rob on August 09, 2011, at 08:22PM – #1

keeping vendors and food trucks food trucks from setting up on the street should help, easy crowding on the side walks however, i think there should be some leeway with lots. they seem like the best venue for vendors. guess we will see how this works out.

LAofAnaheim on August 09, 2011, at 08:46PM – #2

So an individual/private car driver kills a baby by pressing gas instead of the brake...and somehow the blame is on the food truck vendors? The blame is on the sidewalks?

Shouldn't the blame be on the CAR DRIVERS? Everyday, I hear dozens of people dead in southern California by cars, but yet we still encourage its use. Why no ban on private car parking within the Artwalk? That would be better. Let the streets only be used for pedestrians, taxis and buses only. Set up a barricade 1 lane in to give pedestrians more room to use the road.

Dion on August 09, 2011, at 09:07PM – #3

what a stupid decision. the energy created by the vendors, performances and the trucks added to the atmosphere. why ruin a good thing because one person made a mistake and stepped on the gas instead of the brakes?

Matthew McKelligon on August 09, 2011, at 10:20PM – #4

This was the wrong decision. It seems almost as though the aim here is to make Art Walk less of a draw to too large of a crowd, which hasn't simply seemed to work. It's never a good idea to mix pedestrians and drivers, period. The area that they're banning food trucks from wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience to simply close to automobile traffic altogether for a few hours once a month. Heck, they already do that sporadically throughout downtown for all of the film shoots and people nevertheless miserably get by. Local residents and workers would at least be able to plan accordingly for a known monthly street closure. Pedestrianize the Historic Core for Art Walk now!

art walk fan on August 09, 2011, at 10:43PM – #5

am i the only one that thinks its weird that you quote that joe guy, the executive director of the art walk, but you never speak to him? how come you do that? i dont always agree with the decision he makes, but it would be more authentic if you interviewed him, at least it would seem like this blog was presenting the news, not only its own opinion.

dtlavoice on August 09, 2011, at 11:41PM – #6

@art walk fan I totally agree. Joe guy did not even have the courtesy to attend the dlanc meeting on the subject. If the tragedy had not occur and prompted public outrage and a peak in city interest, Joe would still be an ineffectual executive director and the ArtWalk would run as usual. A visionary he is not, but the board and the $200,000 pledges that did not materialize don't seem to have a clue as to how to manage such an event.

Maxx Gillman on August 10, 2011, at 12:50AM – #7

Why don't we ban infants from art walk? That's the only way to be sure no infants die during it.

I have vision while the world wears bifocals.

Ma1234 on August 10, 2011, at 12:57AM – #8

Are you people suggesting street closures nuts? People, myself included, live on Spring Street. We access our garages on Spring Street! I can't believe it is being suggested that we "plan ahead" and not have access to our driveway once a month. Are you kidding me? You realize some people work and need to get home, right? When movies film on our street, we still have full aceess tom our driveways, except for the thirty seconds during a take when they block the street.

Closing the streets has never been and will never be an option.

Christopher Eaton on August 10, 2011, at 02:55AM – #9

What a silly decision. There is nothing logical or productive about it, except perhaps that Broadway may get more of the action now that food trucks will be parking there.

Matthew McKelligon on August 10, 2011, at 08:23AM – #11

@Ma1234: Like for filming, of course there would be traffic officers getting you to and from your parking garage during the Art Walk. I don't think you could ask residents to give up their access.

bigphatcatlover on August 10, 2011, at 08:51AM – #12

Yeah!!! Thank you Art Walk task force! Yes, of course (or at least I hope that) this move will discourage rowdy drunken crowds from turning our streets into a monthly brawl. And yes, moving the food trucks out will relieve some of the crowding while supporting the food businesses already here who pay their dues every day. And maybe unclogging the already too narrow sidewalks will provide more safety for those trying to navigate them. And finally, maybe now - with less crowds and less of a party atmosphere, those of us who live and work here will be able to live and work here!!!

Art Walk task force: You go right on ahead. Let this be the first of many smart decisions you make to return this event to an actual "Art Walk."

Alec Mitchell on August 10, 2011, at 09:02AM – #13

Spreading out the footprint of Artwalk by moving the most movable attractions seems like a decent idea, especially given the short timeframe the task force was working under. Perhaps moving some of the trucks closer to Grand Central Market will help bring people over there as well, and spread the crowds further. Grand Central Market was sadly underused at the last Artwalk.

I am concerned that converting the food truck lots back into operating parking lots will increase interactions between parking cars and pedestrians. More cars going in and out of the lots on Spring and Main is going to increase the likelihood of incidents, not decrease it. Parking lot driveways can become pretty menacing during Artwalk. Ideally we would find some way to discourage driving and parking on Spring and Main during Artwalk, even if the streets can't be closed outright.

stefano on August 10, 2011, at 09:24AM – #14

well, somebody needs to make a decision on what this event is really about. i think calling it 'art walk' is really no longer appropriate; i was there last month and i really struggled to see any 'art lovers', what i saw was a mob of people lining up in front of obnoxious roach coaches and buying crap. either way, the streets should be definitely blocked off that night (OBVIOUSLY allowing access to local residents, that goes without saying); once again, the LAPD showed how smart they are by opposing such decision! it doesn't take a genius to figure out that thousands of people roaming a few blocks are simply bound to get into some kind of accident (i think it is a miracle that we have only had one -and very unfortunate- bad accident so far!)

downtown vibe on August 10, 2011, at 10:39AM – #15

I think Eric has done an excellent job covering this issue! Bravo!!

There is a big difference between a "walk" on the sidwalk and street festival needing numerous and expensive permits. That's why it was originally set up the way it was. Under the radar.

I think this is a good first step. We have not completely dealt with the food trucks, because on paper there is no difference between Spring St and Broadway. The City needs to create a long term, consistent, policy for dealing with food truck operations.

What is the County policy? Food trucks are given operating licences by the County, then allowed to drive into the City to operate.

Who will enforce food truck operation restrictions?

What time limits are appropriate?

When are bathrooms required?

With the use of Twitter, food trucks can now create their own events, which are not permitted. How will that be controlled?

Should they be allowed in any commercial district where parking is at a premium and restaurants operate?

Should they have to pay the City for sidewalk maintenance?

What are the penalties for bad behavior? IE: Lying about routes, ripping off meters, or using fake parking tickets on the winshield to avoid tickets? (Right now it is a free for all)

How can you make them pay sales tax?

Now is an excellent time to address these issues..citywide.

Anera Cron on August 10, 2011, at 10:51AM – #16

They should do something, but they don't have to close the street, why don't they just ban street parking in that area? Wouldn't that help? I can think of so many alternatives that aren't so drastic like this.

Art Walk is amazing and making this kind of ban is going to ruin it. I hope I'm not the only person who thinks that this is too much, so I made a about this issue!

We have big events with even bigger crowds all the time all over LA, like this summer there were those festivals in Pasadena, Indie music fest, and Manhattan beach Surf Festival, that were handled without any incident. I don't see why a crowd in Downtown would be any different .... the fact that there's so many buildings?

rob on August 10, 2011, at 11:14AM – #17

One problem with closing down the street is who pays for it. for the officers to close, monitor, and reopen them? local businesses don't have the incentive, so as long as sidewalks are busy and people go into their establishments they are fine. food trucks and vendors would be the obvious choice but i doubt they would want to pay for that privilege, they enjoy the way things are now. and the city isnt going to provide it for free, a venue for people to drink and party. then you add in the arguments raised by this page a few weeks ago.

Will Wright () on August 10, 2011, at 11:36AM – #18

The idea of banning food trucks from the historic core during Art Walk is nonsensical.

We want crowded sidewalks. We want density and a wide diversity of uses. We want people to be attracted to an invigorated destination. We want pedestrians overflowing into the streets.

The idea that sidewalks become too dangerous the more crowded they become is misanthropic. That line of reasoning is simply a continuation of letting the automobile rule the road.

Also, if the food trucks aren't going to be in the parking lots then guess what will: cars. So, is that really all the much better? NO - in fact, it will be worse.

Myopic decision making will diminish the intrigue of long-term visionaries.

Jim Winstead on August 10, 2011, at 12:34PM – #19

so i guess you don't need a permit to hang an art show on the sidewalk, as we now have on the old bank district garage near main and winston. someone should point a camera at that spot on artwalk night so we can get a time lapse of what sort of problems it causes, if any. is there going to be another live painting event on the large chalkboard on 5th street outside the historic downtown bid and dlanc office?

i don't think street closures are a good idea, but i'm starting to come around to the idea of lane closures. maybe even just doing partial lane closures, plus turn restrictions, at key intersections so there's more room for pedestrians to pile up while they wait for the light.

it will be interesting to see how people react if (when?) lafd forces over-capacity venues to clear out.

Jhovanny Gutierrez on August 10, 2011, at 02:23PM – #20

Too little time to go over everyone's comments. Just want to throw in my 2 cents. Closing off the streets and allowing only buses and taxis? Yeah right, who is going to put up the money for that? It's a very good idea to draw this back on a large scale, although it may hurt some of the businesses there. But just like the arts was a mean of bringing back business to Downtown, others can do the same. It should not carry the burden of these businesses that rely on the money coming in once a month from certain patrons. I emphasize on certain because let's face it, most people just go there to get shit faced, and that's pretty much it. Why should these galleries that were ONCE focused on the art have to continue their work just to accommodate the irrelevant passer-by who just goes in to get a drink out of their back pack? I'm glad not all galleries are staying open so late, preventing the wrong crowd from getting in there. It was once about art, now it's just a big ass party. Underage drinking everywhere, of course bad shit is gonna happen and it will not go unnoticed for very long, I expect big crack downs. Should have listened to Jay Lopez

Rich on August 10, 2011, at 02:24PM – #21

One issue that closing the "food truck lots" does now is that it opens them back up to auto traffic. That's hundreds of additional vehicles entering the Art Walk zone which adds to the crush of cars already going through there, which then have to cross pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk to enter the lot. Repeat the process again on the way out. At least with the food trucks, they were there most of the night, stationary.

I thought the food truck lots were a great solution to the original dilemma, which was food trucks parking on the streets, creating a sidewalk capacity and garbage issue.

Moving the trucks onto Broadway or 3rd or 8th (back on the streets, most likely, since there isn't really enough time to organize new food truck lots on the periphery) may just be moving the problem rather than reducing it.

I like the idea of closing one block of Spring to eliminate through traffic, and/or allowing only residential access on Spring. Of course, having those large parking lots in the core zone open again puts pressure on that idea.

I guess we'll see what happens come Thursday.

Rich on August 10, 2011, at 02:32PM – #22

Secondly, pushing the food trucks out into the periphery also pushes the big garbage issues out as well... into some areas that are not BID territory.

That means the city will have to clean up the garbage where BIDs don't exist. Just taking a quick glance at the former Toy District should let you know how good a track record they have on that.

C D W on August 10, 2011, at 02:48PM – #23

I've heard part of the drive to scatter the food trucks is that the overcrowding of the food truck lots also brings in a negative element of drug deals. Too many people in too small of space is a breeding ground for problems on these lots. Though I'm a fan of spacing the trucks throughout the art walk neighborhood instead of multiple lots of them on 1 corner, I understand the need to try some different things. Trial and error. It is ART WALK - not FOOD TRUCK WALK. Let's focus on the art and make the food secondary.

C D W on August 10, 2011, at 02:56PM – #24

And don't forget... when you go to the food trucks where there are no tables and chairs and you're trying to eat with your face because you don't have a free hand... there are table and chairs in Biddy Mason Park open to the public. 333 S. Spring. Through the breezeway to the right of Wells Fargo. Lots of tables and chairs - and more galleries back there. You can get in there from Spring, from Broadway and from 3rd (behind the dress shop). It's a great little spot to escape the crowd and sit down to eat like civilized people.

Chris Loos on August 10, 2011, at 04:43PM – #25

"The idea of banning food trucks from the historic core during Art Walk is nonsensical.

We want crowded sidewalks. We want density and a wide diversity of uses. We want people to be attracted to an invigorated destination. We want pedestrians overflowing into the streets.

The idea that sidewalks become too dangerous the more crowded they become is misanthropic. That line of reasoning is simply a continuation of letting the automobile rule the road."

I couldn't have said it better myself. I've never seen a city do the logistical gymnastics that LA does in the name of not inconveniencing drivers one bit.

They'll move the food trucks. They'll try to spread the people out to neighboring streets. They'll ban serving free alcohol at gallery events. But god forbid they close down Spring St to cars one night a month, or even close down a lane or two. Its like it was never even considered. This town is so backwards...it would be amusing if it wasn't so sad.

TBerry on August 10, 2011, at 04:46PM – #26

I think moving the food trucks ONE BLOCK out of the nexus of Art Walk is a good idea... I'd also be in favor of shutting down the public lots and meters along Spring street through the densest areas of the walk. You could extend the sidewalks for the event to include the area that would normally be metered parking on Spring Street etc.

But the street should remain open. The difference between the street closed for film shoots and for Art Walk is TREMENDOUS. It's not as simple as traffic cops letting in residents... a film shoot is a well oiled machine with guys on walky-talky's, more cops than are necessary and NORMAL bystander traffic. For ART WALK, resident that would be granted access would have to fight through an ocean of drunk people wandering in the street to get to their driveways. I can't imagine that it will go very well.

My2cents on August 10, 2011, at 06:16PM – #27

It's great to see the city get involved and take action pertaining to public safety during the Artwalk.

Nobody knows if it's the best course to take...but I think we can all agree something should be done. I'm looking forward to future revisions and improvements.

The current popularity of downtown is wonderful to experience, and it doesn't look like the momentum is going to fade anytime soon... If anything it's only going to be amplified. -Mike

PS. I can't wait to walk to an NFL game

Kim Cooper on August 10, 2011, at 06:44PM – #28

Whoever controls the Downtown Art Walk Facebook page and Twitter account has just posted a wildly irresponsible plea that people not engage in "civil disobedience" at the event or the Art Walk may be "SHUT DOWN."

Commenters are urging them to delete this incendiary message, as it is using the official channel of the Art Walk to spread a dangerous, otherwise fringe idea to more than 37,000 people on Facebook, and another 7,700 people on Twitter.

The decision to move the food trucks, vendors, musicians, pop-up galleries and all portable content away from the center of Art Walk on less than two days notice is going to be confusing and unpopular with many attendees. Now Art Walk itself could be seen as laying the groundwork for encouraging a flash point, which can then be used as an excuse for the managing non-profit board to pack up tents and give up on this whole mis-managed mess.

A brief smidgen of sick humor: this was the Downtown Art Walk's Tweet #666.

The community deserved, and deserves, so much better. So much potential. Such a waste.

foodloveswine () on August 10, 2011, at 09:00PM – #29

@Alec, Grand Central Market will be open dung Art Walk tomorrow night. Flat Iron Truck, BigmistasBBQ, MF Gourmet, Deuce Events, foodloveswine, Chimu and other gourmet vendors will be open until 10pm. Art Walk has been coordinating with a curator to bring Grand Central Market onto the Art Walk scene for food. We hope to see you there! Come out and support local vendors and help GCM grow!

Alec Mitchell on August 11, 2011, at 08:35AM – #30

@foodloveswine my wife and I are very excited about this rare BigmistasBBQ appearance, and we went to Chimù last Art Walk :-) Including GCM in Art Walk is great, and bringing new vendors with active social media presences will hopefully get a better turnout there than last month.

I'm also pretty excited that Clifton's is doing a Gallery show this month, pushing the boundaries out a little bit further.

Paul Nguyen on August 11, 2011, at 12:14PM – #31

I work on a food truck and was really looking forward to doing my first art walk. Guess I'll never get to experience it. =(

Andy Rosillo on August 11, 2011, at 02:04PM – #32

Regardless of the ideological format it had in the beginning and what it has evolved into today, the Art Walk is a success for Downtown LA, to a degree.

The idea of dispersing the food trucks and street vendors to a wider area is probably the best solution to the problem. Assuming that the problem is too many people on the sidewalks at one time and there is no money to cover the costs associated with closing the streets.

But, I think that the organizers of the event, or the stakeholders, should have presented the change in a different manner.

"Due to its success, the Art Walk will now extend its borders from its original core to a new geographical area. Recognizing that the food trucks and street vendors server a purpose, such as being a part of the attraction and entertainment of the Art Walk, they will now anchor this new geographical area."

The change proposed by the LA CITY COUNCIL members, addressed the issue of reducing congestion of people on sidewalks, assuming that people will follow the main attractions of the ARTWALK, the food trucks and the street vendors.

Now that the change had been made, hopefully word will get out. Educate people on how they can enjoy and cover what Downtown has to offer this one day.

There is no reason why the event cannot continue to grow and evolve. Taking advantage of incorporating more area is fine, downtown has a lot to offer.

If anything, the Art Walk event has proven to be an evolution of a original idea. Part of the events success has been that it has adapted and evolved into what the event is today.

Sara Agajanian on August 14, 2011, at 10:28AM – #33

I'm sorry but no food trucks at the ART WALK? What are city board members just trying to find a way to get rid of the rid of the monthly event? It's not gonna happen.... The issue in this case is 1 pedestrian safety. and 2 baby marcello was hit on the side walk not crossing the street and definitely not waiting to order at a food truck. so how is taking the food trucks out of the art walk making it more safe???? With vehicles being able to still pass through the streets of the artwalk another "accident" like this can happen.... and adding more police doesn't solve anything let's not forget the was an officer helping the guy park.... So when is the city going to inforce the only thing that needs to be done here and block off the streets?

Sara Agajanian on August 14, 2011, at 10:31AM – #34

This wasn't a robbery people! come on