Pedestrians, buses and drive-thrus

Yesterday morning, I was caffeinated a little earlier than usual, so headed to the drive-thru at the corner of Carling and Broadview to capture some footage of how it works from a transit and pedestrian view. I was disappointed that the sidewalk was consistently blocked by cars - even when drivers could clearly see pedestrians and had a choice to let them pass. I made a quick video to show the impact. Of course, my main concern is to demonstrate the impact putting a drive-thru at the corner of Island Park and Richmond Road would have. Based on what I saw, it would be pretty much one of the worst things we could do for walking, transit and cycling in the area. And, of course, that's one of the key reasons why our Official Plan very expressly prohibits them on streets like Richmond and Wellington. I'll be glad to see a restaurant or coffee shop at that location - or office or store or any number of permitted uses. But, my and the community's opposition to a drive-thru grows by the day.