Students are pumping up their tires and adjusting the gears and brakes on their bicycles. As gas prices skyrocket, many students find new means of transportation to and from school.
“The gas prices are too high so I am riding my bike everywhere I need to go,” Arnoldo Sanchez, 23, philosophy major said. “It is eco-friendly and a good work out.”
According to the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) Daily Fuel Gauge Report the average price of a gallon of gas is nearly a $1 more than it was this time last year. And the effects are weighing on students’ wallets. At over $4 a gallon, gas has reached the highest prices since Aug. 2008.
“The gas prices are draining my wallet,” Danny Moreno, 18, engineer major said. “It feels like I am wasting money but I need to get from place to place.”
With the recent spike in gas prices, students have become more conservative in their daily driving habits.
Gashaw Mamo, 22, medical laboratory major, just recently stopped driving his mother to work.
“Since I was dropping her off over by Fairfax, it was out of my way and costing a lot of money,” Mamo said.
While some students have altered their drive time, other students started using public transportation to save money.
“I started taking the bus because of the high gas prices,” Tiffany Woo, 20, public relations major said. “My commute takes longer but it is worth the savings.”
Another option for many students is to carpool since the cost of gas is at an all-time high.
“Since gas is pretty pricey, my boyfriend and I ride together wherever we need to go ,” Ivana Campos, 18, nursing major said.
Some students have even turned to using waste vegetable oil (WVO) to fuel diesel vehicles. The oil, which is discarded from restaurants, is filtered and boiled before dispensing it into the fuel tank. Students said this process saves them money and likewise better for the environment.
But for some commuters the high gas prices have not affected their budgets.
Russell Reece, math instructor drives a hybrid vehicle averaging about 34 miles per gallon. He also teaches part-time so gas prices have yet to become an issue.
With a slight increase from last week, gas prices show no signs of leveling off according to AAA. Therefore students said they would continue to alter their driving behavior to alleviate some budget constraints.
“I am saving to buy a bike,” Moreno said. “I will then stop using my car regularly and use the bike to go to and from school and work. This will help the strain I feel on my wallet.”
