Demise of the Urban Gas Station

[JohnM]

An interesting read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/07/AR2006050700912.html?sub=AR

"Gas stations are an endangered species in Manhattan, shoved aside by luxury developments and spiraling commercial rents. A cluster of stations sit on prime real estate that has already been rezoned from industrial to residential.

In the past few months, at least four stations have been shuttered. That means there are no more than 54 stations left to service the estimated 830,000 cars, delivery trucks and various other gas-consuming vehicles that crawl through Manhattan's urban canyons each day. It's come to the point that the city's Planning Department is examining strategies to keep the remaining stations in business."

[Desert_Seg]

Very good article indeed. What is happening in Manhattan is nothing new and has already happened in many other large cities around the world. Try to find a petrol station in London proper, or Paris, or Rome and you'll be looking long and hard.

Unfortunately finite size cities, or the downtown / central districts of major cities, have land worth more than the profit genereated from a few gallons of gas. This means that more and more gas stations will be closed....and trust me, there is no need to "protect" the gas stations. Let's use this as a reason to encourage / enforce alternate transportation.

I strongly believe that we should let market forces do what they do best.....let them dictate how many gas stations stay open in Manhattan, and at what price a gallon of fuel goes for!

Of course, if in Manhattan proper you can't buy gas on every corner than
the price of gas will spiral upwards until such time as Manhattanites start using alternative forms of transportation, whether the Segway, a bicycle, or even a hybrid vehicle so maybe the "encouragement" is already starting.

Yes, as Americans we have a love affair with our cars but more and mroe we are loving them at night or on weekends only. In a city like Manhattan, or even Dubai, where many people live, work, and play in the same small area, a Segway is a great form of transportation...and often all that is needed.

Steven

[citivolus]

I can see an opportunity for a new business model that charges premiums for fuel delivery in places where people have reserved parking or even just parking garages. I can imagine there are a good number of people willing to pay $5 or $10 to have their tank filled while it's parked in a parking garage while they are working or sleeping.