City eases up on fines against street vendors
The guy who owns the falafel stand on your street corner can breathe a little easier, thanks to the City Council, which voted overwhelmingly last week to ease restrictions on street vendors.
The council passed a series of bills on Feb. 27 calling for, among other things, a $500 cap on the amount of fines vendors can be hit with when they are found to be in violation. Under the old law, the fines escalated to $1,000.
“Street vendors are an important part of our city’s backdrop,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said. The bills passed by the council “will ease the financial burden placed on street vendors and will clarify city regulations on where vendors can operate,” she said.