L.A. City Council Member Hugo Soto-Martínez and Council President Paul Krekorian introduced a motion at the City Council meeting two weeks ago that would remove the no-vending zone on Hollywood Boulevard that has been in place for the past five years.
Since the decriminalization of street vending in 2018, the Los Angeles City Council established a group of eight no-vending zones that included popular areas like the Crypto.com Arena, Dodger Stadium, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where it was determined that street vending would still be illegal.
Street vendors who frequently sell in those areas have continued to fight this decision for years, attempting to make these popular L.A. streets open to street vending.
Last December, street vendors, along with community groups, filed a lawsuit against the City of L.A. for upholding these unlawful and discriminatory “no-vending” zones. The lawsuit alleges that the anti-vending zones violate SB 946, a 2018 state law that essentially legalized street vending.
Although the lawsuit is still ongoing, it inspired council members like Soto-Martínez, who has long advocated for street vendors in his district, to pursue this newly introduced motion.