The city of Los Angeles has settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of street vendors by agreeing to repeal bans on vending near schools and farmers markets and cancel citations issued to vendors for selling in restricted areas, attorneys representing the vendors announced Friday.
The lawsuit, which was filed in late 2022, alleged that city ordinances establishing no-vending zones and prohibiting street vendors from operating within 500 feet of schools, farmers markets, swap meets and temporary events violated state law.
“The bans are gone and the vendors have been vindicated,” said Merlin Alvarado, a street vendor and plaintiff in the lawsuit who has been selling fruit and hot dogs on Hollywood Boulevard for 17 years. Alvarado, other vendors and community advocates gathered Friday morning on Hollywood Boulevard with pro bono attorneys who filed the lawsuit to celebrate the settlement.
“Street vending is one of the great traditions and resources of our city and we hope that our role as contributors to the community will be fully recognised,” he said.
In February, the Los Angeles City Council voted to eliminate no-sale zones, which included high-congestion areas such as the Hollywood Bowl, Crypto.com Arena and Universal Studios.
The settlement builds on that decision by opening up more spaces for vendors and guaranteeing reimbursement for vendors who were ticketed in no-vending zones, said Doug Smith of Inclusive Action for the City, a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
“Los Angeles loves street vendors, but historically our laws have not shown that love,” Smith said. “So this is a really important victory.”
Requests for comment from Mayor Karen Bass were not returned. A representative for Councilman Hugo Soto Martinez, who has been an outspoken advocate for the vendors, said the councilman was not available for comment on the deal.
Under the terms of the agreement, vendors who paid fines for no-vending zones in the past five years will receive a refund and all unpaid fines will be cancelled.
Many street vendors risked being fined for selling in high-traffic areas like Hollywood Boulevard, said Ruth Monroy, a street vendor with seven years' experience and a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Vendors can now set up shop in high-traffic areas without having to worry about violating city law or being fined, he said.
The agreement also sends a message to other cities in the state that may have sales restrictions, Smith said.
“The days of discriminating against vendors are over, and old exclusionary tools are no longer legal,” he said. “Other cities in California now know that arbitrary vendor bans are illegal and can and will be challenged.”
Under the agreement, street vending “in the vicinity” of farmers and swap meets remains prohibited under state law. Smith said more needs to be done to create specific policies that allow street vendors to operate in compliance with city rules.
“We are excited to get to work and show that policies are better when they are created with the experience of the most affected communities,” she said. “The lawsuit doesn’t end the work, but it prepares us.”
