Could Banning Drive-Thrus Make A City More Pedestrian Friendly?

[HuckleB]

Portland wants to restrict future drive-thrus, but opposition to plan is growing
http://katu.com/news/local/portland-wants-to-restrict-future-drive-thrus-but-opposition-to-plan-is-growing

"City planners in Portland are looking to restrict drive-thrus in an effort to make the city more pedestrian friendly in the coming years.

Camille Trummer, the city's policy adviser for land use and planning, said restricting future commercial drive-thrus is part of a plan to make the city more pedestrian-friendly over the next 20 years.

"We just want to make sure there are no new drive-thrus near those commercial areas where people are walking, biking and using transit and there could be conflict with automobiles," Trummer said.

Some of the areas that would be affected include downtown Portland, Northeast Portland, and the commercial stretches of Mississippi Avenue and Alberta Street.

..."

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Hmm.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Well, European cities have huge car-free plazas...

that do the job quite well.

Banning drive-thrus is but one tiny step.

[Javaman]

2. can't hurt, but they should also have outdoor eating areas added.

one of the things I loved about my vacation to Italy was the abundance of outdoor cafe's. People siting eating, drinking coffee and people watching.

but then again, the spectacular views in anyone of of the various Piazza's can't hurt.

[HuckleB]

3. Outdoor eating areas have burgeoned in Portland over the last couple decades.

Restaurant owners know people want them. Interestingly, they've often had to fight with the city to allow it.

[MichMan]

4. Disabled unfriendly?

Many people with disabilities rely on drive thru options to make their daily lives manageable. Why would they be denied of those options?

[KamaAina]

6. Perhaps it could work like self-serve gas stations do in CA

where by law, an attendant is required to come out and serve the person with a disability. Of course, that law is often honored in the breach , but still...

[KamaAina]

5. Hale'iwa, on O'ahu's north shore, had a Pier 6 brawl over one a few years ago

but it's a small town with one two-lane highway running through it. I don't know Portland at all (and yes, I am well aware that I should ), but I suspect doing this anywhere outside downtown will, shall we say, run into roadblocks.

[HuckleB]

7. Most of Portland's neighborhoods were built in the early 20th century.

So drive-thrus can be rather "space exhorbitant" for the space that's available. It's also what makes it possible to develop a more pedestrian family city over time. Still, a lot of people don't like to walk. And, yes, there are issues with ensuring accessibility.

[EX500rider]

8. Not sure how people having to walk into McDonalds makes..

....a city "more pedestrian friendly" They will only be pedestrians for like 50 ft.

What this would require is much larger parking lots around fast food joints if everybody has to park.

[HuckleB]

9. There isn't room for big parking lots in the parts of town under consideration.

Part of the issue, in fact, is the wasted space used for the drive through lanes, in addition to things like pollution in places where pedestrians are becoming more numerous as density increases.

[EX500rider]

10. So it' more banning fast food restaurants?

Cause one's without drive thru's will need bigger parking lots. Still don't see how either makes for more "pedestrian friendly".
If pollution is the issue you have to ban cars, not restaurants.

[HuckleB]

11. No restaurant could afford a suburban-style footprint there.

No one is banning restaurants. This town is full of them.