Gas prices continue to rise higher as the summer months approach leaving West Chester University students along with many teachers and recent grads around the area feeling the pinch.Regular gas on average in West Chester in the past week ranged from $3.20 to above $3.50 a gallon. The cheapest places that tended to offer gas around the area continue to be smaller chains and the large chain Wawa; such as the Greenhill Wawa on Pottstown Pike priced at $3.26 a gallon this week.
Wawa on Gay Street in WC is posted at $3.33 on the morning of April 17th. So, being in certain locations tend to impact the price of gas.
Exxon, which is said to offer better octane levels of gas than its larger competitor Wawa, is charging nearly $3.49 for a gallon of regular these days.
Midgrade gas has ranged anywhere from $3.41 to $3.59, with the cheapest price being offered at the CITGO, located on Bolmar and Barnard Streets in town the third week of April.
Premium gas, which is also offered the cheapest at the CITGO is starting at $3.51 and ranging up to $3.69 at the Exxon on West Chester Pike.
The reason for this recent jump in prices is linked to a large increase in trade prices of gas. “The average price of crude oil futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange in March jumped to $105.42 a barrel, from $95.01”; says the New York times.
The Energy Information Administration has estimated that as of April 8 gasoline on average will hit $3.54 a gallon between the months of April and September.
What this means is that commuter students, teachers, and especially those who attend summer courses will feel this new strain on the pocket get increasingly worse as summer nears.
According to commuter student Kelly Finnegan; “The gas prices around West Chester are getting to be painful and it’s only supposed to get worse”.
Students at DCCC will also be effected on a higher scale because every student is a commuter. Hopefully, most live on campus will be able to avoid the crunch of the inflating prices on gas at least until summer traveling comes into effect.
Gas prices always tend to rise during the summer time due to an increase in vacation traveling in warmer weather. This causes the demand for gas to go up and the production to stay the same.
In the summer the EPA mandates that 12 of the largest high-pollution urban areas switch to a cleaner gas in order to stop the production of pollution in the summer time. This also contributes to a rise in prices every summer for gas, according to the Washington Post.
It is always better for vehicles to be serviced regularly. The car always operates better and continues to cut back on pollutant filled chemicals that enter the atmosphere through the vehicle.
Cutting back on driving can also save money and possibly the environment. As it gets nicer outside people tend to go outside more often. WCU continues to be an active community and walking, running, bike-riding, and skateboarding are always enjoyable options to avoid overusing the car.
Leanne Sturt is second-year student majoring in English with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at ls637862@wcupa.edu.