COLUMBUS, Ohio — Starting this weekend, food trucks in the Short North will no longer have to stop operations at midnight. Columbus City Council voted Monday night to lift the restriction that was established in response to violent incidents in the area.
The restriction was put in place through Mayor Andrew Ginther's executive order on May 19 in response to two straight violent weekends in the district last month, which council later ordained.
"Food carts are not the cause of violence in the Short North. It's that simple," said Councilmember Emmanual Remy.
On May 6, 10 people were injured during two separate shootings in the Short North. One person was fatally shot during a fight in the area the following weekend.
In response, the city restricted parking along North High Street between East Goodale Street and 5th Avenue during the night, increased police presence and asked bars to shut down early.
Ginther's office released a statement after the vote saying, "Restrictions on food trucks were but one tactic to keep the Short North safe in recent weeks, and combined, our efforts have generally worked. We’ll continue to develop new safety strategies that match the needs of Columbus neighborhoods – in every part of our city. Our work isn’t over, we’ve just begun."
The food trucks will be allowed to stay open until 2 a.m. starting on Friday.
Last week, the city said there could be fewer officers in the district to allow for more officers in other communities in need. The city also scaled back parking restrictions to allow street parking along the southbound lanes of High Street between Goodale Street and Fifth Avenue. Street parking along the northbound lanes of High Street will still not be permitted after 10 p.m.