LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Los Angeles City Council's Transportation Committee Monday voted in favor of having a report created on the possibility of making permanent the Al Fresco program, which enables restaurants to provide unconventional outdoor dining amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With around 2,000 restaurants currently participating in Al Fresco, its popularity is undeniable," said Councilmember David Ryu, who introduced the motion.
"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 has received positive feedback from restaurants, diners, and restaurant-adjacent neighborhoods, according to Ryu, and it has supported the heavily affected restaurant industry by allowing outdoor service.
Ryu's motion instructs city departments to report back on a potential program structure and any safety and infrastructure requirements necessary for implementation.
The Al Fresco program was launched by Mayor Eric Garcetti on May 29 and streamlines requirements and approvals across multiple city departments for outdoor dining on sidewalks, parking lots and streets.
In its most recent phase, the program dedicates 55 percent of resources to businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and people of color or businesses in areas that have experienced disproportionate job loss due to COVID-19.
Eligible applicants can receive immediate approval for sidewalks and private property use.