Charlotte Gas Prices

[MZT]

I realized today that I like driving, less than I used to. There are so many bozos on the road not paying attention! I'm starting to feel just a bit of that old nervousness I had as a teenager, when learning to drive.

[monsoon]

That was an interesting report. If one reads on, one finds that Charlotte bus boardings are more than twice as many as all of the other city bus transit systems combined. Charlotte really is different and more progressive than the rest of the state when it comes to transit.

[A2]

I lived in the country for half of my life in NC. I dont think its fair Charlotte gets all of the road money and my county gets little to nothing. Everyone deserves equal distribution of highway funding because there are tax payers and people who fill up at the pump statewide.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying JM4. I was just trying to convey how pissed I was that our Gov't is Stealing funds that were earmarked for Road to be used for other items. That is all. I might should have clarified and said "and we as a state are paying for it". Sorry for any confusuion.

A2

[mediamongrel]

It will be interesting to find out what the "point of no return" will be on gas prices. In other words, how expensive will it get before it does affect people's lives? I hear all this talk and media hype, but the roads are STILL JUST AS BUSY IF NOT BUSIER! If you think about it, after Katrina people were STILL going to work everyday and driving everywhere. The malls, 485, 77, 85, were all still packed after Katrina, and that's when prices were averaging around $3.49 or so. If a huge mass of people were really unwilling to pay the asking price for gasoline, then we would have a lot less people driving PERIOD! AND WE DONT!

[MZT]

We seem to have levelled out a bit on prices. I think they may even recede a bit, like 10c or so... but then we have Memorial Day coming up in a month and prices ALWAYS rise then.

[reverbandwhiskey]

Threads like this make me glad that this:

is my commuter ride and this:

is my errand/city ride.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

^ What's your range with the commuting bike?

[monsoon]

Haha, I took this photo in Feb 2004, because of the "outrageous" amount they were asking for gasoline.

[DigitalSky]

And only LAST Spring...

[monsoon]

Haha, I got an email on the photo I posted not because the gas was so cheap, but because the ciggies where so cheap. LOL I guess that NC does have the lowest tax on cigarettes in the USA.

[DigitalSky]

Haha, I got an email on the photo I posted not because the gas was so cheap, but because the ciggies where so cheap. LOL I guess that NC does have the lowest tax on cigarettes in the USA.

[Jerseyman4]

I guess that NC does have the lowest tax on cigarettes in the USA.

South Carolina is the cheapest in the nation

[monsoon]

South Carolina is the cheapest in the nation

I should have said, when I took that photo. It was 5 cents then. NC has been progressive enough to raise the tax in this very difficult to do anything against tobacco state.

Thanks for reminding me of the increase that I had forgotten about.

[MZT]

Take a close look at this six year chart. Do you notice a trend?

Usually there is a "lull" in prices between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. If this is the best lull we're going to get, we may see gas prices go above the $3.00 threshold next year and ...... STAY ABOVE IT!

[Andyc545]

Take a close look at this six year chart. Do you notice a trend?

Usually there is a "lull" in prices between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. If this is the best lull we're going to get, we may see gas prices go above the $3.00 threshold next year and ...... STAY ABOVE IT!

[AuLukey]

I just went to visit my friend down in Gainesville, FL and found that their gas was only barely higher than charlotte's. Driving back up, Georgia actually had the highest prices. I was surprised as I had previously thought that their prices were generally lower. I guess that's what I get for not waiting until the GA/SC border. The worst part, my car only takes premium and the stop I went to had a price difference of $0.35 instead of the usual $0.20. I should have just packed up and tried to make it to the next exit, but I didn't feel like stopping twice on the way up.

[monsoon]

If you take the notice of when I started this topic, it was about regular gasoline hitting the $3.00 mark in Charlotte. I noticed today that some stations in the area have now reached the $4.00/gallon mark for regular. Diesel and premium have already crossed this mark.

Despite this, the roads seem as crowded as ever. What gives?

Any guesses when we someone will post here that regular is $5?

[Charlotte_native]

Any guesses when we someone will post here that regular is $5?

[AsturiasMurcia]

If you take the notice of when I started this topic, it was about regular gasoline hitting the $3.00 mark in Charlotte. I noticed today that some stations in the area have now reached the $4.00/gallon mark for regular. Diesel and premium have already crossed this mark.

Despite this, the roads seem as crowded as ever. What gives?

Any guesses when we someone will post here that regular is $5?

[monsoon]

I have noticed the gas prices have taken a lot, and I do mean a lot of boats off of the area's lakes. It's not as apparent on very affluent Lake Norman, but on the other two lakes it is very noticeable. We were on Mountain Island lake this weekend, the first weekend after school is out on a nice summer like day, and it was practically deserted. The used boat lots on Hwys 150, 73 and 16 are jammed packed with boats for sale.

[Raintree21]

I have noticed the gas prices have taken a lot, and I do mean a lot of boats off of the area's lakes. It's not as apparent on very affluent Lake Norman, but on the other two lakes it is very noticeable. We were on Mountain Island lake this weekend, the first weekend after school is out on a nice summer like day, and it was practically deserted. The used boat lots on Hwys 150, 73 and 16 are jammed packed with boats for sale.

[atlrvr]

Not really a local issue, but I've been contemplating an idea.

Should the federal government give a gas-tax holiday (maybe even for a few years) to diesel fuel only? This would accomplish two objectives. It would reward people financially who are driving much more emissions friendly diesel cars (hopefully encouraging European manufactures to import more models here). But, more importantly, it could help reduce inflation on consumer goods since commercial trucks and trains almost exclusively use diesel fuel. The fed seems confused on what to do with the fed rate do to economic slowdown and simultaneous inflation, perhaps this would be a realistic alternative?

It would be nice if this was continued at a state level, especially in many states (and the US govt) that actually have a higher tax on diesel than on petrol (its the same in NC).

[dubone]

I'm sure boating has taken a hit, as mostly, people don't use that for transportation, but rather for pure entertainment/leisure. As for people driving on the roads, it is not surprising, as we've setup our society in such a way that there is very inelastic demand for gas. It is very difficult for many people to stop driving when they live in auto-dependent location.

In the end, I hope more people respond to this trend of ever-increasing gas prices, by trying to change their lives to drive less. Primarily, I hope it helps spur them to live in an a more urban environment, walking to more locations, or choosing to live within the same county or neighborhood as their job.

On the 7-person team I manage at work, four of them walk or bike to work and one telecommutes most of the time. Gas prices are a total non-issue. I'd love to see more people living that way. Others around me drive into town from distant Union county or somewhere in South Carolina in large SUVs, and they constantly complain about gas. We may be getting closer to a threshold when they start to question the need to drive a 2 or 3 ton vehicle or the need to live so far away.

[monsoon]

.... It would reward people financially who are driving much more emissions friendly diesel cars (hopefully encouraging European manufactures to import more models here). .....

[49er]

VW is bringing a 50mpg jetta clean diesel to the US this fall. Still, if the price is comparable with a Prius I dont know how many they will sell with the fuel cost difference.