I occasionally stop by the Below The Beltline website because once in blue moon it has an update. Last week Lundsford Lane was in a grouchy mood when he took aim at the Planning Commission’s requesting a bike rack for a proposed gas station at the corner of Sunnybrook Drive and Rock Quarry Road.

Says Lundsford:

Mamta Patel, aka Earth Petroleum VI Inc., Earth Mama, who goes by Ricky, is building a gas station at the corner of Rock Quarry Road and Sunnybrook Drive. Six pump islands under one giant canopy, no waiting, no getting wet when the weather is nasty.

So Little Ricky turns in the site plan to the Planning Commission, which must give its blessing to build. Only one problem, say the Commissioners – no bike racks. So Ricky agrees to add one rack to accommodate two bikes. After all, it’s Earth Petroleum, you can’t get greener than that. Never mind that there is no bike path near there, no sidewalk connection, and it takes a death wish to ride a bike through that intersection.

We spent millions to rebuild Hillsborough Street to improve traffic flow and instead get dangerous accident-prone roundabouts and all-day gridlock. We’re building a $60 million train station with no near-term prospects for new trains. And now we’re requiring gas stations that are not safely accessible by bicycle or foot to have bike racks. Apparently in Raleigh, even bikes need gas.

“Only in America,” said Mother Love Patel.

Being a persnickety kind of guy I decided to see for myself, so I pulled up the site in question using Google Maps:
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