ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – As gas prices stay above $3 a gallon, Virginia rail riders are hitting a record high.
Joshua Dillon rides to Charlottesville once a month. He doesn’t have a car, and a $45 roundtrip ticket is cheaper than getting one and cheaper than many people’s gas budget.
“I would have to rent a car, and it’s definitely cheaper than that,” he said.
Ashley Barger on the other hand has three kids and says getting multiple train tickets isn’t cheap – but gas is too expensive for her to get out of town.
“I’ve had to limit extracurricular activities as far as going and doing this fun thing or that fun thing on the weekends because gas prices are so high,” she says.
According to GasBuddy, a trip to New York from Roanoke, costs about $90 in gas – that’s if you leave with a full tank and make multiple stops at multiple gas stations to get the formula of fuel-cost efficiency just right.
Still, a train ticket booked two weeks in advance costs more than $230.
Karina Romero, spokesperson for Virginia Passenger Rail Authority says staying regional – might just be the ticket.
“You can get round trip for a weekend two weeks from now, Roanoke up to Charlottesville, $34 round trip,” she said. “You cannot fill your gas tank for that.”
