Arlington Board OKs Giving Food Trucks Two Hours to Vend

Lunchtime in Arlington just got a bit more flexible.

Food trucks now are allowed to park in the same space, where allowed, for up to two hours.

The Arlington County Board on Tuesday night revised local regulations, increasing the time a mobile vendor can be in a space from a maximum of one hour to two.

Elected officials also loosened the language in the regulations that have confined food trucks to locate within 1,200 feet of a Metro station. Now, they are allowed to park in more general vending areas around Metro stops.

That's roughly the area within a quarter-mile of a Metro station, though it takes into account boundaries like streets and blocks. (See this graphic for more information.)

The changes are the first part in the ongoing evolution of how Arlington treats food trucks, which have grown in popularity in recent years.

"The amendments put forward are not what we would consider perfect, but we realize this is an ongoing process," said Doug Maheu, director of the Arlington chapter of the DC Food Truck Association. Maheu also operates the Doug the Food Dude truck.

"This is something that we would like to continue working with Arlington County on," he said.

About 100 licensed food trucks operate within Arlington County. More than 90 percent of parking spaces in a Metro area are for at least two hours.

"These businesses are serving an important function, and they're also creating a lot of opportunities for people to get into business," board member Chris Zimmerman said.

The regulations govern the time for which a truck may sell its goods. After two hours, it either must stop selling or move to another parking space. In areas that don't have defined parking spaces, the truck most move 25 feet.

The changes were needed after the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office determined the existing laws were too vague to enforce.

One resident was concerned that food truck vendors, unafraid of the relatively small fine a parking ticket would carry, might park in prime vending spaces overnight to essentially reserve them for lunchtime.

Board member Mary Hynes suggested the county track the ticketing of vendors who have been licensed in Arlington to determine if that was a widespread problem or if a few vendors were repeat offenders.

This article was updated to include a definition of "Metro station area."

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Clarendon Patch this month looked at the proposed changes and their potential affects in Arlington and beyond. The full series can be found below.

Part 1: Why New Laws May Turn Arlington Into A Food Truck Haven

Part 2: Mama's Donut Bites Brings Fresh Treats to Rosslyn

Part 3: Speak Out: What Is Your Favorite Food Truck in Arlington?