Q: Recently, gas was $3.59 in Acworth, $3.29 in Eufaula, Ala., and $3.48 in Panama City, Fla. Going back to when I began going to Florida in the 1970s, I never remember it being cheaper in Florida. Are we being gouged in the Atlanta area? —Carl Higgins, Acworth
A: Atlanta and many metro counties use a boutique, or summer, blend of gas from April through Sept. 15, which contributes to higher fuel prices during that time, Tom Kloza, a chief petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com told Q&A on the News in an email. Georgia's gas tax ranked 21st in the nation on Jan. 1, leading to higher costs than Alabama, which had a gas tax ranked 38th in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank. Florida's gas tax was 11th in the country, leading to higher costs than Alabama, but lower than metro Atlanta's summer blend. "Once the ozone season is over, the gasoline playing field is leveled a bit and Atlanta area wholesale costs drop below Florida costs," Kloza wrote. "With Florida generally charging much higher taxes, the state is always more expensive than Georgia during the autumn, winter and very early spring."
Q: Are only American citizens allowed to run in the Peachtree Road Race? Usually runners from Africa are the top three finishers. —Kathy Ruth, Clarkesville
A: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race is open to international runners, but only American runners were invited to participate in this year's championship race because it also served as the U.S. 10K National Championships for men and women. The change was made only for this year's event, an Atlanta Track Club spokeswoman told Q&A on the News.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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