Golden Burgers at Fourth Street and Junipero Avenue is one of the city's older drive-thrus. Photo by Brian Addison.

In an effort to gather data on what kind of drive-thru operations are best suited for neighborhoods, the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance banning new drive-thrus in the city for the next six months.

The council approved the ordinance with a 7-0 vote, with Councilmembers Al Austin and Suzie Price absent. The decision came after the panel in April voted 8-1 in favor of the moratorium. Councilman Daryl Supernaw, whose district has seen an influx of drive-thrus, was the lone dissent after stating that the moratorium could send an anti-business message.

The city has opted to study new guidelines for pedestrian safety, traffic impacts and noise levels at the behest of community groups who argue that drive-thrus cause pollution and traffic in neighborhoods.

Mayor Robert Garcia has also publicly supported the idea in a tweet posted in late February.

Long Beach Director of Development Services Linda Tatum has said the moratorium would impact few businesses as the city processes about five drive-thru operations per year. The city had originally requested a 12-month moratorium.