Tyler Evains
Staff Writer
The average price for a gallon of gas in California is $2.75 and $2.78 in Los Angeles – substantially higher than the national average at $2.18, according to American Automobile Association Fuel Gauge Report released Thursday.
High gas prices are yet another financial pressure on cash-strapped commuter students, who make up more than 50 percent of students here.
Junior business major Joshua Cruz feels it in his wallet daily.
As a driver of a Cadillac Escalade, Cruz was hit particularly hard, commuting from West Covina.
“It takes $60 to fill up in the winter and about $120 in the summer,” he said.
California is one of the seven most expensive states for gas, according to the Automobile Club of America. In South Carolina, one of the least expensive states for gas, drivers pay less than $2 a gallon.
The cheapest gas in La Verne can usually be found at Vons according to GasPriceWatch.com. Shell, 76 and Mobil have higher prices. The average price for regular gas in La Verne may be a few cents less that the Los Angeles price.
“I only pay attention to the gas prices in La Verne if I’m low on gas when I’m at school,” senior biology major Naomi Grant said.
She said she tries to fill up near home in Fullerton, where she tends to find lower gas prices.
“At home, gas is about $2.27 right now. It takes me $26 to fill up there and $42 in La Verne,” Grant said.
Junior athletic training major Rosee Sanchez lives within walking distance from ULV, but she works in West Covina.
“There’s a few cents difference between West Covina and La Verne,” Sanchez said.
“It takes me about 35 minutes to drive from work to school because of the traffic hours.”
Driving in traffic uses more gas than driving on an open road.
Tyler Evains can be reached at tyler.evains@laverne.edu.
