Price per gallon in Steel City sold below national average
By Erick Johnson
Last week at one gas station in Gary, it cost just $15.96 to fill the tank of my aging Chrysler Sebring. This week at the same station, it cost just $13.26 for a full tank. By the time you read this story, it may be lower. And with Memorial Day Weekend a month away, there’s a chance I may travel from Gary to Detroit for just $12.
Drivers across America are enjoying unusually low gas prices at the pump as low demand drives down global oil production during the coronavirus pandemic. As roads and highways remain deserted under stay at home orders, gas stations are offering some of the lowest gas prices that many drivers have seen in years. For road trip lovers, it’s time to hit the accelerator and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Nationally, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is $1.78, but in Gary, the price at the pump is even lower and decreasing by the week.
The Crusader visited 11 gas stations this week and found that all of them sold gas below the national average, with $1.54 being the highest price for a gallon of regular. Some gas stations in Gary face stiff competition from neighboring stations whose gas prices are even lower.
The gas stations the Crusader surveyed are on the city’s west side, Midtown and Miller neighborhoods. On 15th and Broadway on Tuesday, April 27 a Mobil gas station was selling gas at $1.35 a gallon. Across the street, Citgo sold fuel at $1.39 a gallon. All of the Mobil gas pumps were occupied with budget savvy drivers pumping their tanks full. Citgo across the street wasn’t as busy.
On Gary’s West Side, the Clark gas station at 5th Avenue and Wabash was selling regular fuel at $1.29 a gallon. Across the street, another Citgo was selling the same gas for $1.32 a gallon. Both gas stations were packed with customers. Several blocks east on Clark Road and 5th Ave, gas was being sold at $1.39 a gallon at the Save gas station.
Gas prices by Gary’s standards were highest in the Miller neighborhood on the city’s east side. At a Citgo gas station at 5th Avenue and Rhode Island, a regular gallon of gas cost $1.44. Further east, a gallon of regular gas was $1.54 at the GoLo gas station off 5th Avenue near the Miller neighborhood. Further east at the intersection of Clay Street and Melton, Race Way sold gas at $1.54 a gallon. Citgo across the street advertised the same gas for $1.49. Citgo however, was closed during the Crusader’s visit to the Miller neighborhood.
The cheapest gas the Crusader found was Fuel Stop at 25th Avenue and Harrison next to the vacant and historic Roosevelt College and Career Academy. On April 27, drivers paid just $1.25 for a gallon of unleaded gas. I filled my Chrysler Sebring there for just $13.26. Surprisingly, I was the only driver there at the time. Fuel Stop has six pumps.
Last week, Fuel Stop sold gas for $1.35 a gallon. It was busier then with three drivers, including myself. On that trip, I filled my tank for $15.96. I prepaid with a debit card inside for $25.00. The difference was refunded to my account two days later.
