Carrie Hucker is new to commuting.

A Pitt senior, she spent most of her five years at Pitt… Carrie Hucker is new to commuting.

A Pitt senior, she spent most of her five years at Pitt living in Oakland, either in the dorms or in off-campus apartments. For Hucker, a commute was simply a walk down the street or a five-minute bus ride.

But after moving to Mount Lebanon earlier this summer, she now drives at least 20 minutes to get to campus.

Recent increases in gas prices, however, have caused her to think twice about getting in the car.

With gas prices rising from nearly $2.70 per gallon to $3.099 per gallon in one day — according to http://www.pittsburghgasprices.com, a Web site that compiles and compares local gas prices — Hucker is considering making use of her Pitt bus pass and trading in a 20 to 30 minute drive for a 30 minute ride on the T, plus the time it would take to get to a T station.

“It’s a little ridiculous to pay that much for gas,” she said. “I understand why it increased that much and I feel bad putting that much money into my tank. I’m just trying to weigh if it’s worth the 45 minute commute.”

Hucker is just one of millions of students and commuters across the country facing this problem, as gas prices continue to climb nationwide.

Some consumers — including Hucker — have expressed surprise and outrage at the price surge.

“I was shocked at the increase,” she said. “This is just insane. I just feel bad for the people who don’t have the money to fill their tanks that much.”

Despite initial problems with refineries in Louisiana caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Energy Information Administration — a branch of the Department of Energy that focuses on statistics — is certain that the situation will improve.

According to its Web site, several of the refineries have had electricity reconnected and more are expected to be back in operating condition within the next 10 days.

The International Energy Agency — an advisory group with 26 member nations, mostly European — is asking that an additional 2 million barrels of oil be released worldwide every day. Half of that amount would come from the United States’ oil reserves.

A bump that large would mean an additional release of 42 million gallons of gasoline per day — roughly 10 percent of the nation’s consumption, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Web site.

While these solutions will not provide an immediate answer, they do have the potential to slow the price increases that the nation has seen over the last year.

A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that gasoline prices in the Pittsburgh area increased 17.1 percent between the first half of 2004 and the first half of 2005.

According to http://www.pittsburghgasprices.com, the median price has gone up nearly 90 cents in the last month, from just under $2.30 per gallon on Aug. 5, to the current $3.19.

At the beginning of 2005, prices were at their lowest during the past year, hovering near $1.75 per gallon.

The increases have affected people on every level — from individuals such as Hucker to larger corporations, businesses and even universities like Pitt.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele provided a statement from the University that said, “The increase in gas prices is affecting Pitt the same way it’s affecting all motorists, but it has had no noticeable impact on campus life.”

As for Hucker, she has more to worry about than just her commute to campus. Like many others across the nation, she has a job she needs to think about. She said that she plans on re-evaluating her work schedule at Hollywood Tans.

“I’m considering changing the days I work, just to cut down on the travel,” she said. “My parents may pay for my gas, but it’s just ridiculous to expect anyone to put that kind of money into their gas tanks.”