MADISON, Wis. -- Restaurant drive-through windows are common for food and for beverage, but the debate over future restrictions might be starting.

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It's difficult to find a fast food restaurant without a drive-through. It's quick, efficient, and convenient but one member of Madison's Planning Commission feels banning drive-through windows could help stem climate change.

Eric Sundquist commented in a recent commission meeting that a ban on drive-through windows could help the environment. The concept is that cars would not be idling while waiting in line if the drive-throughs didn't exist.

"If we're really serious about climate change, should we be building a bunch of places for idling cars?" said Sundquist.

He feels needless idling may be contributing to climate change.

"One particular car, not very much," said Sundquist. "But if you have fast food drive-throughs and other drive-throughs all over, and you have 3 or 4 cars, or 5, stacked up at all times idling, that's kind of a big deal.

Sundquist isn't sure how much of an impact idling cars make.

Business owners, on the other hand, are positive how much drive-throughs mean to the bottom line.

"Depending on the week, we serve approximately 45-50 percent of our business through the drive-through ," said Susan Bulgrin, owner of Culvers on Todd Drive.

Customers aren't sure banning drive-throughs would make a difference on the environment either, WISC-TV reported.

"I don't think it affects it that much," said John Malsch of Madison.

"I agree with it, but whether or not it makes a difference that a lot of other things make, I find that hard to believe," said Bill Vandervort of Oregon. "There's lots of other ways that we can control it."

Sundquist hasn't made an official proposal, and the concept hasn't been officially discussed, but that could change this summer.

"I'd like to start a conversation, probably in the long-range transportation planning committee of Madison and get some reaction from others," said Sundquist. "Maybe I'm the only person who thinks this is an issue, in which case, it will go away, but we'll see."

Sundquist said, if any policy is eventually created, it would probably only apply to new construction and existing drive-throughs wouldn't be impacted, WISC-TV reported.

He said this is part of a larger issue concerning transportation and the environment and hopes to get the topic on the transportation planning committee agenda in August.