BEAUMONT, Texas — Officials believe high fuel costs being seen at the pumps will be here to stay for quite some time, so drivers are looking for new ways to save.
Texas drivers are reporting seeing gas prices leaning towards $4 per gallon for regular unleaded gas. Many have started looking at alternative forms of transportation to get to their destinations.
Drivers are starting to say goodbye to gas powered vehicles and hello to bicycles.
One Texas woman said without four wheels and an engine to crank she initially did not notice the uptick in gas prices. It has been years since she bought a gallon of gas.
“I haven't had a car in like six years,” Dana Rothenberger, mechanic at Bicycle Sports, said. “So, I don't even mow my grass with gas. I literally haven't had to go and buy a gallon of gas for myself in years.”
Rothenberger said due to her lack of a car, she did not notice the uptick in gas prices until she scrolled through social media and saw the topic trending.
“I kept seeing all these pictures like, 'What's the deal? I guess gas is higher now,'” Rothenberger said. “And everybody around me that drove looked at me like, 'Are you serious? Yes, gas is going up like double,' and I was like, 'Oh, I didn't know that.'"
The Texas mechanic thought the rise in gas prices would lead to more people looking for a bicycle. Just as she predicted, more people began coming into her store looking for an alternate from of transportation.
This included traditional style bicycles and e-bicycles.
"We sent five out of the shop on Saturday," Rothenberger said. "It's ticking back up. It's not what it was in 2020, but it's ticking back up.”
If gases prices continue to climb, Rothenberger expects the demand to increase.
"They're going to get new bikes, or they're gonna dust off their old ones, the ones they bought in 2020, and bring them back," Rothenberger said. "It'll tune-up and get out there and start riding again."
Rothenberger said she hopes that the gas prices begin to decrease soon. In the meantime, she said she also hopes drivers gain a new sense of independency as they trade four wheels for two.
"I think this is going to be a confidence-building thing for people to realize that they are more independent of, you know, automobile travel than they think they are," Rothenberger said.
Rothenberger believes that by buying bicycles, people will save money on car insurance, maintenance and gym memberships.