Motoring | The city of Helsinki is evicting gas stations from the inner city

Helsinki the city is evicting gas stations from the inner city area. Residential and office buildings are coming to replace them.

Real Estate Development Manager Ilkka Aaltonen according to “a few” gas stations will be reviewed within 5–10 years.

According to him, 13 gas stations are in a situation where they have either been discontinued or their continuity is uncertain. They are the Neste stations in Eläintarha, Sörnäis and Hietalahti and the ABC stations in Koskelantie, Pukinmäki, Mannerheimintie, Käpylä, Sörnäis and Itäkeskus. The list also includes Teboil's station in Ruskeasu, Shell's stations in Leppäsuo and Vuosaari, and St1's station in Kyläsaari.

For example, the ABC gas station on Vähänkyröntie near Koskelantie and Mäkelänkatu in Käpylä is going away. An office building is being studied to replace Nestee station in Hietalahtenranta.

Helsinki CEO of the regional chamber of commerce, deputy member of the city board Pia Pakarinen (kok) is worried about evictions. According to him, they apply to a large percentage of the gas stations in the inner city.

In Pakarinen's opinion, the change has three consequences: fuel has to be found further away, people may give up their cars and there may not be enough infrastructure for refueling or charging.

“I'm not at all sure if this whole thing has been thought through,” Pakarinen says.

According to him, the functionality of traffic is jeopardized if there is no space for refueling or charging points in the city. According to him, gas stations are needed, among other things, because it will take a long time for the car fleet to be electrified. If the fleet of electric cars is to be increased, charging stations should be increased in Pakarin. According to him, less than ten percent of the cars in Helsinki are fully electric or hybrid cars, and there are now 21 public charging points south of Lönnrotinkatu.

Also, preparing for exceptional situations requires taking care of the refueling and charging points in Pakarin.

Helsinki deputy mayor of the urban environment Anni Sinnemäki (vihr) does not subscribe to the idea that gas stations are being evicted.

However, he admits that changes are planned for the gas station network. According to him, the network is evaluated regularly and the goal is that all city residents get the service they need.

According to Sinnemäki, the city still has a lot to do regarding the electric car charging network. He points out that in the scenarios made by Helsinki, it is estimated that the fleet of electric cars will expand to more than 50 percent by 2030.

“Therefore, it is not likely that the service station network will remain unchanged in the coming decades.”

According to Sinnemäki, the changes are not quick or surprising, but gas stations have the opportunity to react and adapt to the changes. In some places, gas stations are being replaced by other things that are essential for city dwellers, such as apartments, shops and restaurants.

Gas stations according to real estate development manager Ilkka Aaltonen, two things affect the fate: the decrease in fuel sales and the desire to develop and consolidate land use. A more suitable use can be considered for gas station lots in a central location.

According to Aaltonen, the whole thing has been thought about. The city has commissioned a gas station survey ten years ago.

According to Aaltonen, it makes more sense to build in already built-up areas than in nature areas. He says that one new station is being planned for Ring I.

According to him, charging stations will be added. He says that they are easier to place in dense urban structures because they do not require the same protective distances as fuel tanks. They are placed along streets and in connection with new construction.

And would it be better for the Chamber of Commerce's Pakarinese that apartment buildings be built in the area of ​​urban nature? Pakarinen says he needs a “balanced assessment” in the matter.

Correction 27.4. at 10:02 p.m.: Changed the design from ABC being in Käpylä at the corner of Koskelantie and Mäkelänkatu to a format near Koskelantie and Mäkelänkatu on Vähänkyröntie.