NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville Mayor John Cooper is signing a new bill that will change regulations for street vendors in Music City.
Metro Police said the current regulations have been challenging to enforce and they’ve received complaints about street vendors impacting pedestrian safety since March 2022.
The new bill would affect enforcement, permitting, and restricted areas for vending.
Currently, only the Metro Police Department can enforce sidewalk vendor regulations, but the bill will allow the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to enforce regulations as well.
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NDOT will also be able to issue permits to street vendors.
The bill allows the Traffic & Parking Commission to add restricted areas and maps.
Metro Police noted the difficulties they’ve had enforcing the current regulations. For example, they said one vending organization has received over 66 citations because the vendors said it was cheaper for them to pay the fine than to stop their business.
“The violations range from not having a license, to not having their license displayed, to being in locations that are prohibited,” said Clint Gilland with the Metro Nashville Police Department. “It’s incredibly frustrating when you are trying to gain compliance and people just scoff at you and go whatever and they just keep on doing it anyway.”
Cooper will sign the new ordinance on Friday, Feb. 17 at 11:30 a.m. at the Historic Metro Courthouse.
