WASHINGTON DC – Food truck operators have already been talking about how proposed regulations could crush their business in D.C. And according to a sidewalk survey just released by the Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington, the rules would make most of downtown off-limits, unless trucks won limited lotteried spots for special zones. All the streets in red signify places where food trucks would no longer be able to serve.

Map-of-Proposed-DC-Regulations

As a refresher: The proposed regulations call for 23 mobile vending zones throughout the city where limited numbers of food trucks would be allowed to sell food. Each zone would have a minimum of three parking spots; the cap is still unknown. A monthly lottery system would determine who got the spots for each weekday, and those who don’t win zoned locations would have to park at least 500 feet away from the zones. In the central business district, mobile vendors would also be limited to metered parking spots with less than 10 feet of unobstructed sidewalk.

Many food truck owners said the proposed regulations would push them out of the District or out of business altogether.

The D.C. Council’s Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will hold a public hearing on the regulations on April 30.

Find the original article by Jessica Sidman at The Washington City Paper <here>