PORTLAND, Oregon — On Thursday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced that the agency is piloting a new food truck program that allows food truck vendors to gain permits, to park and vend on city street while increasing foot traffic in Portland's central city, according to PBOT.
“We’re just really excited to be able to be a part of breathing life back into downtown Portland,” said Becca Russell, the co-owner of Alchemy Sandwich Co. who is part of the pilot program.
The two-year pilot program allows food truck vendors to apply for a permit to safely park and operate at one of many bureau-designated parking spots in central city. Earlier this year, the Portland City Council approved an ordinance allowing PBOT to permit food trucks in central city through 2025. If the pilot shows promising results, PBOT plans to propose a long-term program to the council fall of 2025.
“The purpose of this program is to create incentives for people to come and enjoy spending time in downtown Portland," said Portland Commissioner Mingus Mapps.
This stems after PBOT launched its Healthy Businesses program during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed mobile food trucks to operate in the city. Food trucks were not included when the program retired in 2023 — PBOT kicked off its permanent Outdoor Dining program.
"Without this opportunity, our [food] truck might just be parked at home," said Russell. "So, we're really excited about the opportunity to have a year-long sustainable business."
The new pilot program would not only boost local economy while supporting small business but increase food traffic within central city. This comes after years of pushing to revitalize downtown after many businesses took hard hits during the pandemic.
“I love this initiative and I love supporting local. So, I think that’s the most important piece of this and the part that I’m most excited about,” said Abby Laufman, who works in downtown Portland. “I think there’s a lot of options downtown but they are pretty spread out. So, this one is like two blocks away. It’s really nice to just grab a quick lunch and be able to go back to the office.”
In a press release, PBOT's Director Millicent Williams believes the food truck program will help with increasing foot traffic within central city.
“Food trucks, like PBOT’s Outdoor Dining Program, bring life and activity to our streets and sidewalks,” said Williams. “The food trucks provide a new and exciting way to bring more small businesses into the central city, giving a boost to our local economy while adding to the vibrancy of our city’s streets. I look forward to hearing from Portlanders about their experiences over the duration of this two-year pilot program.”
Here's how the program works: PBOT is partnering with Suburban Events, a company that helps regarding the food truck placement and management across the city. If any vendor is interested in having their food trucks participate in the program, they're encouraged to fill out this form, here. A representative from Suburban Events will then work with the vendor and PBOT to make sure that the truck will be parked in a location that is safe for park and vend on city streets.
PBOT currently has multiple food truck host locations across the city, where it rotates different food truck vendors. Anyone interested in hosting food trucks on their property is asked to fill out this form, here. Anyone seeking more details regarding the food truck program can click the link, here.