OMAHA — Rising gas prices already are prompting Diana Lindloff to modify her summer travel plans.
Instead of taking a long weekend to travel around western Nebraska, the Omaha woman will stick closer to home. In past years, Lindloff has had to fill up three or four times during her trips to the Nebraska Panhandle.
“I understand the situation,†she said, “and you’ve got to kind of work around it.â€
Drivers across the country are paying record amounts for gasoline. The average price in the U.S. hit a record $4.17 a gallon Tuesday, according to AAA.
But Nebraska drivers aren’t getting hit quite as hard at the pump. The state had the sixth-lowest prices in the country as of Thursday afternoon, said Gene LaDoucer, a spokesman for AAA Nebraska.
The average price in Nebraska was $3.92 on Friday, with prices in Lincoln slightly higher than the state average. The national average Friday had risen to $4.33.
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Nebraska drivers should be prepared to see prices hitting the $4 mark soon, LaDoucer said.
“The market has been quick to react to any news — positive or negative,†he said. “Predicting where gasoline prices are going to go, when they’re going to hit their peak, is impossible.â€
The price increase can be credited, in part, to the war in Ukraine and President Joe Biden’s ban on Russian oil imports. LaDoucer said that puts pressure on oil prices, which affect gasoline prices.
Add to that the fact that the country is approaching the busy spring and summer travel seasons. In past years when prices reached such levels, LaDoucer said, people still traveled. They just stayed closer to home and scrimped on food.
Last week, Omaha’s Metro transit saw its highest weekly ridership since March 2020. The buses had about 51,000 riders, which is about 15% higher than February’s average weekly ridership, said Annie Pigaga, Metro spokeswoman.
It’s too soon to tell, she said, if the uptick in ridership is because of rising gas prices, weather or lower COVID-19 case numbers. Typically, however, ridership increases when gas prices rise. Pigaga said Metro saw peak ridership in the 2010s when gas prices hit close to $4 a gallon.
“We’re kind of looking at the trends to see if this is going the same way it did in the 2010s as well,†she said.
Troy Schulte, who is from western Iowa but lives in Illinois, said he already is rethinking trips to watch his son play college baseball in Liberty, Missouri, a northeastern suburb of Kansas City.
Schulte said his schedule would have allowed him to attend most home games. But now, it will cost him an extra $80 to get to the games and back.
While he said he could afford the increase, it would mean cutting into other spending, such as money designated for eating out or making other purchases.
It’s frustrating, Schulte said, especially when the price increases mean he won’t be able to go to games as often.
Lindloff, who already plans to revamp her summer travel, said she also is reevaluating her work schedule. She works from home and does some dog-sitting on the side. Instead of traveling back and forth, she’ll haul her work equipment with her to people’s houses.
LaDoucer said one way to save on gas is to take it slow. Vehicles are most fuel-efficient, he said, when traveling between 30 and 50 mph. He offered other tips for making drives more efficient:
* Keep vehicles properly maintained.
* Keep tires properly inflated.
* Avoid idling. That might mean traveling when there aren’t as many cars on the roads and avoiding rush hours.
* Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle.
* Avoid quick starts and rapid stops.
Gas prices: Track how they're changing in our state and nation
High gas prices have been frustrating American drivers for months — and now, the war in Ukraine is pushing oil and gas costs into a new gear.
Inflation has become an ongoing financial strain for millions of Americans filling up at the gas station, lined up at a grocery checkout lane, shopping for clothes, bargaining for a car or paying monthly rent.
But gas prices vary widely from state to state because of different taxes and regulations, as well as the local cost of doing business. Take a look for yourself.