Metro

Bloomberg thinking about extending NYC gas rationing for another week; LI to lift restrictions this weekend

Gas rationing in the city might be extended through next Friday, Mayor Bloomberg said today.

“Some people say Thanksgiving is coming up,” the mayor noted on his weekly WOR radio show.

“A lot of people drive and fill up their cars. Maybe we should have it go another week. I’m going to think about that today.”

The odd-even rationing system had been scheduled to end at 6 a.m. Monday.

New Jersey lifted its gas restrictions on Tuesday and Long Island is allowing all motorists to fill-er-up this weekend.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone say the restrictions for Long Island will end at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

The program used odd-even license plate numbers for designated days to pump gas.

With only about 70 percent of the city’s gas stations re-opened, Bloomberg argued there’s no harm in continuing the restriction within the five boroughs.

“It doesn’t seem to be a hindrance,” he said. “If, in the end, it protects you, why not run it for another five days?”

The city and state imposed rationing six days after Gov. Christie issued the order in New Jersey, where panic buying ended within a couple of days.

On another gas front, Bloomberg said he isn’t sure that stations should be forced to install generators to keep the pumps operating during disasters.

He pointed out that for many stations shut by Hurricane Sandy, the problem wasn’t the power outage, but a breakdown in the supply chain.

“I don’t know if every gas station had a generator how much it would have helped. Its certainly an idea we should look at.”

With AP