Here is a little did you know, one that for a long time my wife was fond of sharing with everyone; Claremont, excepting one McDonalds along the I-10 corridor, has no businesses with drive-thru windows, those staples of the modern fast-food restaurant. The benefits, from a cycling standpoint, are less tangible than say a bike lane, or even route signage, but they are no less real. The increase in auto traffic always seen around those sort of places is non-existent. This is a plus, not just for me riding past, but for local businesses as well. People have to leave their cars, and once out and on their own two feet, a whole new world opens up and becomes available. Sure, go pick up a quick dinner at Quizno's, but while you are out, the independent video store is just across the street, and the independent music store right next door. Since you are already there, go ahead and walk a few more steps and get some bagels or pastries for the morning, or how about ice cream for dessert. Not having the drive-thru option changes the way you do things, and I, quite frankly, think this is one of the most forward thinking policies the city's leaders of the past ever set in motion. Of course this means that places like Carl's Jr., Taco Bell, you know the names, will not do business here; but really, are they missed? Independent businesses have been able to fill the void just fine. Though I do not have the statistics to back me up, I suspect that this walkability factor has benefited the Village business district, by getting people on their feet, peering into sidewalk windows and opening front doors, rather than just driving thru.
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