Why are Pittsburgh's Gas Prices Still so High? (Wilkes-Barre, Butler: live, zoning)

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

In the rural areas, Pittsburgh is seen as the piggy bank.

. . . and then they ***** when the subject of helping cover the city's expenses (roads, snow removal, commuter tax etc) comes up. All of a sudden they don't have anything to do with the city an their well-being has nothing to do with what goes on there.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

I was talking to a person who sells at a farmer's market out in a rural county. They said when they come to Pittsburgh they mark up the price over 50%. One of the reasons was that Pittsburgh residents will pay it. In the rural areas, Pittsburgh is seen as the piggy bank. It is where the money is. Vendors will gouge prices when they can.

That's just basic supply and demand. Demand for fresh, quality produce in the city is high but supply is low because many people aren't surrounded by farms. I know of places in Beaver County where I can get great produce, but after I drive out there I'm not saving a dime due to the gas mileage.

These same principals apply to gas prices too, but a whole lot of other factors are at play too.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

That's just basic supply and demand. Demand for fresh, quality produce in the city is high but supply is low because many people aren't surrounded by farms. I know of places in Beaver County where I can get great produce, but after I drive out there I'm not saving a dime due to the gas mileage.

These same principals apply to gas prices too, but a whole lot of other factors are at play too.

Sadly, they can raise prices on city dwellers in order for us to enjoy what they have to offer, but the city be damned if we tried to maybe put a commuter tax on any of the stuff we have to offer.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Sadly, they can raise prices on city dwellers in order for us to enjoy what they have to offer, but the city be damned if we tried to maybe put a commuter tax on any of the stuff we have to offer.

Voluntary price adjustments due to demand and unavoidable tax increases for intangible benefits are two very different things though....

[doo dah]

I made a point to check the price of regular at the Sunoco at Bayard and N. Craig, $3.35 this morning. I hadn't been paying attention to what the price had been in the past week or two though.

[eschaton]

In general, gas prices are higher in traditional cities than in suburban or rural areas, because there are less gas stations. Prominent intersections often retain intact buildings, and as gentrification happens, gas stations can be squeezed out (as happened in Squirrel Hill at the Forbes/Murray intersection). And driving on surface roads takes a long enough time in city congestion few people will decide to forgo one station and look for a cheaper option merely because their regular station is too expensive.

Another possibility is people who live in the city drive less, and thus are willing to pay more for gas. If you're someone who only fills up your tank once every two weeks, then the price of gas is half as important to you than the price of gas for someone who fills up once a week. It can be a rare enough event you're not price conscious in the slightest.

As to why gas is cheaper in Philly compared to here, remember there are several refineries in South Jersey (and still a few in Delaware County, IIRC). The short distribution chain for gas will result in lower overhead, even in urban areas.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Another possibility is people who live in the city drive less, and thus are willing to pay more for gas. If you're someone who only fills up your tank once every two weeks, then the price of gas is half as important to you than the price of gas for someone who fills up once a week. It can be a rare enough event you're not price conscious in the slightest.

That's it for me. I fill my Fit's ten gallon tank about once every three to four weeks so gas prices don't really effect my life much. I'm pretty sure that I spend more at Coffee Tree during a month than I spend on gas. I miss the days when I walked to work and went as long as two months between fill-ups. I actually had to have brake work done once because I'd let the car sit so long that the calipers rusted from disuse.

[ferraris]

I agree with Eschaton and Gene that it's just not much of a factor for a lot of us. I basically budget $40 in my head for a tank of gas, and if it's $38 or $43 that still falls within my mental budget.

In my written budget I actually combine gas and parking into the same category. That probably contributes to me not noticing gas prices so much.

[captainmidnight]

I laugh at that horrible inflated price of that Gulf station Fifth Ave a few blocks before Consol Energy Center. Looks like the price is at $3.96 as of this morning. They even have a sign that says "Last gas before town". If you fill up there you must be running on fumes or not from around here because you can just drive five minutes over to the Southside save about 50 cents a gallon at any of the gas stations over there.

I bet the rural folk think that because we live in a "big, expensive city like Pittsburgh" that we can all afford to pay way more for stuff than the rural folk

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Living in rural areas doesn't always mean that you're living cheap though.