JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jamestown residents say they continue to pay more at the pump than neighboring communities, with prices consistently 20 to 40 cents higher than other parts of Western New York.
"They seem to be higher than Buffalo, Erie County, or even if you go out west towards Rochester, Syracuse," Patrick Smith of Falconer said after filling up his pickup truck.
"It's very confusing why we are so consistently high," Scott Axelson of Jamestown said.
I visited several gas stations around Jamestown to check prices firsthand. Nearly everywhere, regular unleaded was $3.39 a gallon, with the lowest price at $3.29. According to AAA, the average price in Buffalo on Monday was $3.08.
"Makes you wonder what's going on and why no one has an answer," Axelson said.
Sean Stone, a clerk at a Jamestown gas station, noted the stark contrast with other regions.
"I've heard a ton of people from other states come up and be like, yeah, they are paying like $2.60 in other states, $2.90," he said.
Some residents acknowledged a slight improvement in prices recently.
"I would say it's a little bit lower," Ramon Rivas said as he filled up his car at a Jamestown gas station on his way back to his home in Bemus Point.
Another resident, Amber Devlieger, remained unsatisfied despite the modest decrease.
"Yeah, still expensive. I just want it to go down," she said.
A spokesperson for AAA explained that Jamestown, being in a mostly rural county, "could still be impacted by rural delivery prices set by the fuel refineries." She added that gas prices in rural areas "tend to be higher due to transportation costs, less competition, and lower demand compared to bigger cities."
However, the spokesperson admitted it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what factors are affecting Jamestown's prices.
Congressman Nick Langworthy's office told me they are aware of the issue and are "making sure we can get in front of the right local officials to get this figured out."
State Sen. George Borello said in a statement that they hear about the issue "periodically" and "we sympathize."
Borello said: "Household budgets are already stretched thin and high gas prices only create more hardship. Although even here in the Albany/Capital Region, there can be a wide variance between gas prices at one location/community and those in a neighboring area, so I think it is a pretty common scenario."
Meanwhile, Jamestown drivers feel they have limited options.
"I'm not going to drive all the way to Erie County for gas," Smith said.
Devlieger expressed what many residents are likely thinking: "I mean, I wish it was $1.99. That'd be fine by me."
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