On Monday, Vice Mayor Danny Hang introduced the Rainbow District Sidewalk Pilot Program to the West Hollywood City Council. The program is intended to address issues related to street vending, while still supporting street vendors.
In the past year, West Hollywood residents have complained about blocked sidewalks and storefronts, grease dumped in streets, and even threats of violence. Hang’s pilot program is intended to address these issues by helping street vendors get licensed through simpler processes, ensuring that they pay employees minimum wage and provide paid time off, and will also include privacy measures for vendors who are afraid of immigration enforcement.
All these changes are intended to help vendors operate more like other businesses. “We shouldn’t have one set of expectations for our restaurants and another set of expectations for businesses operating on our sidewalks,” Hang said.
After Hang made the motion, all five other Councilmembers voted unanimously in favor of the pilot. City staff will now determine the cost and logistics of the program before it is put into place. Hang emphasized that “this is not about allowing sidewalk vendors to operate without rules, it’s about helping them follow the rules.”
Some West Hollywood residents are skeptical about whether this plan will work. Last year, Hang made a similar proposal, which was tabled, leaving West Hollywood residents frustrated at the city’s inaction. Residents are hoping that this pilot program will be put into place and help solve the issues that they have been experiencing.
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