Comments on: Today’s fuel price musings - As prices drop a bit, Rockford remains below most of state http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/ Whether you ride, drive or fly, transportation issues affect everyone. Especially when fuel prices are so high. Join Thomas V. Bona as he examines the things that make the world move. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:51:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 By: Thomas V. Bona http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1180 Thomas V. Bona Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:33:29 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1180 Max, Unless you're going out and scientifically surveying stations, you have access to the same data I do. Some points of note: 1. The numbers I cite are for metro area averages - they take into account Belvidere and other cheaper parts of the area. So Rockford city prices will be higher. Because these prices are captured daily from a large sample of stations at the same time, they're the most reliable snapshot we have. Can parts of the Milwaukee area be cheaper or the same as parts of the Rockford area? Sure, but on average the Rockford area is cheaper right now. 2. Champaign and Decatur are the two metro areas cheaper than ours, according to AAA. I didn't say we were the lowest, but that we were lower than most of the state's metro areas. Mattoon is possibly in the Champaign metro area. And while the cities of Springfield and Peoria may have comparable prices to the city of Rockford, on average their metro areas are (slightly) higher. Just because you don't like the facts doesn't make me a shill. Who am I shilling for, anyway? High fuel prices hurt more local businesses than they help ... especially as the region tries to be a transportation hub, Max,

Unless you’re going out and scientifically surveying stations, you have access to the same data I do.

Some points of note:

1. The numbers I cite are for metro area averages - they take into account Belvidere and other cheaper parts of the area. So Rockford city prices will be higher. Because these prices are captured daily from a large sample of stations at the same time, they’re the most reliable snapshot we have. Can parts of the Milwaukee area be cheaper or the same as parts of the Rockford area? Sure, but on average the Rockford area is cheaper right now.

2. Champaign and Decatur are the two metro areas cheaper than ours, according to AAA. I didn’t say we were the lowest, but that we were lower than most of the state’s metro areas. Mattoon is possibly in the Champaign metro area. And while the cities of Springfield and Peoria may have comparable prices to the city of Rockford, on average their metro areas are (slightly) higher.

Just because you don’t like the facts doesn’t make me a shill. Who am I shilling for, anyway? High fuel prices hurt more local businesses than they help … especially as the region tries to be a transportation hub,

]]> By: Thomas V. Bona http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1179 Thomas V. Bona Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:20:08 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1179 Jon, You'll have that some times ... price differences between regions aren't simply a function of taxes. It depends on how much gasoline is going for at the different terminals that serve a region ... if Rockford's terminals have a perceived shortage, for example, prices may be higher. More often than not, Rockford is well below Cook County, though. Sorry I can't give you an exact formula, but it's not an exact science. Jon,

You’ll have that some times … price differences between regions aren’t simply a function of taxes. It depends on how much gasoline is going for at the different terminals that serve a region … if Rockford’s terminals have a perceived shortage, for example, prices may be higher. More often than not, Rockford is well below Cook County, though.

Sorry I can’t give you an exact formula, but it’s not an exact science.

]]> By: max berry http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1178 max berry Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:17:56 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1178 Sorry, but you are mistaken. I go to milwaukee approx. once a week and their prices are the same or lower than Rockford's. I rarely buy gas in town anymore as I can get it cheaper both north and south of here. Champaign is 2.57 today, Mattoon is 2.53, Decatur 2.56, Peoria and Springfield are about the same, only 2-4 cents cheaper. chicago is always higher because they have about 11 cents more in tax added to the price. A little research instead of just reporting industry sources or news handouts would improve the accuracy of the register star quite a bit. then we could have a newspaper instead of a business shill. Sorry, but you are mistaken. I go to milwaukee approx. once a week and their prices are the same or lower than Rockford’s. I rarely buy gas in town anymore as I can get it cheaper both north and south of here.
Champaign is 2.57 today, Mattoon is 2.53, Decatur 2.56, Peoria and Springfield are about the same, only 2-4 cents cheaper. chicago is always higher because they have about 11 cents more in tax added to the price.

A little research instead of just reporting industry sources or news handouts would improve the accuracy of the register star quite a bit.
then we could have a newspaper instead of a business shill.

]]> By: Jon http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1177 Jon Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:23:43 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1177 What I found to be strange is that when the prices went up two weekends ago, our gas was just as expensive as the gas I saw when driving in Chicago and parts of Indiana-it was not until I got out of the Chicago metro area (in Indiana) when prices finally fell to be about fifteen cents cheaper per gallon, which then held their level through much of the state of Indiana. I always thought we had lower sales taxes, etc. than Chicago & Cook County do on gasoline-why did the prices match? What I found to be strange is that when the prices went up two weekends ago, our gas was just as expensive as the gas I saw when driving in Chicago and parts of Indiana-it was not until I got out of the Chicago metro area (in Indiana) when prices finally fell to be about fifteen cents cheaper per gallon, which then held their level through much of the state of Indiana.

I always thought we had lower sales taxes, etc. than Chicago & Cook County do on gasoline-why did the prices match?

]]> By: Thomas V. Bona http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1174 Thomas V. Bona Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:03:21 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1174 Arnie - True ... the prices quoted above are for metro areas, so smaller towns are going to have lower prices. But compared to other metro areas around the state, the Rockford area is cheaper than most of them. Arnie - True … the prices quoted above are for metro areas, so smaller towns are going to have lower prices. But compared to other metro areas around the state, the Rockford area is cheaper than most of them.

]]> By: Arnie Binning http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1172 Arnie Binning Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:19:54 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/thepassengerseat/2009/11/03/todays-fuel-price-musings-as-prices-drop-a-bit-rockford-remains-below-most-of-state/#comment-1172 Gas Sunday was $2.59 a gallon in Utica and LaSalle. Gas Sunday was $2.59 a gallon in Utica and LaSalle.

]]>