After months of enduring overwhelming gas price increases, motorists in the Tallahassee area said they are feeling a sense of relief.
As of Tuesday, according to fuelgaugereport.com, the average price for unleaded gasoline in Tallahassee was close to $2.38 compared to the U.S. average of $2.39.
One year ago, the average price of unleaded gasoline for drivers was $3.01, while the national average was nearly$3.00.
Laphil Harvey, a manager at the BP gas station on S. Magnolia, where unleaded gas is currently $2.27, said in the past gas prices at other BP locations in the area reached an all time high.
“The highest was six [dollars] in Chattahoochee, on Thomasville Road, $5.19, and at McKenzie on North Monroe, $5.29,” he said.
Students at Florida A&M University said they are pleased to see prices for gas decrease and it has helped them save money.
“[Gas] needs to keep going down,” said Brittany George, 19, a sophomore cardio science student from Jacksonville. “I’m happy. I got a ’97 Ford Escort and $7 put me on half (of a tank). The gas was $2.32. It lasted me all through the weekend.”
Other students who live off campus said they were excited with the falling gas prices because it was a financial burden filling up their tanks when gas prices were higher.
“[It took] $70 [to fill my tank] when gas was three something,” said Tashi Kirland, 19, a sophomore pre-med student from Jacksonville who drives a 2000 Honda CRV. “It impacted my pockets a lot because prices were so high. I didn’t go many places that were unnecessary.”
According to fuelgaugereport.com, the highest recorded average price for regular gas in Tallahassee was $4.07 in July 2008.
“We had to pay more to get food from distributors,” said Ryan Barrett, assistant general manager at Wing Zone on W. Pensacola Street. “We didn’t raise delivery charges because prices went up. We were affected on the business end, but not customers.”
However, Harvey said rising gas prices didn’t affect their business and sales remained constant at their location.
“Whether gas was up or down, we’ve been holding up sales,” Harvey said. “When everybody thought it was a shortage, that’s when they bought more gas than anything.”
He also said he feels gas prices are going down due to the elections.
“I really think [gas decreasing] has something to do with the elections because every year during elections, it goes down and then after, they find a reason to go right back up,” Harvey said.
Others agree and said they hope gas prices remain low.
“I think it just dropped for elections,” George said. “But hopefully it stays like that.”
Since prices decreased, Harvey said he has noticed a change in customers’ reactions.
“It’s a big difference,” Harvey said. “Everybody (likes) the big difference with the price drop.”