Yesterday, DCRA posted the latest (4th) version of proposed food truck regulations.  Tim Carman, from the Washington Post, has a summary of this version of the rules which seems to loosen up the sidewalk free-of-obstructions rule, but still kept the requirement of 10ft of sidewalk in front of the truck.  Inserted into the rules is some bizarre monthly lottery system, which costs $25 for a chance to win a $150/month spot in special vending zones.  Instead of letting the market discover and serve the areas of highest demand, DCRA would actually dictate which zone and how many trucks could serve in any zone, as if they were sidewalk hot dog vendors.  I think it’s pretty easy to see how much of a disaster that would be!

Public comments are due by 5pm on April 8.  Comments can be sent to Mr. Helder Gil, Legislative Affairs Specialist, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, at  DCVendingRegs@dc.gov.