A check of gas prices around Bethesda as we reach the middle of the week reflects the same inflation being felt by Americans at gas pumps nationwide. Prices are inching up hourly. The $4.69 price you see in the photograph above at Liberty on Bradley Boulevard at 10:00 PM last night was already a few cents more than it was Tuesday morning. Who has the cheapest gas in Bethesda? The Navy Exchange at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where regular is going for $3.85 a gallon - but you can only fill up there if you hold credentials to get onto the base!
Overnight, the cash price for regular at Marathon on River Road was the cheapest in Bethesda for civilians at $4.15. In fact, River Road is the place to fill up in Bethesda, as all of the stations on that strip are beating the downtown gas stations: $4.17 at Liberty, $4.20 at Mobil, $4.20 at Shell, and $4.22 at Sunoco. Keep in mind that those prices may have gone up slightly by the time you get to the station.
Of course, drivers in some regions of the country would probably kill to have prices that low right now. KSBW reported one of the highest prices heard nationwide from Gorda, California, where every gallon is costing drivers $7.59.
Although the reason gas prices are currently going up is horrible, more expensive gas helps boost transit ridership. Communities like Bethesda, with highly walkable downtowns, and great transit options, would do very well with even higher gas prices. A large gas tax, with revenue directed to transit improvements, like most of Europe has had for many years, would be great. Expensive gas is also good for the environment as it incentivizes the sale of more sustainable fuel efficient and electric vehicles.
ReplyDelete@6:07 AM: "....more expensive gas helps boost transit ridership."
ReplyDelete-> Metro is so horrible now that even more expensive gas isn't boosting ridership appreciably from the current levels. People still prefer to drive to get where they need to go, and expensive gas is punishing those people severely, although not equally. Expensive gas is a regressive tax and affects lower-income people disproportionately.
"Expensive gas is also good for the environment as it incentivizes the sale of more sustainable fuel efficient and electric vehicles."
-> You're not accounting for the energy costs and environmental effects of mining for those rare earth metals that go into the batteries. You're not accounting for the environmental impact of batteries for recycling or disposal. You're not accounting for the environmental impact of putting chargers everywhere. You're not accounting for how it's not possible to put chargers everywhere, especially in older buildings. You're not accounting for the power sources used to charge those electric vehicles:
Have a look at Pepco's Environmental Fuel Source (Maryland) Report: https://www.pepco.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Pepco%20MD%20Enviro%20Fuel%20Mix%20Insert_11.21_ADA.pdf
ENERGY SOURCE (FUEL MIX)
July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021
Coal 22.1%
Natural Gas 38.3%
Nuclear 33.3%
Oil 0.2%
Unspecified Fossil 0.0%
--> Energy sources subtotal: 93.9%
Renewable Energy
Captured Methane Gas 0.3%
Geothermal 0.0%
Hydroelectric 1.2%
Solar 0.7%
Solid Waste 0.5%
Wind 3.3%
Wood or other Biomass 0.2%
Unspecified Renewable 0.0%
--> Renewable energy sources subtotal: 6.1%
All that's happening with electric vehicles is that you're burning more coal/natural gas and using more nuclear. The renewable energy sources are a mere fraction of what goes into charging those vehicles, and it's simply not enough to be viable.
Just so I can confirm for when you said: "Although the reason gas prices are currently going up is horrible"....
What's the reason?
6:07 AM: All of us Uber/Lyft drivers are glad to be driving with a clean conscience on that more expensive gas you apparently revere so much. This substantially impacts my take-home income. No, I can't afford to get an electric vehicle.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that nearly all farm equipment uses gas?
You do realize that nearly all freight trucks use gas (diesel)?
Expensive gas is going to increase their prices, and they'll pass those increases onto you, so you'll pay more for food, clothing, etc.
Your opinion shows an incredible lack of compassion for working people.
Expensive gas is a regressive tax on the poor.
ReplyDeleteIn the US, Black people are the most likely to be living in poverty. That makes them disproportionately impacted by high gas prices. We've been told that disparate impact constitutes racism. So where's BLM on this? Crickets.....
Spoken like a true leftist, especially since you think that gas prices are only due to Ukraine. Never mind those less fortunate who have to commute into BCC/DC from areas not served by public transportation and drive service trucks or older cars that don't get the mileage new cars get. At least they'll pay wealthy EV owners portions of the road tax and other taxes to support the 1% who will get subsidies for buying them.
ReplyDeleteYes, those in poverty care so much about gas prices for their nonexistent cars.
ReplyDeleteAs for the middle class, so many people wish they could live in walkable places like downtown Bethesda, Silver Spring, etc. - the high market rent for apartments proves that. The county needs to do a better job making it cheaper to build new construction in dense areas to meet demand. The increased height allowances for increasing to 25% MPDU in Bethesda is one successful tactic, but more needs to be done.
@7:12 AM: You care less about the poor than your sense of virtue makes you feel. Not fooling me at all with your platitudes.
ReplyDeleteThe high price of gas makes everything more expensive. It makes food and other material goods more expensive for starters. Those costs are passed onto consumers. You don't have to own a car to be impacted by high gas prices and poor people are disproportionately affected by those higher costs because high gas prices are a regressive tax.
You'd know and acknowledge that reality if you weren't preoccupied with virtue signaling your ignorance of it.
7.9% Inflation. Highest in forty years. From "transitory", to "a good sign", to "corporate greed", to "peaking", to "Putin"....
ReplyDelete"Inflation rose 7.9% in February, as food and energy costs push prices to highest in more than 40 years":
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/10/cpi-inflation-february-2022-.html
"There is ‘nowhere to hide’ for consumers as inflation hits food, gas, housing":
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/10/theres-nowhere-to-hide-for-consumers-as-inflation-hits-food-gas-housing.html
You own it Joe.