Urban McDonald’s in Toronto a Good Model for St. Louis

While I was in Toronto last month I happened upon a very urban McDonald’s in an older part of town, not unlike South Grand — one and two story commercial street with a grid of residential units behind. In valuing the pedestrian experience, Toronto has greater restrictions on drive-thru establishments than St. Louis. Wait, what I am saying — they actually have restrictions whereas we don’t. Click here to see Toronto’s guidelines.

For those just tuning in, we are getting a new McDonald’s on South Grand. The old location, which has an admittedly funky drive-thru set up, is going to move across Grand to the former site of an old Sears store that was razed in the late 1990s. You can read through the “McDonald’s on Grand” category if you want all the detail but basically what we are getting is a highly suburban McDonald’s design — a smallish building surrounded by parking — but due to pressure pushed up to Grand. I can already hear people saying it is better than the old McDonald’s because it is new and clean. I guess I’d just like us to have some actual urban standards, not just be content with replacing one suburban design for a newer suburban design when the old one gets tired and dirty.

So, back to Toronto.

Very urban city with a great transit system, relative to St. Louis. With so many transit riders auto use appears to be considerably less than in St. Louis — at least in the city center where I spent most of my time. They have simply retained so many more of the original storefronts that we razed decades ago when we decided every business needs to have their own dedicated parking.

Architecturally speaking this McDonald’s at the corner of Dundas St. & Bathurst St. is nothing special (view map). It is how the ordinary building is placed on the site that is unique. The building occupies nearly all the width of the site along the North edge of the site (facing Dundas, shown above) with only a small sliver facing the other direction.

The public entrance faces both public streets, not the parking area behind. Neighbors and those in the area are encouraged to approach by foot rather than get in their car. Those people that are driving cars will most likely use the drive-thru window anyway so why not accommodate pedestrians with the building entrance?

Again, architecturally this is nothing spectacular. But, the location of the entrance is very important in an urban/pedestrian setting. Arranging buildings in such a manner lends credibility to the pedestrian and transit user.

The drive-thru ordering and service windows are kept to the back of the building out of view of the main intersection. The radii are a bit on the tight side by our standards but they drive the same cars we do so it should not be an issue. The ‘no parking’ area in the foreground is for when they need to bring out your order to you so as not to hold up the line. All in all a very compact and workable solution that balances the needs of auto drivers, the restaurant operator and urban/pedestrian interests along the public right-of-way.

The parking lot is actually paid parking for the entire area. This is a good use of space and enables people to get out of the idea of every business having their own free lot. Park once, conduct your business in the area on foot and then return to your car when done. Having a private parking area shared with the drive-thru traffic makes sense but the urban planning is the same if this were free parking for McDonald’s customers. This McDonald’s has a single curb cut whereas our new McDonald’s will have three.

Additional photos of this McDonald’s can be seen on Flickr.

It may well be too late to salvage the South Grand location and get an appropriate urban design for the street. However, we need to look ahead and begin working on standards to return our city to streetscapes dominated by actual storefronts rather than parking lots. Auto parking is a necessary evil but it need now be on display 24/7 — it can be minimized, shared and placed out of sight.

– Steve

Vespa Petitioning to Convert Some Auto Parking to Two-Wheel Parking

Vespa is the most well known of scooter makers and you’ll see plenty of the Italian jobs on the streets of St. Louis. But they are also pretty determined to create an even bigger market for themselves and their competition. They realize parking is an issue keeping more people from using a small and efficient scooter over the family SUV. Enter the Vespa Petition, or Vespatition:

Parking for All! Sign the Vespatition to convert some automobile spaces to two-wheel spaces!

By signing the Vespatition, you are promoting the conversion of some automobile parking spaces to two-wheel spaces. The results will be publicized and sent to your local mayor.

Just as parking spaces for compact cars and handicapped parking stalls have increased efficiency and convenience in urban and suburban communities, officially designated two-wheel parking facilities can do the same.

Government agencies should consider removing the two-wheeler from the four-wheeler parking space and placing it in its own, scaled down zone. This is a simple concept that can be embraced by city councils, urban planners, local merchants, contractors, shopping center management and private businesses whenever parking for motor vehicles is provided.

Here are some suggestions for motorcycle/scooter parking that we are proposing:

Street-legal parking – convert a number of existing parking spaces every couple of streets to motorcycle/scooter parking

•Spaces can be metered or un-metered
•The smaller size of two-wheel vehicles allows them to fit into unoccupied areas on streets and sidewalks, creating efficiencies in urban planning and increasing city revenues (if metered).
•Six motorcycles, scooters or limited-access motorcycles carrying from six to twelve people can be parked in the area normally taken up by one automobile. If, however, no motorcycle parking facility is provided in the area, one would possibly find those six motorcycles occupying up to six separate automobile spaces.

Convert unused space – cement curbs of a certain size can be converted to two-wheel parking. A specialized parking area for motorcycles and scooters not only leaves more space for the automobiles, but also caters to the riders’ needs by providing a well-lit, convenient and secure location in which they may confidently leave their vehicle. Such facilities can be small in area and can usually be located near a building entrance or at the end of a parking island.

Parking garages – designate parking spaces in municipal garages for two-wheel vehicles. Create a more equitable rate structure for two-wheel vehicle parking in private garages.

Sidewalk parking – permit scooters and motorcycles to be parked in designated areas on sidewalks and locked to structures which currently accommodate bicycles.

Designating scooter/motorcycle parking is one of the most urban things we could do in the St. Louis region. This ranks up there with actually having designated bicycle racks! This petition from Vespa is part of their Vespanomics website — a platform on oil dependence and how two-wheel transportation can help with the issue. It only has a few links to their main website — it is not a thinly veiled attempt at the environment just to sell you a scooter. In fact, Vespa has done a good job overall about being inclusive of other competing brands.

Local and national government leaders are charged with establishing transportation policies that address both short-term and long-term problems, are environmentally responsible and truly benefit the American consumer. With the support of federal, state and local governments, new options like scootering can bring immediate and substantial economic and environmental benefits to Americans and the communities in which they live.

To facilitate the adoption of scootering, U.S. Mayors and other elected officials should consider providing dedicated parking for scooters and motorcycles.

Now is the time to broaden the dialogue about America’s addiction to oil and its dependency on foreign imports in a way that includes technological as well as behavioral solutions.

I ask that everyone of you reading this take a minute and click on the above link to sign the petition. Doesn’t matter if you have a scooter or not or where you live. Just fill out the form to help support a more friendly policy toward parking for two-wheeled vehicles.

Of course if Vespa sends this to Mayor Slay they are kinda wasting their time as the Mayor’s office has little control over parking in the city. Our planning agency has little say either! No, parking in St. Louis is the responsibility of the Treasurer! Yes, Treasurer. Presumably accounting types know best when it comes to parking. The logic being parking is a revenue source so that belongs to the Treasurer. Not sure when this became part of the city’s charter but it is F’d up if you ask me. Larry Williams has been Treasurer of St. Louis since 1981. As you might expect, he ran unchallenged in the last election in 2004.

While we are on parking, we need to switch from individual meters and marked spaces to the more free-flowing parking model of progressive cities and institute a “pay-n-display” system for paying. The reason is short cars like mine do not need anywhere near as much as a Chevy Suburban or a Hummer. With more and more shorter cars around we can likely squeeze in another space per block. With four sides to a block and a good 40 blocks in the CBD we could easily get another 160 cars right in front of local businesses. Of course, using some of this newfound space for scooter/motorcycle parking would be wise.

Related Prior Posts:
•St. Louis Region Needs to Address Parking for Scooters & Motorcycles, April 2006
•Parking on Washington Avenue — Finally!, February 2006

Again, please sign the Vespatition!

– Steve

No Parking 4pm-6pm or When Valets are Present.

Washington Avenue has seen a big transformation in just the last couple of years but the work to be done is far from over. Just as Gaslight Square burnt itself out in the late 60s, we run the risk of turning back the clock on progress if we are not careful.

In 2005 I began quest to get parking on Washington Ave. Partly because of my complaining (and that of others) the city relented and allowed parking on two blocks between 10th and 12th (aka Tucker). The exception was an hour in the morning and afternoon for the rush hour. When the first set of signs went up they indicated no parking from 7:30am to 8:30am and from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. What they didn’t say was Monday through Friday!

That last error has been corrected, the new signs indicate Monday-Friday for the morning and afternoon rush. But the new signs also indicate the “rush” has grown from an hour each to two hours each. Now no parking is allowed from 7am to 9am and from 4pm to 6pm. The city is getting aggressive about violators as well, they were towing cars on Friday afternoon. They wanted to keep traffic heading toward the closed Eads Bridge moving. Yes, the Eads Bridge was closed on Friday for a special event. So they towed cars to keep traffic moving to a bridge that was closed. Smart.

The times I’ve stood near 4th and Washington and watched the afternoon rush, such that it is, I’ve noticed few cars taking the Eads. About half during my observations have gone North toward I-70 or the King Bridge. For those taking the King to Illinois or I-70 westbound they should be directed from Washington Avenue to Cole street just to the north. It is much wider and has virtually no traffic.

Much of the afternoon “rush” on Washington is headed eastbound for the highway or Illinois, mostly coming from northbound Tucker, 11th or 8th. Signs directing these drivers to Cole, only a few blocks north, would be simple and effective. The intersection of Cole, Broadway, I-70 and the King Bridge is also much better set up to handle the volume of traffic than the intersection of Washington & I-70.

St. Louis Police are having about as much luck controlling the valet companies as they are the people parking on the street during the rush period. I recently saw a downtown officer removing the valet cones from the street in front of Copia during the rush.

What we risk is having block after block of little besides valet parking. Thankfully Pablo at Kitchen K hasn’t given into the valet madness. I think it is a good thing for people to park and walk. But, for those that can’t or won’t walk then reasonable valet service is OK. But, they continue to grab all the vacant spaces they can and then hold them for their own patrons.

The valet manager at Lucas Park Grille, owned at least in part by the McGowan’s, indicated their off-street parking lot is at 14th & Locust. He went on to indicate that is not the best area for client’s cars and too far for them to get back to 13th & Washington. Another time I talked with the same valet as they had coned off half the 1200 block of Washington across the street from Lucas Park Grille. It was a Monday night and the 6+ spaces they had reserved were empty yet folks were looking to park to patronize other businesses. That night he moved the cones off the street at my request.

Jim Suelmann, the city’s Director of Streets, has indicated to me the permits they issue are only for the pick-up and drop-off of customer’s cars. Yet, his department has issued permits for hundreds of feet and both sides of streets — surly they must realize these valet companies are holding spaces for primo cars.

Over on Olive near Compton at the former firehouse club (I forget the latest name) I’ve seen the valets place the cones in the bike lane on numerous occasions. Yes, in the middle of the bike lanes!!!!

Valets should be allotted 2-3 parking spaces for customers to bring in their cars or to pick them up. That is it. In Clayton you get two spaces per business. Period. Anymore is at the expense of other customers and other businesses. Eventually that will take its toll as Washington Avenue transforms into a valet-only street, taking the potential of street life with it.

On Washington east of Tucker a couple of things need to happen. First, they need to re-time the signals so you can actually get more than a block before hitting the next red light. Timing of lights was supposed to happen this year but I’ve not heard anything about this actually taking place. All evidence is that it has not happened. Next, drop the rush hour BS. We have no real rush hour, much less two hours. We certainly don’t need to restrict westbound traffic in the PM. Get the through traffic off Washington and onto Cole.

The next thing that needs to happen is extending the on-street parking from 10th down two more blocks to 8th. The block between 9th and 10th should be a no-brainer. On the south side you’ve got ballroom section of the convention hotel, almost always dead as hotel guests take an underground tunnel to get to the ballroom. But, in the corner of this building is the lovely furniture store called Niche. I’m sure they’d welcome parking for their clients. On the north side of the block is the Lammert building at 911 Washington. This building houses a number of offices as well as the retail bookstore of the American Institute of Architects. Next door at 901 Washington is the Banker’s Lofts by Pyramid. This building has a large first-floor commercial space that would benefit from convenient on-street parking.

In the block between 9th and 8th the situation is a bit different. With the drives for the convention center I don’t really envision parking on the north side of the street, although that might be a good place for the taxi stand. On the south side of the street the high-end restaurant, Kinko’s and Starbuck’s in the convention hotel could all benefit from on-street parking. A couple of 15 minute max spaces near the Starbuck’s would be great when I get a craving for a vanilla bean frappuccino.

So what would additional on-street parking along Washington Ave accomplish besides making life easier for about 25 motorists? Well, it would certainly give the impression of activity, something missing from these two blocks. As people exit the convention center heading back to their hotel they will be more likely to wonder westbound on Washington to see what is happening. Even if they go straight to their hotel, they will look down the street full of parked cars and leave St. Louis with a greater impression about the level of activity in the area. For those walking along the sidewalk the parked cars will created a comforting buffer between traffic and themselves. Consider this, with parking allowed on Washington west of 10th, except for the noted “rush” periods, what can be the argument for extending this two more blocks? Do 10th & 9th add lots of traffic to Washington? Not really.

Throughout downtown we are also missing numerous other opportunities for on-street parking that would have zero impact on traffic or bus stops, yet provide needed parking right at the door of local businesses. On 11th just before Washington are two potential spaces. On Convention Plaza between 9th and Tucker a good 30+ spaces. On Olive at between 11th and 10th at least 4-5 spaces. On 11th between Pine & Olive another 3-4 spaces could be had. In areas of high demand it would be wise for the city to do an evaluation of where on-street parking currently exists and where it could possibly be located (Hartford next to Commerce Bank comes to mind). As Larry Williams’ Treasurers office controls parking in the city it should fall to him to get this done. But he has been around for many years and it hasn’t happened under his direction.

We’ve spent too much money on streetscaping Washington Avenue to screw it up now with lack of on-street parking and excessive space handed over to valets.

– Steve

Ticketing Handicap Parking Violators

This morning I saw something you don’t see often, a police officer ticketing a car parked in a handicap spot. I stopped at the Walgreen’s at Broadway & Gasconade (a Walgreens? Yes, I know…) and as I entered an officer was ticketing a car that lacked any handicap parking permit either via license plate or hang tag.

As I was leaving a young woman got into the ticketed car. Hopefully she will learn.

The irony here is the police are sometimes guilty of blocking the handicap entrance to the 7-11 at Bates & Virginia. They’ll leave the designated space empty but will park next to it so as to block access to the ramp.

I’ve always been a stickler about these spaces. As a kid I’d report to the librarian at our local branch when people were parking in the handicap spaces. Now that my parents are older and have medical reasons for using the handicap spaces I’m even more aware of thoughtless violators.

What are your thoughts on handicap parking?

– Steve

Hodak’s Seeking to Close Part of Cushing Street

The Benton Park Neighborhood is being asked to support a plan by Hodak’s restaurant (map) to close part of Cushing St. so that the popular eatery can expand its increasing number of parking spaces.

Hodak’s is seeking to close Cushing St. from McNair Ave. to a small street known as Devolsey St. Hodak’s is already surrounded by way too much parking, especially since they (illegally) razed buildings to the east a few years ago for more parking. Yet, that is not good enough. They want more spaces and more control.

As it is Hodak’s parking remains vacant during most hours of the day with a large spike at dinner time. Do we really want to see streets closed and possibly more buildings razed simply for a dinner crowd? Not me.

Granted, Custing St. is not much of a street. Really, it is more of a glorified alley but it does serve a number of adjacent property owners along McNair & Victor as well as some real alleys connecting to the street. It is wide enough to provide access for emergency vehicles for various properties on both sides.

At this time I do not know what position, if any, that Alderwoman Phyllis Young has taken. If you have an opinion please be sure to share it with her and in the comments below.

The Benton Park Neighborhood Association meeting is tonight at The Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 Mc Nair. The first hour, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, is a pot luck dinner and problem property meeting with the main meeting starting at 7:30pm.

[UPDATE 5/3 @ 9:20am – The closure of Cushing would only be “partial”, not going all the way to McNair. It still prevents through traffic.]

– Steve