But L.A.’s push to legalize sidewalk vending has run into a persistently stubborn obstacle: the quest for legal carts. Vendors and their advocates complain that, this summer, public health investigators have tossed out vendors’ food in Westlake and Glassell Park. The sink space alone would take up much of the feasible footprint for a sidewalk cart, Kiani added. Their plan is in the early stages, with a blueprint still going through the approval process with the public health department. As a result, the report concluded, “most sidewalk food vendors remain exposed to the daily threat of ticketing, harassment and fines, which perpetuate an unending cycle of criminalization and poverty.”

Source: Los Angeles Times August 11, 2021 12:02 UTC