CHICAGO () — Chicago drivers are once again confronting painful prices at the pump.
The average price of gasoline in the city has climbed past $5 a gallon, adding to the financial strain on local motorists.
At a Shell station at Division Street and Noble Street, regular gasoline was posted at $5.99 a gallon. Across the street, BP was charging $5.69.
Chicago gas prices are now about 50 cents higher than they were a month ago and $1.50 above last year’s level, with the citywide average topping $5 a gallon, according to a GasBuddy survey.
Diesel prices nationwide have also surged, rising 30 cents from last week to reach another record high of $6.49 a gallon.
Drivers who spoke with ABC7 said they are comparing prices more carefully and changing how they travel around Chicago in an effort to reduce the impact of soaring fuel costs.
“I feel it in my chest every day that I have to go to the gas pump, yes,” driver Dsiree Burks said. “I’m making sure that my meetings are on the same side of town. Mind you, I’m here at the gas pump, and I’m feeling it. It’s a bit tight, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”
“We drove to another gas station where it was 50 cents cheaper, actually a dollar cheaper. It was $4.99, and we were like, that’s crazy. So we said we’ll go somewhere else. But it’s worse here,” driver Kate Kortum said.
Chicago is not alone in feeling the squeeze. The national average for gasoline rose 18 cents over the past week, reaching about $4.44 on Monday.
