Herseth for Congress

New study reports 54% increase in gas prices over last five years
By Amber Schatz, KOTA
June 5, 2006

A study from the US house of representatives, shows the average price of gas has increased 54 percent over the past five years. Which leaves many drivers asking questions when they commute.

"Should we take two people, should we travel together, can we travel together, that type of thing." says Jan Kittay of Pierre.

Jan Kittay and her husband bought a hybrid vehicle in February, just one way they're saving gas money.

"We bought scooters a year ago so we can scoot around town and save mega-bucks that way but this is the car that we now take on the road because of gas mileage, we try not to drive the big ones." she says.

According to the house report the Kittay's and other two-car families in South Dakota pay almost two-thousand dollars more a year on gas now than in 2001.

Something that has almost all families trying to adjust.

"We try to carpool more with kids running to different events, but other than that no you just got to suck it up and do what you got to do." says Todd Nye of Rapid City.

"We'll walk the dog, go to the pool do something, we just don't hop in the car for daytrip like we used to anymore."says Wendy Nelson of Lead.

Representative Stephanie Herseth says the study drives home the need for energy independence by using renewable fuels such as E-85.

In Rapid City you can only get it at one place, it's also cheaper which may make a difference. That study also finds that in Rapid City alone, drivers spend 34-million dollars more on gas now than they did five years ago.

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