Letter: Say No To McDonald's Drive-Thru In Wilmette

As Wilmette considers allowing McDonald’s to operate a drive-thru at 200 Skokie Boulevard, many residents vehemently oppose this.

To be clear, this is not about McDonald’s; it is about a McDonald’s drive-thru. Why? Drive-thrus negatively impact air quality. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that idling engines contribute to emissions, which contain gases that contribute to climate change and toxic pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that these toxic pollutants can lead to respiratory disorders.

Cities across America are banning fast-food drive-thrus to combat climate change, reduce air pollution and litter, and improve pedestrian safety. We encourage Wilmette to follow suit.

We applaud Village leaders for adopting Wilmette’s Greenest Region Compact (GRC2) Sustainability Plan 2021, which states that “Clean air is a key to a healthy environment.” They have committed to reduce practices that negatively impact air quality, plan/manage commercial development to enhance environmental sustainability, attract businesses that practice/promote sustainability; and reduce traffic congestion and vehicle idling. Allowing a McDonald’s drive-thru runs contrary to this plan.

We have other concerns. The Skokie Boulevard and Old Glenview Road intersection is already incredibly busy; a drive-thru would make it worse. Pedestrians and bikers will be in danger from patrons zipping in and out of the drive-thru. While this intersection has commercial tenants, it is also surrounded by homes. A drive-thru that maintains late night or all-night hours would not blend into a residential neighborhood with which it shares a fence. How would you like hearing, “Would you like fries with that?” echoing in your backyard?

If you think poor air quality will affect only nearby residents, think about the impact of the Canadian wildfires across the United States. Allowing a drive-thru may seem trivial compared to wildfires and yet researchers from Princeton found that implementing an EZPass at toll booths reduced air pollution, resulting in fewer premature and underweight births. Think that’s trivial?

In 2021, Village leaders passed a comprehensive sustainability plan. Now is the time to stand behind it.

Signed,
Concerned Wilmette Residents

This letter to the community was provided by the a group of Wilmette neighbors. The views expressed here are the author's own.