The drive-thru at Burgerville on NE 122nd Ave.
(Photos: Jonathan Maus)

Something quietly profound happened last Thursday May 24th: The zoning maps and zoning code of Portland’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan went into effect.

Among the many updates and additions is a new policy on “drive-thrus”. Specifically, it is now against city code to deny service at outdoor windows to people using bikes, feet, and mobility devices.
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A zoning code change proposal that will be subject to a City Council hearing next month would require all businesses to serve bicycle riders when other entrances are closed.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The City of Portland is not a fan of drive-through windows. For decades Portland has adopted regulations that limit how and where drive-throughs can be built.

City planners believe drive-throughs don’t serve the community’s best interests and that they lead to auto-oriented development that’s directly counter to adopted policy goals and dangerous for people on foot, on bike, and on mobility devices.

Now the city’s Planning and Sustainability Commission wants to ban new drive-throughs east of 80th Avenue and require all establishments that already have them to serve all customers, not just those using cars.
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A month ago, local eco-fast food chain Burgerville announced a new policy that would allow people to use bicycles in the drive-through lanes at all of their 30 something locations, after a woman was denied service on her bike broadcast the incident online.

Last Thursday they sealed the deal with a promotion at their Hawthorne location — anyone showing up by bike got a free blackberry milkshake with their purchase during a two hour window.

Joe Biel and I decided to head over there with his video camera to get some milkshakes, see how it worked, and talk with the officials on hand. Here’s the movie that resulted:

Drive Thru Mayhem from Joe Biel on Vimeo.

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A new sign (of change) at the Burgerville on SE 11th and Hawthorne in Portland: “Bikes in Lane” with a picture of a bicycle and a car
(Photo © Elly Blue)

Responding to last month’s biking momma drive-thru debacle, Burgerville has announced that they’ll welcome people on bikes to each of their 37 drive-thrus (which are from this day forward known as cycle-thrus!).

To celebrate the new bike-ability of their drive-thrus, Burgerville said in a press release that from 2:00 to 4:00 pm this Thursday they’ll offer free small blackberry smoothies (with purchase of menu item with equal or greater value) at their Hawthorne location (1122 SE Hawthorne).[Read more…]

Burgerville: Fresh, Local, Sustainable
… and now bike-able!

Chalk it up as another big win for citizen activism.

Portland writer and self-described “family biking evangelist” Sarah Gilbert’s account of being denied service in the drive-thru of a local Burgerville restaurant while on her bicycle (which was then picked up by local media and Twittered all over the place) has led the company to announce a new policy.

The 39 location Burgerville chain announced today that people on bicycles are now allowed to order and pick up food through the drive-thru (which they now also refer to as a “cycle-thru”!). The company — whose major marketing hook is its earth-friendly practices — is billing this as their “latest sustainability innovation”.[Read more…]