For decades, street vending was banned everywhere in Los Angeles. As a result, the workers who nourished our communities, activated our streets, sustained our economy, and brought joy to our neighborhoods were at constant risk of arrest, fines, and even deportation. In 2011, a small group of vendors started building a movement with a simple demand: legalize street vending. After years of coordinated community organizing, policy advocacy, and legal strategy, our coalition grew to include hundreds of vendors. In 2018, we partnered with then-state Senator Ricardo Lara to pass SB 946, which established a statewide legal framework to decriminalize and legalize street vending across California.