Santa Maria drivers filling up before California Gas Tax goes into effect
Santa Maria drivers are bracing for the California Gas Tax that’ll go into effect on Wednesday.
“Getting gas because it’s supposed to go up on Wednesday,” Santa Maria driver Shelby Traylor said.
Shelby Traylor was one of many who were swiping their cards and filling up Monday.
“Rather pay for it now than on Wednesday.. save a little bit of money,” Traylor said.
That’s because the price of gas is going up Wednesday when the California Gas Tax goes into effect.
“I would prefer that it not, it’s hard enough living in California.. gas is expensive anyway,” Traylor said.
She’s right, gas is expensive as it is – and to give you an idea of how much it’s going up, starting Wednesday, a gallon of regular gas is going up .12 cents, so at $2.75 it’ll be $2.87 –
and a gallon of diesel is going up .20 cents, so at $2.99 it’ll now be $3.19.
“It is what it is I guess, I just hope they put it to good use, what it’s supposed to be used for,” Traylor said.
What it’s supposed to be used for – is fixing California’s roads.
“Hopefully it does what it says because the roads need to be fixed.. potholes and different things,” Santa Maria driver Kristi Kimball said.
Some people had no idea the gas tax was going into effect Wednesday but some people were very aware.
“Now if the price of gas goes up everything else goes up.. food,” Kimball said.
The gas experts, like AAA, say we likely won’t notice the increase in gas prices right away though because on Wednesday, California also starts selling “winter blend” gasoline, which is cheaper than the “summer blend.”
“It just got thrown at us.. there’s a lot of things that happen with this state that just get thrown at us..
and we’re late to respond because we don’t know what’s really going on,” Santa Maria driver Lisa Thomas said.
“Hopefully it fixes this mess at Betteravia too,” Traylor said.
All this gas tax money is expected to bring in about 52 billion dollars to fix California roads over the next 10 years.
