As Hurricane Irene Nears, Gas Lines Form, Prices Stable

As Hurricane Irene , lines at the pumps are forming at some Manchester gas stations.

“It’s been pretty bad all day,” said Quick Chek manager John Thompson about the Friday morning lines at his store on the corner of Routes 70 and 571 as customers from officials to have a full tank of gas in their cars. 

Quick Chek and the Wawa on located on Routes 70 and 539 both saw lines two and three cars deep, and Jersey Gas on Route 530 in Whiting saw a steady stream of customers.

When asked about when people should fill up, Thompson said, “They should have gotten it by now."

Not every station has been hard hit with long lines, however. 

“I think everybody’s staying home. I had appointments for today that are cancelling out already,” said Bill Weisnezk, owner of the Gulf on Route 70 in Lakehurst.

Weisnezk said that he has seen a little more business than usual, but his customers have been getting through the station's pumps with little delay. 

Whether waiting in lines or not, local motorists are seeing stable prices at the pumps this week. The local average for a gallon of regular is $3.40.

The national average as of Friday morning according to AAA is $3.59, and the association reported that New Jersey's average is $3.49.

Be sure to get the best price when filling up by checking out Manchester Patch’s gas price list before hitting the pump. All prices were taken Friday morning, August 26.

• – Route 37 and Commonwealth Boulevard, Manchester: $3.39 regular, $3.59 plus, $3.69 premium.
•  – Route 37 and Route 70 circle, Lakehurst: $3.45 regular, $3.55 plus, $3.65 premium.
• – Route 70 and Route 547 (Center Street), Lakehurst: $3.39 regular, $3.49 plus, $3.89 premium.
• – Route 70 and Route 539, Manchester: $3.37 regular, $3.47 plus, $3.57 premium.
• Jersey Gas – Route 530 and Station Road, Whiting: Cash: $3.35 regular, $3.45 plus, $3.55 premium. Credit: $3.41 regular, $3.51 plus, $3.61 premium.
• Quick Chek – Route 70 and Route 571, Manchester: $3.39 regular, $3.59 plus, $3.69 premium.

As of press time, Jersey Gas is the only station charging a separate price for cash and credit. For figuring out the local average, Jersey Gas was calculated at $3.38, the average price for a gallon of regular purchased from Jersey Gas.