Glenn Fletcher was genuinely pleased to be paying almost $56 to fill his tank Wednesday afternoon because he recognized that the prices on the pumps on the Garden State Parkway were unusually low. He had caught on to an anomaly that many drivers never notice: The price of gas on New Jersey's two main toll roads changes only on Fridays, usually just before the morning rush.
Since Aug. 10, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey has set a new high - unadjusted for inflation - every day, hitting $2.49 yesterday, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
New Jersey already has among the cheapest gas prices in the country because of its low fuel taxes. But at the eight rest areas along the Garden State Parkway, which pump Mobil gas, and the 12 that line the New Jersey Turnpike, which sell Sunoco, the price was lower still, stuck at $2.38 since Friday morning.
The price is the same up and down the two toll roads, the result of the contract the New Jersey Turnpike Authority has with its fuel vendors.
"I will get on the parkway just to get gas because it's so cheap. Isn't it weird?"
