Spike in gas prices worries SU students
Although the rising price of gasoline has long been a concern, the recent spike in price may have drivers around the nation more conscientious when at the pump.
The current average price for regular gas in the United States is $3.96 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com, a group of local websites operated by GasBuddy Organization Inc. that allows people to post and view gasoline prices around the country. Gasoline prices have not been this high since the summer of 2009, said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com.
Prices typically rise in the summer because there is a higher demand, DeHaan said. People generally travel more in the summer, and the more people travel, the more fuel they will use. He said other contributors to the rising price of gas are the weak U.S dollar, tight supply of oil and refinery maintenance.
A month ago, the national average for gas was $3.76 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. Now a gallon of regular gasoline in certain parts of California, Missouri and New York costs more than $4.30. The average regular gasoline price in Syracuse is $4.03 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.
DeHaan said he expects prices to remain above $3 per gallon for some time.
‘We may see the U.S. average bounce around between $3.65 and $4.05 for much of the summer, but prices won’t really begin to fall until October to December,’ he said.
This is upsetting for Lyndsay Hollis, a junior public relations major, who uses her car throughout the year to drive home and to work in Skaneateles, N.Y.
‘I’m pissed,’ Hollis said. ‘I have a little Saturn, and it was always excellent on gas mileage. I was able to fill it up with 20 bucks at the beginning of the year. Now when I go to fill it up, 20 bucks only gets me about half a tank.’
Though higher gas prices will not stop Hollis from using her car, it will make her more likely to plan her trips out ahead of time.
‘If there’s stuff I need to do, I’ll just do it when I go there for work,’ she said. ‘I won’t make an extra trip so I don’t have to fill it up every day.’
Other students like Hollis plan to bring their cars to school next year despite the rise in gasoline prices. They believe the benefits of having a car on campus outweigh the costs.
DJ Holland, a sophomore business and information studies major from Washington, D.C., said he could never have survived college without his car.
‘Honestly, without my car I might have transferred schools,’ he said. ‘I hate public transportation, but I am used to living in the city. My car at least gives me an outlet to an outside environment, which I personally would not otherwise get to enjoy.’
Sabrina Mancuso, a senior political science major, spends about $40 on gas per week but said it is worth it because her car enhances her college experience.
‘If you are an upperclassman living off campus, I definitely say a car is worth it,’ she said. ‘My car gives me more freedom because I don’t have to rely on others for rides. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want.’
Published on May 10, 2011 at 12:00 pm
