Seminole County

Central Floridians sound off as gas prices continue to jump

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Gas prices jumped overnight at several Central Florida gas stations marking the latest spike at the pump in recent weeks.

The latest numbers from AAA show the average cost for a gallon of gas in Florida is now $4.21.

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In Seminole County, several stations’ prices jumped to $4.39 on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s definitely increasing at a rapid pace. And that’s making things difficult to definitely plan for the future,” Curtis Peters, of Lake Mary, said.

READ: See where you can find Central Florida’s cheapest gas

While it’s only been a few days since prices crossed the $4 mark, a price we haven’t seen in years, some people are not ready to park their cars and opt for alternate transportation, like SunRail or Lynx.

“That’s an interesting thought. But now I wouldn’t … luckily, I’m doing everything pretty central in Seminole County,” said Kyle Pukas, of Lake Mary.

READ: 9 tips to help save fuel as gas prices surge

Nathan Palmer of Lake Mary told me the $20 he put into his SUV on Wednesday used to get him a lot further, but he’s not fuming about it.

“Price of gas is what it is, you’re gonna have to pay for it, you’re gonna need it,” Palmer said. “So, you know, I wish it was lower, but it doesn’t really matter. There’s nothing I’m going to do about it. So I’m glad that they’re doing what they’re doing. I’d rather pay a little bit more for gas and we’ll go back down eventually. It is what it is.”

READ: Central Florida woman pays more than $8 a gallon at the pump

According to a SunRail spokesperson, ridership in the month of February was up 23% from January and up 40% from the same time period last year, but they won’t say whether they think gas prices are contributing to the increase.

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Jeff Levkulich

Jeff Levkulich, WFTV.com

Jeff Levkulich joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in June 2015.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.