Gas prices on May 19, 2022 at BP, located 31-05 Queens Blvd. (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
May 19, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
The average price for a gallon of regular gas broke the $5 mark in Queens today—for the first time ever.
The pain at the pump for Queens drivers was evident this morning at the BP station on Queens Boulevard in Long Island City where it was $5.03 for a gallon of regular gas.
“It’s a lot of money. It costs me $70 to fill my tank and I use regular,” said Chris Paredes, who lives in Brooklyn. “It hurts but what can I do, it’s getting hard out here.”
The average price for regular gas in New York City is now $5.02 a gallon—an all-time high–according to AAA. The average in Queens is $5.02 a gallon, Staten Island $4.99, the Bronx $4.98, Brooklyn $5.01 and Manhattan $5.35.
The cost of premium and diesel is even more brutal across New York City, with the average for premium being $5.56 a gallon and $6.77 for diesel.
Prices in New York City (source: AAA)
Gas prices for a gallon of regular surpassed $4 in every state for the first time Tuesday, according to AAA. The price of a gallon of regular averaged $4.91 across New York State today, higher than the national average of $4.59.
But analysts are saying that the average prices across the nation could surpass $6 per gallon.
“With expectations of strong driving demand … U.S. retail prices could surge by August to a $6.20/gal national average,” wrote Natasha Kaneva, head of commodities research at JPMorgan, in a report released to investors Tuesday.
For drivers in Queens this does not bode well—particularly for Uber drivers.
Michael Heralall, an Uber driver who lives in South Richmond Hill, said the surge in gas prices is making it tough for him to make a living.
“It makes me feel like I don’t want to go to work,” Heralall said at the BP station in Long Island City this morning. “It’s very, very expensive—before I used to pay $2.69, now I pay more than $5 — it’s a lot of money.”
“I’m filling up gas and I haven’t got a ride yet,” said Heralall, who regularly transports passengers to and from J.F.K. Airport.
The price of crude oil is about $110 a barrel, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine among the contributors to the spike.
“The high cost of oil, the key ingredient in gasoline, is driving these high pump prices,” said a AAA spokesperson on Monday.
Oner Dikmen, an Uber SUV driver, who drove into the BP station this morning said: “It’s killing us…. I’m spending $110-$120 to fill my car and before it was $75.”
“I’m spending $160 more a week so that means I have to work at least two or three hours more per day, which means I’m going to have to sacrifice the time I have at home.”
“That’s $500 a month so that’s not easy money to make, its making it hard to survive.”
Dikmen said he has switched from super unleaded to regular to tackle the price hike.
“The quality of the gas is going to affect the long-term maintenance of the car, engine transmission, everything.’
“I have to take [that risk] because I have to make money.”
Gas prices at Mobil, located at 40-40 Crescent St. (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
Speedway Gas station on Hillside Avenue in Queens Village taken on May 19, 2022 (Photo: Queens Post)
BP Gas station on Hillside Avenue in Queens Village taken on May 19, 2022 (Photo: Queens Post)
Mobil Gas station on Hillside Avenue in Queens Village taken on May 19, 2022 (Photo: Queens Post)
Featured Events
50 Comments
Remember every dollar extra in the price of gas ensures less driving and less pollution!!
It encourages you all to get better jobs so you too can enjoy working (think luxuriate) from home like those of us who knows whats best for you unfortunate working poor types..you know poor folks. Please make sure you send President Biden your grateful thanks this coming midterm elections…
unless you have an electric and and charge for free from solar panels. you are powerless to stop drivers.
Your vote. Your money
i laughed so hard at this. you seriously think pelosi will allow it?
Meanwhile India just bought millions of barrels of private Russian oil company… and paid in RUPEES. RUPEES! A currency that is almost worthless compared to the U.S. dollar. WAKE UP, Democrats! Especially you, Kamala
Oh please give me a break. A gallon of milk is more than $5 at the supermarket. I do not feel sorry for anyone that could afford a car in new York City.
I hope you understand everything in the supermarkets and stores is brought in by trucks which run on gas and the price hike in gas is passed on to you. So feel sorry for everyone.
meh, they could just pass the costs on to you. hope the gas goes even higher.
You do realize that everything in New York is trucked in.The gas prices affects everyone as the price is passed on to the consumer.
Exactly. I don’t drink milk as I’m lactose intolerant so I don’t really feel sorry for anyone who can afford to drink it in NYC. However hopefully the price of milk also skyrockets to $10 just like gas so everyone including can increase the social solidarity on this issue.
well, except for those that charge their electric cars for free. that will be the new norm sooner than later. literally nothing you can do about it.
Why are we sending $40million -senate just approve
to Ukraine when people in US can’t afford to put bread & butter on table & price for gas is out of control .Biden should be remove
why should Biden be removed? you voted for this liberal paradise. enjoy!
As much as I don’t like Biden and some of his record so far, he has no control over oil prices. Big oil is retrieving what profits they lost during the heights of the pandemic.
Oh absolutely..so true.. it’s just like drug dealers who raise their prices to criminal levels. I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you too if you have a minute?
Why is this President letting this happen ??
It makes me sick that prices are going up so much ? Stop this !! I’m on a fixed income & can’t no longer afford meat & stuff . This president should be put out for pasture .
Hashtagger as Pat- It’s free market principles are work. Stop posting propaganda. This has very little to do with White House.
So by “very little” you mean to say they’re still partly to blame?
Fran – If you’d like, you can call the white house and have them Nationalize the oil produced in America..,Then you’ll have the “party” to thank. I will block your socialist desires however because I own stock in large big oil producing corporation and believe it should go to the highest bitter just like we do now. As much as 2.09 million barrels a day of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel shipped out from the U.S. Gulf Coast in April, Bloomberg reports. Most went to Latin America, where diesel fuel demand will remain high during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. Mexico is expected to be a leading customer for American diesel, Enjoy capitalism
FYI: There’s a war in the Ukraine right now. Now that you’re informed, can you imagine any reasons why gas prices are going up? ?
Like you said, Biden sending aid to Ukraine will help, but only partly. Thanks for agreeing that all the primary causes of this are not related to the White House!
Where in my post did I say anything about Ukraine? Are you dyslexic????
Thanks for agreeing that there is a difference between something that has very little to do with the White House and not being related at all. Imagine being triggered by a simple question! 😆 😆 😆
Biden Admin refuses to bid out thousands of leases to drill for oil and artificially lowers the supply thereby increasing prices of gas…kills keystone pipeline…has Fed print money to pay for trillions in spending and devalue our dollar so foreign actors must raise prices to offset money lost with lower exchange rates…so maybe Biden is responsible just a little
Supply – You’re posting propaganda. There are thousands of unused oil leases. https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/oil-permits-9000-unused-fact-check/536-2a657e09-856b-436c-a55d-df1cdf2acb3f
Just wait until Kamala takes over. its gonna get a billion times worse.
Be generous with other people’s money.
This has very little to do with President Biden. The President doesn’t control these prices, they’re based on supply & demand.
As much as I don’t like Biden and some of his record so far, he has no control over oil prices. Big oil is retrieving what profits they lost during the heights of the pandemic.
Oh wait, I forgot he lost. Nevermind, blame the president for all your problems!
I will be taking the train to celebrate the Israel parade on Sunday May twenty-two in the city. Looking forward to seeing everyone from our neighborhood there.
who cares ?
Hopefully people will stay local for memorial day and celebrate at one of our local restaurants. Please support Asian business.
why waste money at restaurants when you can cook healthier at home for a fraction of the price?
Tighten your belts. Needs vs wants. Walk and eat less.
…or just vote republican and get your life back to the standard you are used to….
Brandon- The worst performing states are all Republican strongholds like Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Best performing states like Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and California are all Democratic states.
The cities that hold these states down are all democratic run cities. Jackson, Little Rock, Trenton..
@smh- Many rural counties have much higher crime rates then cities.
@smh- The 46 million U.S. residents living in rural areas in 2020 made up less than 14 percent of the U.S. population. 86% of Americans live in urban and suburban metropolitan centers. Nice attempt at statistical slight of hand.
I do not have the luxury of owning a car. I have to use the train to go to work. I tested positive for covid 3 times this year.
People should just bike or walk to places. Shop , work and socialize locally.
I would but I trying to get away from the faux gressives and all their tripe. You should do a story about The Political Indoctrination Camp on 45th Street off Skillman Avenue. It’s masquerading as a rat and rodent breeding station much to
The annoyance of the community. They have put an alarm & a big padlock on the so called community garden. They have locked out the real community and are not around at night to deal with the rat population explosion and they don’t care. Nearby homeowners have gotten violations and fines because of the stupid commies rat breeding
i wish i could, but the past 4 bikes i’ve had were stolen by thugs. and i cant afford to shop and socialize because that requires a lot of money.
I wouldn’t socialize at all.
Wish there were some other way to get around NYC. Oh well!
Thanks Joe.
Nothing to do with energy independence, that’s buzzword speak. America produces in the free market more energy then we consume( net energy production) since we are not a socialized nation the government doesn’t “skim” and take what we project will be needed for our countries public or or private consumption. Are you advocating socialism? Fox has you all confused.
America has energy independence but its independence is for sale to the highest bidder https://www.yahoo.com/autos/gas-prices-keep-climbing-while-152500043.html
It’s an “altar” not “alter” in this context.
Pro tip: learn to spell before pointing out someone else’s idiocy.
Retort- You must have nothing if all can come back with is a spelling error.
As much as I don’t like Biden and some of his record so far, he has no control over oil prices. Big oil is retrieving what profits they lost during the heights of the pandemic.