High costs at the pump aggravate students
Gasoline prices have risen substantially since last month and are continuing to increase, making it difficult for many off-campus USU students to get to school and save money.
Albert Packer, a senior majoring in graphic design, drives from Smithfield to campus five days a week.
“I used to spend about $30 a month,” he said about his gas budget. “But then it hiked to about $12.50 a week, and now that amount (of gas) only lasts me two to three days. I am definitely worried it will climb and I just won’t be able to afford it anymore.”
According to yesterday’s AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national average for regular gas is $3.88, up 31 cents from a month ago and increasing at a rate of 2 cents per week.
Though Utah is among the nation’s more affordable states to buy gasoline, the average price of gas in Cache Valley is currently $3.73, a number high enough to cause discomfort and penny pinching for many students.
Aubri Olson is a freshman majoring in law and constitutional studies. Olson, like Packer, lives off-campus and drives to school every day. She said because of rising gas prices, she is forced to remain on campus for long periods of time to save money.
“I have to stay on campus even when I have long breaks between classes,” Olson said. “It would be wasting a ton of money to take the 15-minute drive home and come back later. I’d much rather come home and eat and do other things, but instead I have to stay.”
Gasoline costs Olson $75 a week on average, or more if she leaves the valley, she said.
Randy Park, planning and marketing manager for Cache Valley Transit District, said the number of rides on CVTD buses has risen significantly over the past year. In the past two months, the number of rides is thousands more than one year ago. Park said the rise in ridership can in part be attributed to gas prices.
“We have over 33,500 rides more in 2012 than we did when we compare that to January and February of 2011,” Park said. “In January and February of 2011, CVTD had a total ridership of 350,033 and for January and February of 2012 we have 383,584.”
Park said CVTD reached a banner year in 2011, with 2.1 million rides.
Park said the thousands of additional rides so far this year can be contributed to several things – one being the good weather and comfortable waiting temperatures for the first of the year. Another is the Cash In For Clean Air contest CVTD hosted in February to encourage ridership with raffle drawings, an event that 1,500 individuals participated in.
Gas and the economy play a significant role too, though, he said.
“Clearly I think with gasoline prices increasing, people are looking to alternatives,” he said.
Packer said he has few options to get to school and doesn’t consider the bus practical for his situation.
“The bus system doesn’t run late enough for me to consider using it to get to and from campus,” he said.
Packer said he is bothered with the increasing costs of gas and doesn’t understand why the price can’t be kept below $3.50 per gallon.
With tensions continuously rising in the Middle East, especially with Iran, many like Packer are unsure whether the cause for the increase is due to politics, the actual cost of oil or gouging by oil companies.
Many news organizations, such as CNBC and the New York Post, have reported that prices may hit $5 this summer, but the reason is still a mystery to many American consumers and USU students having to pay at the pump on a regular basis.
With the increase some students are resorting to riding bicycles, buses or carpooling to save money.
Students like Melissa Hansen, a junior majoring in FCHD, have participated in carpooling groups since before prices went up, a decision that has saved many people money despite the uncertain future of gas prices.
The average cost of unleaded gas reached a record-breaking high of $4.11 in July 2008, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. With the current increase, that record may potentially be broken this year.
– ariwrees@gmail.com