No Magic Solution To The Disappearing Gas Station

Abandoned gas station outside Syracuse, NY
(Photo: syracuse.com)

When my wife and I drive through New Jersey, where we live, we note that gas stations are vanishing. Some of them are boarded up. Some have empty signage and dead pumps. Some appear as if they should be open, but are not. Some empty lots show evidence of Remediation Past, like a Dickens version of an environmental ghost.

Few in the media bother to report this phenomenon. However, today's Washington Post included an article on disappearing gas stations in the District's inner suburbs, such as Bethesda. The story explores some reasons why filling stations are a diminished breed. Interestingly, real estate values (sky-high in Montgomery County, Maryland, where Bethesda is located) and outrageous property taxes have contributed to the gas stations' demise.

In some cases, gas stations sell their land to banks. It's hard to imagine any part of the country, especially prosperous areas such as Montgomery County, need more bank storefronts. On the other hand, many people need more money to purchase gasoline. Maybe gas stations should add a retail bank to their operations, a sort of one-stop shopping for the necessities.