The pain at the pump is very real right now, but New York is trying to ease that pain a bit through the end of the year.
Starting Wednesday, the state's gas tax will be suspended, meaning drivers can expect to save 16 cents per gallon. The move comes as the nationwide average for gasoline averaged $4.62 per gallon, a new record. In New York, it's even higher, at $4.93 per gallon.
At this same time in 2021, U.S. drivers were paying $3.05 a gallon.
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Drivers seemed to appreciate the help, no matter how small. Real estate agent Emanuel Smith has no choice to to drive to show his properties, and all that travel adds up.
"I'm in the Bronx one day, the next hour I'll be up in Valhalla, back to Yonkers, then Queens," he said. "To get a full tank, it's like $80 at this point. And it used to be like $50."
Some say the extended gas tax holiday may not make much of a difference.
"This is a tragedy. There are people who have to make a choice about whether to put gas in tanks to go to work, buy food for their children, or pay the landlord rent," one driver said.
The gas tax is expected to be suspended through the end of December, although many are hoping there will be further relief before then.