PETER VELZ/COLLEGIATE TIMES
Americans can only watch while thousands of gallons of crude oil erupt each day out of the ruined pipe a mile below the surface in the Gulf of Mexico, yet prices for gasoline in the area have steadily declined, affecting travelers and operations around Virginia Tech alike.
Last week’s average in Blacksburg was $2.426 per gallon, down 29 cents from the average at the beginning of the month, $2.715 per gallon, according to AAA.
Not only have prices declined in the past weeks, current prices in Blacksburg are also lower than the national average of $2.696.
Falling gas prices have enabled many summer travelers to afford vacations, and here at Tech, where gas is an important part of many groups’ budgets, changing prices have other effects.
According to AAA, the average price to fill a 15-gallon tank right now month is $36.59. This is down $4.03 from the last month’s average of $40.62.
A $4 difference is substantial for summer travelers. However, these differences are magnified for groups on campus and around Blacksburg for which driving as a major part of their operations.
The Virginia Tech Police Department is one such group, relying on the fleet of cars it leases from Fleet Services to perform its operations. Fuel is just one part of Tech Police’s budget, so it must determine how much it will use when setting that budget.
“Our average fuel bill is $3,600 per month,” said Jamie Rasmussen, Blacksburg Transit business manager. “That’s dependent not just on fuel prices but also on what’s going on around campus.”
She explained that during game days or graduation weekend, Tech Police uses more money for gas than at other times, such as during the summer.
“The cost of fuel doesn’t alter any of the services we offer, but we do adjust the budget throughout the year. Our monthly budget for gas ranges from $2,500 to $4,500,” Rasmussen said.
Tech Police receives a set amount of money from Tech’s budget office and distributes that money throughout its different departments.
“We pay money to Fleet Services for the cars, so our budget for the vehicles includes the lease, fuel, some maintenance costs, and we factor in an overage charge,” Rasmussen said.
Because fuel is only a part of Tech Police’s budget, lower prices do not have a huge effect. Rasmussen explained that typically the money that they save one month is reallocated to another part of the department which may need the money.
The Blacksburg Transit runs its buses on diesel instead of gasoline but is still noticing a slight difference in the cost of fuel.
“We switched to low-sulfur diesel several years ago,” said BT spokeswoman Fiona Rhodes. “It is a better fuel for product for the environment.”
While Rhodes noted that low-sulfur diesel is a slightly more expensive fuel than gasoline, she said the company buys bulk quantities of fuel, reducing costs.
“We buy in bulk so the prices are lower for us anyway,” she said. “Because we buy such a large quantity, the effects of prices don’t hit us nearly as dramatically as you might see on gas station prices.”
A version of this article appeared in the Jun 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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