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Students find ways to deal with new gas tax
BY CORY CLAESON
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
iISSUE: 78/25
TYLER SWEENEY / STATESMAN
Alicia Wall pays for gas at a local Holiday
station.
The price of gas will most likely jump up in Minnesota due to the passing of a state gas tax. The Minnesota state legislature recently passed a five cent per gallon gas tax by overriding the governor’s veto. The gas tax will be the first one Minnesota has had in nearly 20 years and will mostly be used to improve the state’s roads and bridges, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). “It definitely affects everyone,” said freshman Joe Burch. “I drive 15 minutes
to work everyday.”
The tax may force some students to find alternatives to driving their vehicles to school and around town. Some of the alternatives include carpooling, riding the bus, walking or even biking. “I probably will keep driving the way I do,” said sophomore Briana Watermolen. “The roads do need to be fixed.” The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) offers free busing to UMD students with their U Card. The bus routes cover
nearly the entire Duluth-Superior area, according to the DTA. The buses go to and from the Kirby Student Center, making it easy for students to access them. “Gas is expensive as it is,” said freshman Noah Hobbs. “I ride the bus to and from campus, and I ride my bike in the summer.”
Today in Duluth, a gallon of gas is right around $3.09, depending on which gas station you choose. With warm weather just around the corner, there are some outdoor options to saving money. Walking is an activity that many students can do, although it is a little more time consuming. There are plenty of sidewalks that allow for biking or rollerblading. There are bike racks in various spots around campus to place your bike on during class, according to the UMD Housing and Residence Life Web site.
Another option to save money from the gas tax is to carpool with other students. By having more than one student driving, students can split the cost of gas, making it cheaper than driving alone. Students can park their cars on campus if they purchase a parking pass or on the roads on the outside of campus, according to the UMD parking Web site. Some gas stations near campus also offer some help with the high costs of gas. Holiday gas stations around campus offer a 5-cent discount to any student who shows their U-Card. The tax on gas is equal to the discount. Some other gas stations in the area also offer similar deals, according to a Holiday gas station.
The gas tax goes into effect on April 1 and starts with a 2-cent increase. The tax will increase to 8.5 cents sometime before 2012, according to the bill. The tax could fix some of the state’s roads and bridges faster than anticipated. The state is also considering raising the sales tax on other ways of travel, such as buses and trains, to bring in more money for Mn/Dot, according to the Pioneer Press. The tax will likely be a cause for debate in the upcoming year. Some students question the reasoning behind it.
