LA City Council Considers Making Al Fresco Dining Program Permanent
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee Monday voted in favor of having a report created to look into the possibility of making the Al Fresco program permanent.
"With around 2,000 restaurants currently participating in Al Fresco, its popularity is undeniable," Councilman David Ryu, who introduced the motion, said. "Los Angeles has an opportunity to reimagine the ways that we use our city streets and support our local businesses. Now is the time to think about how we want our city to emerge from this pandemic, and this is one way we can emerge better than before."
The Al Fresco program, which enables restaurants to provide unconventional outdoor dining in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, has received positive feedback from restaurants, diners and restaurant-adjacent neighborhoods, Ryu said.
The program has also allowed the city to support the hard-hit restaurant industry by allowing outdoor service.
Ryu's motion instructs city departments to report back on the potential program structure and any safety and infrastructure requirements necessary for permanent implementation.
Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the Al Fresco program May 29 in an effort to streamline requirements and approvals across multiple city departments for outdoor dining on sidewalks, parking lots and streets.
In the most recent phase of the program, 55% of resources have been dedicated to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous or other people of color in areas that have experienced disproportionate job loss due to COVID-19.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
