By Allison McNeill
Carrboro Commons Writer

Cyclists can travel to the heart of Carrboro by the easily accessible bike route. The bike route helps individuals avoid traffic and stop lights, and even better, a bicycle is gasoline-free.
Staff photo by Allison McNeill

With prices soaring to $3.49 for a gallon of regular gas, Carrboro residents and business owners are feeling the pinch in their wallets. The high gas prices have people thinking about their driving habits and considering alternate forms of transportation.

Ben Johnson, who has lived in Carrboro since August, said, “When I have to drive home to the mountains I try to carpool more than ever before. I’m even going to change my voter registration to Orange County so that I don’t have to drive home for that. It’s made me conscious about when and where I’m driving.”

Local business owners are also feeling the effects. David Parker, manager of Amante Gourmet Pizza, has had to deal with gas price related cost increases.

“We now have surcharges on deliveries that come to us,” he said, a sign that other businesses, as well, are trying to find ways to cope.

Although the number of pizzas they deliver has not changed, Parker does foresee some problems occurring if the prices stay at this rate.

“Some drivers don’t want to drive as much,” he said. “When a driver spends $15 to $20 on gas and only makes $15 to $20 on the night, it just isn’t worth it.”

Emily Harrison, a Carrboro resident and UNC-CH student, has found herself reevaluating her driving habits.

“Rather than go out to eat, I’ve been ordering food and having it delivered,” she said. “I’ve considered getting a bike, but I think I’m going to wait and see what happens.”

For individuals who ride bikes to campus or around town, the Carrboro bike path is an option. The bike path helps cyclists avoid traffic in Carrboro.

Other alternatives are buses, hybrid vehicles and scooters. According to television station NBC-17, the sales of hybrids and scooters are rising along with the price of gas.

“Statistics show registrations of new hybrid vehicles increased 38 percent last year to more than 350,000,” NBC-17’s website reported.

According to the Associated Press, “Scooter sales are up 46 percent over the past five years. Some of the new scooter models can get as much as 72 miles per gallon.”

Dave Jensen, owner of Scooters Inc. in Carrboro, said, “Every time there is a rise in gas prices, I have a rise in sales.” Scooters Inc. of Carrboro has emphasized the cost and environmental benefits of scooters since its opening last August.

According to Newsday, one reason for the spike in the price for gas is the recent increase in the price for a barrel of oil, which rose following weekend attacks on oil supplies. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the national average for a regular gallon of gas is up 60 cents from one year ago.

It is unclear just how high the gas prices will rise, but it’s clear that Carrboro residents are taking notice.