New Medford, OR: New Medford food truck parking ordinance begins

By Jennevieve Fong  |  News 10


Food truck owners will now be allowed to park overnight, as a new city regulation in Medford comes into effect on Friday. Previously, the food trucks were required to move off the properties each night.

The City of Medford has created three different types of permits for food trucks:

  • Parking from 9 P.M. to 3 A.M. on select streets.
  • “Daily Pods,” allowing current permit-holding trucks to park for up to five days in the same location on private property
  • A land-use process to allow utilities, creating a more permanent location.

When the ordinance was first being discussed, city council member Kevin Stine told News 10 he was excited for the possibility.

“Food trucks are the wave of the future here,” Stine said. “No matter what city you go to you see it bubbling up, so these are some of the smaller issues that we’re dealing with.”

However, owner and chef of Word on the Street Eric Bell said the new regulations won’t really affect his business.

“Imagine you own a business and in order to make that business thrive, you need to make money,” Bell said. “Where can you go from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. to make money with a food truck or as a street vendor.”

Vendors are required to provide garbage cans and comply with noise standards. They also cannot place chairs, tables, or signs on the adjacent sidewalk.