Locals are feeling the gouge of rising gas prices and though
many are searching for the cheapest price in town, few travelers
are expected to leave their autos at home over the Labor Day
weekend.
Gilroy – Locals are feeling the gouge of rising gas prices and though many are searching for the cheapest price in town, few travelers are expected to leave their autos at home over the Labor Day weekend.
Gas prices in Gilroy Wednesday between 11 am and noon topped out at $2.999 at Rotten Robbie on Leavesley Road, though drivers looking for a bargain could find prices as low as $2.79 at Costco.
“I would not be surprised to see continued price increases at least in the short term,” said Sean Comey, a spokesperson for AAA of Northern California. “September could be an unpleasant month when it comes to fuel prices.”
For non-Costco members, there were three other gas stations on First Street in Gilroy that offered a bargain at $2.859, including Bozzo’s Union 76, Hecker Pass Gas and Valero Energy.
Despite the increasing prices, more than 3.8 million Californians will travel by motor vehicle during the last long weekend of the summer, according to a survey conducted by the AAA of Northern California.
“We would not anticipate that gas prices will cause people to cancel plans, but it may cause them to alter their plans,” Comey said.
People may look at ways to offset the costs of travelling, but in the experience of AAA travel agents they are not cancelling their plans.
“A majority of people are changing their plans, travelling closer to home,” Comey said.
He pointed out that fuel is usually a small percentage of a vacation budget and a family could make up the extra $15-20 they might spend on gas by packing a lunch the first day of a trip instead of eating out.
Still the cost of everyday fuel consumption is starting to affect the fueling habits of locals.
Leticia Horta, of Hollister, stopped at Costco in Gilroy to fill up her gas tank Wednesday afternoon.
“I was looking at the prices and figured I’d check out what their price was,” she said.
“I’m glad I stopped by here,” Horta said, as she filled up the tank of her mid-size Honda with the cheapest fuel in town. “I’ll try to keep my eye out.”
While Horta was filling up, a dozen vehicles pulled in to fill up their tanks. Later in the day, around 5 pm, more than 30 drivers waited to fill up their cars. The price had increased at Costco by two cents, to $2.81 a gallon, since lunch time.
Andrew Montano, who works for Costco and oversees the gas station, said there had been a steady stream of customers.
“No matter how high, the prices keep going up and people still buy it,” Montano said.
The same is holding true for auto dealerships in Gilroy who have not seen a decrease in their car sales or sales of larger vehicles as gas prices fluctuate.
The Al Sanchez automotive group has seen a decrease in the sales of larger vehicles, but Sales Manager Bob Hoehlein did not attribute it to gas costs.
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s related to the gas prices,” Hoehlein said. “It’s related to a saturated market.”
He added that the Volkswagen-Mazda-Jeep-Eagle dealership carries many smaller, fuel-efficient cars and not so many “gas guzzlers.”
Rick Romero, a sales manager, for Gilroy Chevrolet Cadillac, said their dealership has actually seen an increase in sales of all car makes and models because of the General Motors employee discount promotion. But he conceded that the gas increases may hurt the sale of larger vehicles as the year closes out.
“I am sure they will be affected in the last quarter, but not yet,” Romero said.
The Field Poll, an independent, non-partisan, media-sponsored public opinion news service, released their latest findings on Californians’ views of gas prices Wednesday. The study found that 71 percent of Californians believe the recent gasoline increases are a serious matter.
“It’s gone from bad to worse to even worse,” said AAA of Northern California Spokesperson Comey.
Like Horta, two-thirds of the people surveyed by Field Poll said they were going to start shopping around for the cheapest stations. Though more than half of those surveyed said they would drive less around town or use their most fuel-efficient vehicle, only 13 percent said they would use public transit more.
Montano, the Costco employee, has another solution for saving gas money.
“I’m thinking about getting me a horse,” Montano joked.
Recent Gas prices (as of noon Wednesday)
Station Address Cost
1. Costco 7251 Camino Arroyo $2.799*
2. Bozzo’s Union 76 601 First St. $2.859
3. Hecker Pass Gas First and Hanna streets $2.859
4. Valero Energy 700 First St. $2.859
5. United Gas Leavesley and Chestnut $2.869
6. Valero 1190 First St. $2.879
7. Leavesley Union 76 601 Leavesley Road $2.879
8. Chevron #49 401 Leavesley Road $2.879
9. Gilroy Gas 8385 Monterey St. $2.879
10. Shell 5920 Travel Park Circle $2.879
11. Plaza Gas 5920 Travel Park Circle $2.879
12. AmeriGas 10th and Monterey $2.899
13. Chevron #1438 7000 Monterey St. $2.899
14. Chevron #6293 5887 Monterey St. $2.899
15. Chevron Toro 7999 Westwood Drive $2.939
16. Shell 850 Pacheco Pass $2.939
17. Gilroy Shell 400 Leavesley Road $2.989
18. Rotten Robbie 390 Leavesley Road $2.999
*$2.81 as of 5pm Wednesday
