Ok, here’s an idea: If you don’t need gas, don’t get gas. It seems simple, yet not many people are doing that. Let the people who really need to fill up, like first responders and those without a public transportation option, get a shot first. It’s fair and logical. On a personal note, after the storm, I had half a tank of gas – now I could either drive into work back and forth once and use it up… and be at the pumps with everyone else. Or I could take the bus, which although is not a great option, is at least an option for me, and wait it out. After almost two weeks of doing this, today I went to the gas station in Jersey and there was not one car ahead of me. Which made for a much happier commute.

Mayor Bloomberg today announced a new program that will try to help speed up repairs to homes damaged by Sandy. NYC Rapid Repair will encourage residents to sign up with FEMA, so a contractor can assess damage and "within a short time, the work will be done."

Another new program, one to shorten lines at the gas pump, began this morning. A rationing system based on license plates is limiting the number of New Yorkers who can get gas. Lines were shorter, but many stations ran out of gas or didn't reopen for business.

Did the gas rationing system work where you live? Would you change the rules for filling up in any way? How soon do you think it will be before residents in coastal communities can fully recover? How would you grade the City, State and federal response to the storm?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I am appalled by the selfishness of New Yorkers who are complaining about the gas shortage. I guess most of the people who are complaining don't remember the 1973 OPEC Embargo, when the odd/even licence plates were in full effect. I lived upstate at that time and I don't remember people complaining or fighting, they were just grateful they could get fuel for their cars. Growing up in a rural area, gasoline was essential, as there is no mass transit. We have become a materialistic society and we need to reprogram our thinking, because one day there will be no such thing as gas. People are also complaining that the mayor did not address this sooner. Well, don't you think he had more important things to worry about? Get over yourselves New Yorkers, time to get down to basics; walking........

Sydney
Brooklyn

Okay, we now buy gasoline in our city on odd or even days. However 3/4 of the gas stations do not have gasoline reportedly due to the distribution centers!?!? What is being done about the distribution centers and our gas shortage, if anything?

Gloria

Why they do not bring gasoline trucks from other areas?

J. Dadin
Brooklyn

Mayor made several horrible calls, the one re: cars and gas: allowing traffic last Thursday and Friday ...only traffic should have been emergency vehicles, emergency personnel, food trucks and gas trucks.
Some action was needed to shorten the lines at the pump.
Question: For the Mayor - will the city be Suspending Alternate side parking till gasoline is in full supply and no odd even days at the pump.

It's disheartening to hear about the "shorter lines" in Manhattan because rationing is "working." How great for them. I have yet to see a gas station with lines because all the gas stations I see in central Queens do not have gas. Why can't we get gas?

Sue
Jamaica

What is NYC Rapid Repair? This has to be someone connected one way or another to Bloomberg. [A RICH BUDDY NO DOUBT] This is news to me.

THIS PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE ALREADY AND NOT MAKE AN APPEARANCE NEXT WEEK.

REMEMBER AS ONE LADY SAID THEY ARE CRYING, EXHAUSTED AND WANT TO KNOW WHY ARE THEY NOT GETTING HELP? SHE ALSO REMINDED US THAT IT GETS DARK AT
5 O'CLOCK AND THEY AS EVERYONE ELSE DOES STAY IN THE DARK, FREEZING COLD AND SOME STILL DON'T HAVE WATER AND FOOD. MIND YOU THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE BATHROOM FACILITIES.

I do know that FEMA did offer someone $2,000 and he told them what do I do with that and so he is going to see what he can do with his insurance company.

AS I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT THAT HE IS DOING THIS FOR CUOMO WHO MESSED UP ON THE DECISION TO ALTERNATE BY USING ODS AND EVEN PLATE NUMBERS=[ALA GOV. CHRIS CHRISTI]

THANKS JOHN. THIS WAS QUITE A WEEK FOR YOU BUT YOU DID KEEP UP THE PACE SO YOU CAN KEEP US SO WELL INFORMED. WE ALL APPRECIATE IT.

Maxxiee
Morris Park

Both the mayor and the governor just don't give a dam. They get driven everywhere and they are obviously out of touch with the real issues people are facing. I have a physical disability and I stood on line for two hours just to be turned away!! This happened more than once. I have to get my two children to and from school. It took these idiots this long to come up with a plan. Talk about dumb and dumber!!!

Lisa

I heard about the gas rationing yesterday and was nervous that we were down to 1/8 of a tank. A friend told me about gasbuddy.com and at midnight I looked online and saw that the line at the BP at 125th and 2nd Avenue was less than 10 cars. I spent 15 minutes driving up there, was directed and protected by a crew of NY's Finest, waited and was filled up within 10 minutes and spent 15 minutes driving home. Less than ideal but not the two hour horror stories I've been hearing and the price for regular was $3.89/gallon so no price gauging was going on. I also got to wondering how much would someone pay for gas (consider that they pay the equivalent of $8 in Europe)? Would people pay $10 gallon to be on an express line? Would people risk giving up a parking spot if they heard there was a gas station without a line? Some people are used to waiting in their car upwards of an hour to claim a good alternate side parking spot. I had my phone and laptop computer with me all set to do work while waiting in line but I was in and out so fast I never got a chance.

Ted
Lower East Side

I'd call Bloomberg's proposal NYC Rapid Retreat. The more government that enters and controls your life and choices, the closer is econogedden.

Plus, this program will likely be one of Bloomberg's greatest bloomdoggles.

Joe
Port Richmond

In the wake of powerful Hurricane Sandy,another important fact is very evident;The maintenance of the trees lining the city streets definitely needs significant improvement.Thousands of trees were uprooted and destroyed by the hurricane,but some of that damage could have been lessened if the Parks Department would have been regularly maintaining and ,where necessary,pruning and removing those trees that were in a weakened state or were dead or dying.The Parks Department is responsible for the maintenance and care of thousands of the city's trees in parks and along streets; instead of planting any more trees,as Mayor Bloomberg has advocated ,they need to take care of the existing trees . If the Parks Department had done so, ther might not have been an innocent young man killed in his home in Flushing on the night of the hurricane.The Laino family had requested multiple times that the Department of Parks have the tree removed because it was very large,and could fall. What was their response?Alot of bureaucratic garbage. They should have removed that tree,without any further delay.More unfortunate accidents like this are going to continue to happen unless the city gets moving and significantly improves its tree care.

John
Fresh Meadows

I have done a sampling of license plates of cars parked and on the road today. It seems that the number of cars with even plates outnumbers the odd significantly. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Mary
Queens Village

Hey is there any REAL reason why so many gas stations don't have scheduled deliveries,one station i know has only 2 drops in 10 days WHY.......

My husband has been deployed there since day 1 .. They are not being sent out on missions, my husband has been sitting doing nothing for the last two days. He was scheduled to come home tomorrow, now we are being told he can't and we don't know when he will. We have 4 children and one on the way. This is unexceptionable, our soldiers have families to!

GOVT is not doing enough

Lipa appears to be doing little to nothing in Rockaway Beach, Belle harbor and Neponsit The govt needs to get them in gear.

On a positive note the department of sanitation is amazing .
They have a caravan of trucks removing debris around the clock 7 days a week and theyhave also enlisted private. Companies to help

Can the management at the dept of sanitation teach lipa?

Just like the city food trucks. Maybe we should look into developing a substantial fleet of mobile doctors, pharmacies, food and water trucks. Supermarkets on wheels that can be used everyday including emergencies. Hybrid of course!!!

I think the government response has been the best it could be considering what happened.

The for profit entities are letting us down.

Gas, electric, phones, cable all provided by for profit companies and they are failing us and often have monopolies which means they put profit ahead of infrastructure.

Joe,
Astoria

I checked the gas buddy for gas stations that have gas in Brooklyn from 3-4 a.m & was able to fill up. Took less than 15 minutes. Set UR alarm clock around that time & check gas buddy, U'll be surprised how quick U can get gas.

Linda
Williamsburg

I would like to know when are we going to get lights, heat,and be able to wash again. This is a mess out here all the way from inwood area down to breezy point. Have not had any heat for 2 weeks. Pls help us out here. I know the city is trying,but how much can the people take.

Erica
Far Rockaway

I hope this new sysytem works.

some of us have just been a little incovinienced with everything that has
happen. I pray that everything starts to get back to normal soon.

My feaer with this gas situation is that Mr. Bloomberg likes to tell New Yorkers
what to do and how to do it a little to much. lets hope he dosen't get any ideas.

Joanne
Woodhaven

I have never experienced such a wicked storm in my life that all most shut down
everything. The capital bank is not yet open. Bloomie did a little better with the
gas situation.

Ruthann
Queens

People need to just be greatfull that things were not worst. This storm took everyone by surprise. The city was clear on not using your car unless you really had to. Walk, bike, or mass transit should be the way to go during gas shortages.

Jeff

The gas situation in Northwest Queens in ridiculous.

basically, four or five stations are servicing huge high traffic areas.

as far as rationing, it is necessary,

However, If the city is going to support rationing, do it right.
gas stations know how much gas they received so they should divide it up and
give a time that they are going to open and a time when they are going to close.
they should give cars who line up a number so that people can know whether or not they will be serviced. sitting in a line wasting gas only to get turned away at the pump is simply wasteful and thoughtless.

Alison
Jackson Heights

I live in the North Flushing/Whitestone area and went to 12 gas stations today. None of them had gas. Why aren't they getting deliveries?

Debbie
Flushing

I feel like I'm going to have a nervous break down. My home in Howard beach was flooded: lost my cars, furniture, electric, water tank broke,a pipe under my house backed up and is now broke (12,000 job). I'm using a bucket for the bathroom. When my lights finally go on I have to pay for an electrician to make sure I don't have a fire because everything got wet. Where am I going to come up with the money to pay for all of these things? I can't wait until maybe FEMA gives me money. I have no flood insurance, wasn't in a flood zone, and wasn't told to evacuate.

The gas rationing sounds good like in the 70's but YOU NEED GAS. Two hours a day for each gas station that opens its pumps at any random time makes for Gas Stations, particularly in the zips 11374,11375 and 11379, makes us vulnerable for price-gouncing: The price of regular are 4.30 to 4.50. Usually they only have super premium at 4.70 to 4.85. The officer did not know if this is legitimate type of gas and even sounds like a salesman that high is better than regular for our cars. I dis agree, as an engineer in the the navy and Con Edision. High tests cleans but it will burn up the sensors and overheat these aluminum engines. I have yet to get even a drop of gas. I cannot drive hunting to find. Again, Bloomberg forget about Queens residents. I wish I could have permission to slap this arrogant mayor of manhattan. But I'll take a polite conversation.

Steve

From what I've seen, trees brought down the power lines, at least 80% of the time. The Parks Dept of NYC should cut down the trees that have grown so tall that they pull down power lines. Trees are not being pruned in a timely manner. It would create jobs and prevent hundreds of people from suffering through power outages. Its the trees creating these problems. GET RID OF THE TREES UNDER POWER LINES!!!

i think the gas rationing is ok-----it takes the panic away-----now more people are relaxed ----anyway-----i think staten island should build a spot that is secluded which has like ten gas stations all in one lot----so now everyone can drive to the one spot for gas and still have a select number of stations around a few towns----if it were a reality evryone would know not to go to the area because its closed or eevryone would know exactly where to go and just go there--------------example--------a huge site like out in the dump devoted to the supply of gas-----my point is someday everyone on staten island must go this huge lot to get there car fixed ,load up gas and buy auto supplies -----all the auto supplies stores can jsut move and the gas stations-----therefore opening up parcels of land where the old staions were

James
Staten Island