Published: May 14, 2008 12:05 am            

Gas prices rise again

Coincides with National Ride Your Bike to Work Week

ASHLAND — People fear what’s coming next as the price per gallon of gas flirts with $4 per gallon.

Fuel prices at local stations and convenience stores rose an unofficial average of 20 cents overnight Monday, greeting Tuesday morning motorists with per gallon price tags around $3.95 for regular unleaded gas.

Oddly, the price change coincided with National Ride Your Bike to Work Week.

“I don’t know how we’re going to make it,” has become a common phrase as customers prepare to pay for gas around the area. The people behind the counters say they’ve heard a few grumbles, although most of their customers don’t target them with their gas-price frustrations.

“Most people are pretty good to us. We have a lot of regulars,” said Billy Satterfield, manager at the 18th Street Clark’s Pump N Shop. “When I first started, out on 60 about a year ago, it was around $3.16 (per gallon). Then it hit below $3 for a little while.”

Driving a 1979 Dodge Ramcharger which averages 6.5 miles per gallon, Beau Call of Ashland said he first bought fuel Tuesday morning at a Speedway store a few minutes after higher prices were posted.

“It caught me,” he said with a grin.

The price of gas, Call said, has definitely changed his personal life.

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah, big time. I have family out in the county I get to see maybe once a month. I used to see them once a week,” he said, adding he is now filling his tank twice a week as he works “to make gas money basically.”

Pumping gas into a Dodge Ram 1500 at Kroger, Mike Demint of Demint Drywall said his company runs two large trucks and has recently gone from spending $450 a week on fuel to almost $800. With a pair of trucks averaging around 10 miles per gallon between job sites, Demint said the latest fuel cost increase will only makes his company’s problems more intense.

“It is making it really difficult to turn a profit out here,” he said as his pump passed the $50 mark. “We’re starting to actually carpool — meet and ride together.”

On the positive side, the latest gasoline price hike was a practically perfect kickoff for National Ride Your Bike To Work Week, according to Curtis Combs at Ashland Bicycle & Extreme Sports.

“Quite a few people are returning to bicycles. If they live within riding distance of work or they’re not far from things like stores they have been looking at bicycles,” Combs said, noting a recent increase in sales of accessories including locks and cables as well as baskets and saddlebag units for carrying groceries and other items with pedal power.

Most of Combs’ customers who are riding as an alternative to gasoline are buying “hybrid” bikes which combine attributes of mountain and street style bikes.

“I sold five hybrids yesterday. For a cold, rainy Monday that was exceptional,” he commented, adding Friday is also National Ride Your Bike To Work Day.

Ashland, he said, appeals to bicyclists because it is relatively flat and well laid out, although there is room for improvement.

“A cycling lane would be wonderful,” he said, explaining the city could use a few simple and inexpensive tools including signs and paint to make the area more bike friendly. The city’s official bike route could also use some tweaking with input from active bicyclist enthusiasts, and he suggested development of a mountain bike trail along the city’s riverfront.

“There are really several areas where they could do something like that,” he noted.

Enjoying a late lunch in Central Park, Ernestine and Jimmy Epling of South Ashland said they may have fewer gas-related concerns than many in the region.

“We don’t travel much anyway,” said Mrs. Epling, who said she noticed the most recent jump in gas prices on her way to the park. “We don’t take any long trips.”

While their daily lives haven’t been drastically influenced by fuel costs, he said everyone is now paying more for everything.

“It’s definitely affecting people one way or another,” Epling said.

        

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