D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said Friday that he wants to update the District’s rules for street vending, which includes food trucks.
The slate of new rules Gray proposed includes an overhaul of the District’s long-standing “ice cream truck rule,” which has resulted in citations and fines for food trucks that lacked customers.
Under Gray’s proposal, food trucks could remain in a legal parking space as long as the operator pays the meter and abides by other parking rules, including time limits. Dessert vendors, though, would have to move on if they don’t have customers for 10 minutes.
Gray also pitched the creation of Vending Development Zones, which his office said would allow neighborhoods throughout the District to create plans to best meet their needs, and a slew of new vending permits throughout D.C.
In a statement released as Gray attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, the mayor said the new rules, if approved, would be a victory for potential business owners and consumers alike.
“These proposed regulations eliminate outdated requirements, make it easier for the smallest of entrepreneurs to set up a business here and expand the food options available to consumers,” Gray said.
The new regulations, slated for publication Friday in the D.C. Register, will be open for comment over the next 30 days. The D.C. Council will ultimately have to approve the proposed changes.
