LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
Lake Street Creamery serves customers on Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town (more info here) | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
They can revitalize a desolate street corner with a tweet, but also potentially take business away from a restaurant when parked nearby. Food trucks have taken Los Angeles by storm over the last year and a half and politicians have taken notice.
On Wednesday afternoon, a transportation panel of L.A. City Councilmembers will hold its first public meeting (.pdf) on food trucks. Of the three motions to be discussed will be two recently authored by Councilmember Tom Labonge.
"I want to hear from everybody," LaBonge told LAist today. "I want to get information out, to ask question and get reports back from the department. I want to try form a possible solution to what at some locations is overwhelming activity... I look forward to tomorrow."
Of note is the 5700 block Wilshire Boulevard, which LaBonge represents, where an ad hoc food truck lunch row has pitted brick and mortar restaurants against them.
Michelle Grant of the Grilled Cheese Truck says there are potentially laws already on the books that could solve issues. She would like the city to "look at what they have already on the books before adding more regulation."
LaBonge's motions sought the possibility of "specially designated parking zones for catering trucks" and if food trucks could be restricted from parking meters within commercially zoned areas. A third motion, authored by Councilmember Dennis Zine in September 2009, looks into the legality of regulating trucks since L.A. lost a 2006 court case that challenged city parking laws that regulated catering trucks.