08-31-2023, 08:47 AM
(08-31-2023, 02:49 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:(08-30-2023, 05:15 PM)dtkvictim Wrote: I'm curious how the rise of food delivery services could impact the future of King St. There a very few non-restaurant businesses on King St (which is an issue itself; would you go to Fairview mall if it was 90% restaurants?), and the restaurants seem to have become highly dependent on food delivery services. I don't really know what closing King St to the couriers would do to them. Would they start declining orders from King St? Would fees for these restaurants go up? I don't think any added pedestrians from removing cars would come anywhere close to making up lost business if food delivery is significantly impacted, especially because I don't think cars are particularly big reason that people avoid downtown.
And don't get me wrong, I hate this current situation, especially with the amount of "perpendicular parking" (parking straight across the sidewalk) and double parking that I see. And I don't think it's healthy long term for the businesses or the area.
Yeah, I mean, it's remarkable how much damage has been done by delivery companies masquerading as delivery companies.
Beyond the fact that UberEats and DoorDash drivers are incentivized for parking in illegal and irritating ways in order to minimize their travel time, those food delivery companies are also SO predatory to restaurants who already have such slim margins. I would love to see a return to restaurants having their own delivery drivers, like most Chinese and pizza shops do. Maybe the range in which they deliver is narrowed down some to make it manageable, but one or two drivers could have designated spots for parking (off Halls Lane, etc) and minimize how many cars are going in and out of the area. I would be happy to pay an extra couple of dollars for delivery if I knew that all the money was staying either with the restaurant or with the driver, and NOT with some massive company that only profits by inconveniencing and exploiting others.