Opinion: Allow street vendors in L.A., but set limits and enforce them

To the editor: Creating walkable sidewalks is important to business, especially in downtown’s Fashion District, where 4,000 independent wholesalers and various apparel marts are located in a 100-block district. But on weekends, hundreds of unlicensed street vendors crowd the sidewalks and spill into alleys and streets in the Fashion District, creating a hazard for pedestrians and leaving litter and food waste. (“Bring on the street vendors: They’ll make L.A. a better walking city,” Opinion, Dec. 26)

The sidewalk vending framework the City Council is currently considering will help by limiting vendors to two per block and requiring them to have trash receptacles and liability insurance. But communities must also have a choice as to how much — if any — sidewalk vending they want.

And any new regulations must be enforced at all times. In the past, we have had to pay extra for the Bureau of Street Services to enforce the existing regulations on Saturdays, when the bureau is usually closed.

Rena Masten Leddy, Los Angeles

The writer is executive director of the LA Fashion District Business Improvement District.

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