Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 1
Culver City Halts Drive-Through Expansion for 40,000 Residents as In-N-Out Traffic Fuels Backlash
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 1

Culver City Halts Drive-Through Expansion for 40,000 Residents as In-N-Out Traffic Fuels Backlash

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 1

Summary

  • Culver City moved this summer to stop further drive-through buildup after residents complained that traffic around a Costco-anchored In-N-Out had become unmanageable.
  • 20 cars were lined up at the burger chain at lunchtime, with vehicles backing through a packed parking lot near a gas station and oil-change shop.
  • City leaders and critics say such drive-through clusters worsen exhaust, snarl streets and undercut California goals for cleaner air, safer roads and more walkable neighborhoods.
  • The fight in the five-square-mile Los Angeles County city reflects a wider push in parts of California to curb a car-centered convenience long central to the state's culture.

Insights

Does the death of the iconic drive-through signal the final collapse of California's car-centric culture?
Could banning drive-throughs to fight pollution actually trigger a worse traffic nightmare fueled by delivery apps?
Will the utopian push for walkable cities quietly sacrifice convenience for the elderly and disabled?