Pittsburgh projected to spend $2 million more in gas for fleet this year

The city of Pittsburgh is expected to spend about $5 million in gas this year — about $2 million more than last year — to keep its fleet running amid soaring gas prices.

The city spent $3.2 million in gas to fuel its vehicles in 2021, Councilman Anthony Coghill said. City Council now is looking to reallocate an extra $1.4 million to fund the increase in gas costs this year.

Legislation advanced Wednesday would move $1.4 million originally earmarked for city utilities to instead pay for added gas costs, plus $600,000 to fund necessary vehicle maintenance.

“We don’t expect that this would hinder our ability to pay utility bills for the rest of the year,” said Patrick Cornell, deputy director for the city’s operating budget. He said they have “a little bit of wiggle room” on their utility bills that can be moved to cover the gas costs.

This comes as gas prices are falling after prices soared to around $5 per gallon in the area earlier in the summer.

“This is a staggering wakeup call to an unexpected expenditure due to a rise in fuel costs,” Councilman Bruce Kraus said.

Though council members agreed allocating money to pay for gas costs was a necessity, Councilwoman Erika Strassburger said it’s a shame the cash couldn’t have been used for other projects, like signal upgrades or initiatives to bolster safety for pedestrians and cyclists on Pittsburgh’s roads.

Strassburger called for the city to convert to a fully electric fleet in the coming years, citing volatile gas prices and environmental concerns. She said she would call for a post agenda meeting to further discuss moving to electric vehicles in the coming months.

In a preliminary vote Wednesday, council members unanimously advanced legislation to allocate added funding to cover gas costs. The measure will be ready for a final vote next week.