Anyone who wheels around downtown Baltimore knows that finding street parking can be a hassle. So one of the smart things the city did last week when it calmed the food truck kerfuffle was to set aside five downtown parking zones to accommodate the area's fledgling fleet of food trucks.

The five zones — the east side 500 block of St. Paul Place and St. Paul Street, the south side of the 1900 block of East Monument Street, the south side of the 500 block of West Baltimore Street, the west side of the 300 block of South Charles Street and the north side of the 500 block of East Fayette Street — give the food trucks guaranteed spots between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. While not exactly food deserts, these locales could benefit from the lively street activity that food trucks generate.

These new parking provisions and the city's welcoming attitude toward food trucks represent a significant change from about a week earlier. Then, in confusing and at times acrimonious exchanges, a city official ordered food trucks to leave the 600 block of North Calvert Street, admonished them for parking too close to an existing restaurant and told them they needed to acquire an additional vending license that they had previously been told was unnecessary.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake maintained that she was a fan of food trucks, even though the actions of some of her minions seemed to contradict that sentiment. But cool heads and better policies have since prevailed. For the next six months, food truck operators who have paid for the new $375 street vendor license, in addition to other required fees, are free to do business in downtown Baltimore. A restriction prohibiting food trucks from parking with 300 feet of an establishment serving similar food has been temporarily lifted. In December, the city will assess how these arrangements are working.

It may have taken a while, but the mayor and her administration have gotten their act together on food trucks. For that, they deserve praise. As the mayor has stated, these trucks add diversity and spontaneity to the city's food scene.

Now it is up to the food truck operators to display common sense and courtesy and be considerate of the city's brick-and-mortar restaurants. The newly formed association of food truck vendors can also work out among themselves which truck takes which of the reserved spots on what day. The zones on St. Paul and East Fayette have space for two and three trucks, respectively. But even if the guaranteed spots are occupied, another food truck could pull up and start selling, if it could find legal parking.

Down the road, perhaps they could even organize a food truck rodeo, as has happened in other cities. A roundup of all the food trucks in one spot could certainly liven up lunchtime.