![]() This means that if there’s a pedestrian or biker in an intersection or sidewalk, drivers have less time to brake, increasing the chances of an accident. They are often intentionally placed along higher-speed arterial roads - busy roads that carry cars from around a region at high speeds - to grab drivers’ attention. But drive-thrus are often located in the “exact worse place for them to be” for road safety, said Eric Dumbaugh, a professor in the department of urban and regional planning at Florida Atlantic University who studies traffic safety. They make the most sense in car-centric areas, and there are many drive-thrus positioned far from pedestrian or bicycle traffic. Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images ![]() The original structure was rebuilt to add double drive-thru lines to try to alleviate congestion. Shake Shack and Sweetgreen opened their first drive-thru locations during the pandemic, while Taco Bell, Chipotle and other chains opened stores that serve drive-thru customers exclusively.Ĭompanies switched to drive-thru models because they are more profitable: smaller than sit-down restaurants, requiring less staff and maintenance.Ī backed up In-N-Out Burger in Santa Ana, California. Drive-thru sales hit $133 billion in 2022, an increase of 30% from 2019 pre-pandemic levels, according to Technomic, a restaurant industry consulting firm. ![]() The eat-in-your-car model expanded on American roads during the following decades as highways were built, suburbs spread, and new fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s popped up.ĭrive-thrus became a lifeline for chains during the Covid-19 pandemic, as restaurants shut down indoor seating areas. An early Jack in the Box was a hit with kids, who could order their meal through the head of a clown. “Drive-thrus belonged to a much more auto-centric world.”ĭrive-thurs first appeared in California in the 1950s, according to the Smithsonian. Restrictions have also been considered in Pittsburgh and Mesa, Arizona.ĭrive-thrus don’t “support any of the life and vitality and amenities that suggest people might want to come live, work or play in a neighborhood,” said David Dixon, an urban places fellow at design and planning firm Stantec. Some cities in Southern California, such as Long Beach in 2019, have passed temporary moratoriums blocking new developments. Minneapolis Fair Haven, New Jersey Creve Coeur, Missouri Orchard Park, New York, and other cities have banned new drive-thrus in recent years. They also lead to accidents with pedestrians, cyclists and other cars, and contradict the environmental and livability goals of many communities.Ī host of cities and regions want the sprawl to stop: Atlanta lawmakers will vote this summer on whether to ban new drive-thrus in the popular Beltline area. Magnets of traffic and congestion, drive-thrus discourage walking, public transit use and visits to neighboring businesses. And city officials, urban planners and critics say the model is failing modern cities. But long lines of cars waiting for orders spill out into US roads in every state from chains like Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Dunkin. At leading chains like McDonald’s, drive-thrus account for 70% of sales or more.ĭrive-thrus promise hungry drivers ease, convenience and a juicy burger. Americans visit drive-thru lanes approximately 6 billion times a year. An estimated 200,000 drive-thrus are spread across this country.
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