> Those places probably shouldn't be car thoroughfares to begin with, they're an absolute nightmare to navigate even before extra restaurant tables were ever brought into the picture.

Extremely few people can park street side in any given area. I have never understood people who go to M Street, U Street, 14th Street or any of these major areas and plan on street parking. It seems so unreliable. It seems like a no-brainer to prioritize people enjoying the space, whether that be for increased sidewalk widths, streateries, or mini-parklets.