COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — High fuel prices are hitting drivers in Colorado Springs, where it hurts — at the pump and in their wallets.
At the Woodmen Road and Black Forest intersection, cars pass through at all hours. But for many of those drivers, the cost of getting from point A to point B has become a growing burden.
Roquelle Gallegos, who commutes 17 miles from Banning Lewis, said the sticker shock at the pump has forced her family to rethink how they get things done.
"I could go 20-25 dollars for my Jeep Cherokee," she said. "Now.. it's like, 50."
"We have to rearrange in my household who goes and does what because of who can afford gas," Gallegos said.
For landscaper Cody Schoenfelt, the impact goes beyond his personal budget. He drives a diesel engine and hauls a trailer for work, requiring a fill-up about once a week — a cost that has forced him to change what he charges customers.
"It capped the tank out at $175," Schoenfelt said. "When we were down low and it was $90 a tank… jumping to $175 is quite a difference."
"We've had to add a fuel surcharge. We do a lot of work up in Monument, so traveling up there and back… everything comes with a price tag," Schoenfelt said.
The expenses don't stop with his work vehicle.
"With my car, we use premium gas, so going from 50-dollars to 75-80 dollars to fill that tank, it hits your bank account a little harder," Schoenfelt said.
As of Monday, a gas station at Woodmen Road and Union Boulevard offers some of the cheapest unleaded fuel rates along that corridor, according to GasBuddy — though prices remain well above $4 a gallon.
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