Those with long commute feeling gas pinch

Ron Hines enjoys his 55-mile commute to Cape Girardeau each day.

The countryside and hills provide a breathtaking backdrop for his drive from Carterville, Ill., to the Southeast Missouri State University campus, where he has been the sports information director for the past 29 years.

But ever since gas prices have surged to nearly $4 a gallon, Hines has found ways to cut costs.

During the summer, Hines tries to use one vacation day per week to save on gas. He also drives his wife's Toyota Rav 4 into Cape Girardeau once a week to purchase cheaper gas for her vehicle. Gas has been 25 cents less per gallon in Cape Girardeau than in Carterville.

"I remember a day when I could fill up my tank for less than $20," said Hines, who drives a Mazda 3. "Now, I'm lucky to come away from the gas station with under $40. But I realize that I have to spend money in order to make money."

Hines is one of nearly 65,000 workers who make the commute into Cape Girardeau each day from other towns, according to a 2005 Standard and Poor's Report. The hub of commerce in the region, the city has 35,350 residents.

'An import county'

Cape Girardeau's shallow but diverse economic base includes the health care, retail, manufacturing and higher education sectors.

"We are fortunate enough to be an import county for labor," said John Mehner, president and chief executive officer of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. "We have a significant number of people that actually drive in from neighboring counties and even counties farther than that to work here.

"It brings in a labor force that doesn't live here, which in turn brings in additional revenue," he continued. "A lot of people enjoy it because they can work here but at the same time still live where they want."

Like Hines, those workers are resorting to creative commuting methods.

Perryville, Mo., resident Pamela Turlin, who manages the J.C. Penney beauty salon in West Park Mall, drives her 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Fridays when weather permits. When she drives the motorcycle to work, Turlin is able to get 50 miles per gallon, compared to 23 miles per gallon when commuting in her 1999 Monte Carlo.

While she enjoys driving her car on the 35-mile trek to Cape Girardeau, Turlin admits the high fuel costs can seem aggravating.

"I'm ready for some relief," Turlin said. "I've even pushed around the idea of keeping a pair of clothes up here to change into so I can ride my Harley in to work more often."

For the past 11 years, Danny Rees has been commuting from either Jackson or Gordonville to his maintenance job at Southeast using a mountain bicycle. Rees leaves his Gordonville home at 6 a.m. and arrives on campus 45 minutes later.

Rees' wife, Colleen, also uses a bicycle for her commute. The couple sold their truck in 1997 to save money on gas but still own one car they use when needed. Though saving money on gas was not the reason they purchased bicycles, Rees admits the savings in gas is an added bonus.

"As gas prices rise, riding a bike to work may become more user-friendly," Rees said. "Once people gets used to riding a bike, I believe they will discover that using this form of transportation not only takes just 20 minutes longer than if they were using a car but also helps them stay fit."

For his part, Thorngate Ltd. clothing plant engineer Don Graham has been making the 45-mile journey from Swinton, Mo., to Cape Girardeau since 1978. He said moving closer to Cape Girardeau to conserve gas is not an option.

"If it gets to the point where I can't afford to drive into work anymore, then I may consider leaving my job," Graham said. "But for now, it hasn't been too bad."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137

Does this affect you?

Have comment?

Log on to semissourian.com/today

To calculate the estimated yearly fuel costs for one of 27,298 automobiles

http://www.mpgbuddy.com

AAA site for retail gasoline prices

http://www.fuelgaugereport.com