An interesting article on how Starbucks (and other morning pitstops) may be affecting traffic patterns due to the change in commuting trends.
The Starbucks Effect
In addition to its effect on mileage, the boom in on-the-go breakfasts
has confounded attempts to forecast travel patterns, which are based
on computer models that rely heavily on the predictability of the
morning commute. Those models assume that people take the shortest,
fastest routes to work, not the ones that necessarily lead past a
doughnut shop.
I still laugh every time I'm at the corner of Robson and Thurlow and see the two Starbucks kitty-corner to each other.
That's right. Two Starbucks. Same intersection. Opposite corners. 20 meters apart. Both busy.