Gas
prices in New Jersey broke another record today, now topping $5 a gallon.
The average price per gallon in the Garden State is now $5.01 a gallon
for regular unleaded.
A week ago, it was
$4.75. It was $4.42 a month ago and $3.06 a gallon a year
ago.
The state is
about 10 cents above the national average, which is $4.91 -- a record as well.
Diesel is $6.12 a
gallon, which has actually dropped about 20 cents from the record $6.33
a gallon set on May 18.
“We shouldn’t be
at this level," says Roel Mercado, of Fords. "We are a very
well-developed country, and I think we should be lower than $5.”
Drivers say they
are doing their best to stretch their fuel, trying to stay to keep clear of the
pump, but for business owners like Keith Smith -- it’s inevitable.
“I have 15
vehicles on the road every day. I’m spending, I used to spend about $6,000 or
$7,000 a month in fuel," says Smith. "Right
now, I’m spending $15,000 a month on fuel. What do you think my thoughts are?
This is crazy.”
New Jersey is one
of 13 states who’ve reached the milestone of $5 a gallon.
"The way I
used to drive used to be all day along. With everything going up, I've reduced
myself," says Shikaj Jain, of Jersey City.
Mississippi boasts the cheapest gas at
$4.46 a gallon while California has the most expensive at
$6.37.