I hope the restaurant tables that moved to the street and sidewalk never go away. It makes an area seem so alive! I love the energy that comes from seeing them. Makes your urban streetscape more appealing if you ask me!

I think the OP just doesn't like that her commute has been slowed by 5 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the streeteries, don't care about your parking problems

Ok, well less parking means fewer customers for restaurants. We’ve found ourselves increasingly going over the border to the suburbs because it’s less hassle. Not good for anyone who runs a business in DC

That’s because you live in Upper Caucasia, the part of DC that really isn’t even a city.

Uh, huh. Says the guy who just moved here from Indiana

Anonymous wrote:They seem incredibly unsanitary. They are practically designed to attract rats

This

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the streeteries, don't care about your parking problems

Ok, well less parking means fewer customers for restaurants. We’ve found ourselves increasingly going over the border to the suburbs because it’s less hassle. Not good for anyone who runs a business in DC

That’s because you live in Upper Caucasia, the part of DC that really isn’t even a city.

Anonymous wrote:The issue I have is that many restaurants are encroaching on the sidewalk which makes it difficult for pedestrians to pass. 14th Street is getting terrible. The restaurant tables in some spots essentially make the sidewalk half the width it’s supposed to be. And then you’ve got servers rushing back and forth across the sidewalk to serve the tables in the street. The servers at Le Dip are the worst about that. I’ve lived here a long time and it never used to be so awful trying to navigate through there. Restaurants shouldn’t be allowed to clog up the sidewalks.

I live in the heart of 14th street and couldn’t disagree with you more. I probably walk on that strip more in a day than you do in a month and I’ve never once had to step around a waiter or a table.

Anonymous wrote:and causing a lane to be closed going to be removed ??? They came about because of Covid, but now seem to have outlived their usefulness.

I never saw the attraction of eating in a closed lane on the street and inhaling vehicle fumes and loud automobile sounds while dining... not to mention being in a position where a car could kill me.

Sorry that our local restaurants are affecting your commute into our city from your soul less suburb in your gas guzzler, but we city dwellers happen to like having extra outdoor seating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a problem with restaurants being allowed to set up tables in a parking lane provided they pay "rent" to the city. They shouldn't be allowed to take over public spaces for free.

Also agree with the PP re: sidewalks.

Cool, we can charge them the same "rent" that the city charges drivers who take over those public spaces. Currently I believe that's $2.25 an hour between the hours of 7am and 6:30pm, so, roughly $26 per day per parking space. I doubt the restaurants will find that too much of a burden.

Where do you think the money for roads comes from in the first place? Do you think it falls from the sky? We pay for roads and road maintenance through a combination of gas taxes (paid by drivers), user fees (paid by drivers) and income taxes (paid primarily by drivers).

Less than half the people who live in DC drive. So the idea that income taxes in DC are primarily covered by drivers is misplaced. And gas taxes haven't covered the cost of roads since the early 1980's.

You may want to get your facts straight.

Rich people pay almost all the taxes. You think all the doctors and lawyers and lobbyists and business owners who pay for everything in this city are riding their bikes to work?

Um, yes? My husband is a lawyer, I am a doctor, we make north of $700k combined and own two properties in DC so pay hefty DC taxes. I either bike or take the bus to work and he works from home or take the metro. I can't recall the last time we drove and parked to a restaurant in DC- would take public transport or uber (the latter admittedly uses the roads but not parking spaces). Get out our your bubble if you think everyone drives to work.

Also, how do they "pay for everything in this city"? The ones who live outside of DC pay very little taxes towards DC (mostly just meals out I guess).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a problem with restaurants being allowed to set up tables in a parking lane provided they pay "rent" to the city. They shouldn't be allowed to take over public spaces for free.

Also agree with the PP re: sidewalks.

Cool, we can charge them the same "rent" that the city charges drivers who take over those public spaces. Currently I believe that's $2.25 an hour between the hours of 7am and 6:30pm, so, roughly $26 per day per parking space. I doubt the restaurants will find that too much of a burden.

Where do you think the money for roads comes from in the first place? Do you think it falls from the sky? We pay for roads and road maintenance through a combination of gas taxes (paid by drivers), user fees (paid by drivers) and income taxes (paid primarily by drivers).

Less than half the people who live in DC drive. So the idea that income taxes in DC are primarily covered by drivers is misplaced. And gas taxes haven't covered the cost of roads since the early 1980's.

You may want to get your facts straight.

Rich people pay almost all the taxes. You think all the doctors and lawyers and lobbyists and business owners who pay for everything in this city are riding their bikes to work?

Those outdoor eating areas not only make it harder for people to reach restaurants because there’s no parking. They also make restaurants look extremely empty, which doesn’t seem like great advertising.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a problem with restaurants being allowed to set up tables in a parking lane provided they pay "rent" to the city. They shouldn't be allowed to take over public spaces for free.

Also agree with the PP re: sidewalks.

Cool, we can charge them the same "rent" that the city charges drivers who take over those public spaces. Currently I believe that's $2.25 an hour between the hours of 7am and 6:30pm, so, roughly $26 per day per parking space. I doubt the restaurants will find that too much of a burden.

Where do you think the money for roads comes from in the first place? Do you think it falls from the sky? We pay for roads and road maintenance through a combination of gas taxes (paid by drivers), user fees (paid by drivers) and income taxes (paid primarily by drivers).

Less than half the people who live in DC drive. So the idea that income taxes in DC are primarily covered by drivers is misplaced. And gas taxes haven't covered the cost of roads since the early 1980's.

You may want to get your facts straight.

Actually there are more cars in DC than households. There’s 300,000 cars currently registered with the city. I would bet there’s another 150,000 that aren’t registered because it costs an arm and a leg.

Just love eating in those "streeteries" on the busy avenues, where it's easier to reach out and touch a passing Metrobus than to get the waiter's attention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a problem with restaurants being allowed to set up tables in a parking lane provided they pay "rent" to the city. They shouldn't be allowed to take over public spaces for free.

Also agree with the PP re: sidewalks.

Cool, we can charge them the same "rent" that the city charges drivers who take over those public spaces. Currently I believe that's $2.25 an hour between the hours of 7am and 6:30pm, so, roughly $26 per day per parking space. I doubt the restaurants will find that too much of a burden.

Where do you think the money for roads comes from in the first place? Do you think it falls from the sky? We pay for roads and road maintenance through a combination of gas taxes (paid by drivers), user fees (paid by drivers) and income taxes (paid primarily by drivers).

Less than half the people who live in DC drive. So the idea that income taxes in DC are primarily covered by drivers is misplaced. And gas taxes haven't covered the cost of roads since the early 1980's.

You may want to get your facts straight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the streeteries, don't care about your parking problems

Ok, well less parking means fewer customers for restaurants. We’ve found ourselves increasingly going over the border to the suburbs because it’s less hassle. Not good for anyone who runs a business in DC

That's great--drivers can self-segregate to the burbs and those who are not car-bound can walk to outdoor dining.

Yeah, awesome then all the restaurants will close because their customer base will be too small

LOL, not really. People driving to neighborhood resturants simply cannot understand that most of the people around them didn't drive to the same place.

Plus, most of the innovative, fun and good places to go are...in the city. The suburbs have the replicated success stories of city innovation. With the exception of Eden Center.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the streeteries, don't care about your parking problems

Ok, well less parking means fewer customers for restaurants. We’ve found ourselves increasingly going over the border to the suburbs because it’s less hassle. Not good for anyone who runs a business in DC

Have fun. The rest of us will enjoy walking or biking to our next meal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't eat at restaurants that have street dining if you don't want to, but no, don't ruin it for the rest of us. You are one person, you have a choice to how and where you dine, you are just here to be obnoxious or troll.

You’re just one person as well, and the name calling suggests you struggle with people whose opinions differ from yours. That’s unfortunate.

Do a poll, the people of this city aren't with you on this one. Good luck.

Dp. I don’t think it’s as black and white as either of you are making it out to be. I’m supportive of streateries that take up parking spots. Not supportive of streateries that encroach on driving lanes on very busy roads.

Well, since most of the commercial areas are on busy roads, and thus streateries being in those lanes, what do you suggest?