By Harold Wilkinson
Have you ever passed a gasoline station, looked at the prices posted on the sign, and wondered why gasoline costs so much money?
I have!
And one of the questions I’ve been asking myself is, how much would a gallon of gasoline actually cost without all the taxes?
Now, you might find something interesting about me. I haven’t driven an automobile since approximately 1995.
That’s more than 30 years!
You might be wondering why someone who hasn’t driven for all those years would be interested in gasoline prices.
Well, let me explain.
I’m a Person With a Disability, but I Still Enjoy Traveling
I live in the city of Lawndale, California, in the Los Angeles South Bay area.
I’m a person with a disability, and I use an electric wheelchair to get around my home and community.
Even though I no longer drive, I enjoy getting out into my community. One of my favorite ways of traveling is by public transportation.
I enjoy taking buses and trains because, in my experience, they’re relatively simple to board and exit with an electric wheelchair.
And there’s something else I enjoy about public transportation.
It’s relaxing!
I don’t have to worry about driving in traffic, looking for a parking space, or filling an automobile with gasoline.
I can sit back, look around, and enjoy the trip.
How I Board a Public Transit Bus With My Electric Wheelchair
Whenever I’m waiting at a bus stop, I make sure the approaching bus driver can clearly see me.
That way, the driver knows I’m waiting to board and can position the bus at the appropriate distance from the curb.
After the bus stops, the operator deploys the wheelchair ramp.
I roll up the ramp and into the bus.
Then I tap my transit card on the fare reader, pay my fare, and move toward the designated wheelchair area.
The bus operator comes back and asks about securing my wheelchair.
The driver attaches the wheelchair securement equipment and offers me a lap belt and shoulder harness.
I appreciate the safety equipment, particularly when I’m taking a longer trip.
Once everything is taken care of, I’m ready to enjoy my ride.
Of course, exact boarding and safety procedures can vary between transportation agencies.
Traveling by Train Is a Little Different
Another form of public transportation I enjoy is riding trains.
I often compare boarding an accessible train to entering an elevator.
The train arrives, the doors open, and when the boarding area is accessible and properly aligned, I can roll my wheelchair right inside.
I move to the designated wheelchair area, position myself, and turn off the power to my electric wheelchair.
Someone using a manual wheelchair would apply the brakes.
One of the features I particularly appreciate on modern public transportation is the automatic stop announcement system.
As we travel along the route, announcements tell passengers about upcoming stops and stations.
That helps me know when I’m approaching my destination.
Living Near the Metro K Line
Here’s another interesting thing about where I live.
I’m approximately one mile from the Redondo Beach Metro K Line station, officially known as the Redondo Beach (Marine) Station.
Having a rail station relatively close to my community is something I appreciate.
The station is part of Metro’s K Line, which connects the South Bay to other parts of the Los Angeles regional rail network.
Metro is also planning an extension farther south to the Torrance Transit Center.
According to Metro, that project will add approximately 4.7 miles of track and two new stations.
The project is still in the design stage, but I find transportation improvements like these interesting because they could eventually give residents more travel options.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and doesn’t drive, reliable public transportation can make an enormous difference in being able to travel independently.
Learning About the Different Bus Systems in Los Angeles County
Over the years, I’ve learned quite a bit about public transportation.
One thing people may not realize is that Los Angeles County has several different transit agencies serving individual cities and communities.
Here in Lawndale, I primarily use Los Angeles Metro buses.
The reason is simple.
In my experience, Metro operates more frequently on the routes I use than Gardena’s GTrans service.
But suppose I lived in Gardena instead of Lawndale.
I might find GTrans more convenient.
And if I lived in Torrance, I might depend more on Torrance Transit.
I’ve learned from experience that when you’re traveling into an area where Metro service is limited, it’s a good idea to investigate the local public transportation provider.
I’ve personally ridden buses operated by several different transportation agencies, including Los Angeles Metro, Gardena GTrans, Torrance Transit, Culver CityBus, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus, Long Beach Transit, and Norwalk Transit.
Each system operates its own routes and schedules.
Understanding how these different transportation services work can make getting around Los Angeles County much easier.
I think this is especially useful information for people with disabilities who depend on public transportation.
So What Does All of This Have to Do With Gasoline Prices?
You might be asking yourself what my experiences traveling around Los Angeles County have to do with the price of gasoline.
Well, quite a bit!
Even though I don’t drive, transportation is still part of my everyday life.
Buses require fuel or electricity. Trucks deliver groceries and household supplies. Businesses depend on transportation to move products from one location to another.
When transportation costs rise, some of those expenses may eventually be passed along to consumers.
That affects people who drive and people who don’t.
And that brings me back to the question that got me interested in researching this subject.
Why does gasoline cost so much money?
What Are Americans Paying for Gasoline?
I decided to look into the actual prices rather than simply speculate.
According to AAA, on November 11 2026, the national average price for regular gasoline was approximately $3.94 per gallon.
Here in California, the statewide average was approximately $5.67 per gallon.
That’s about $1.73 more per gallon in California than the national average.
Think about someone who regularly fills a 15-gallon gasoline tank.
That price difference can mean roughly $26 more for the same amount of gasoline.
For someone who drives to work every day or regularly transports family members, those additional expenses can accumulate quickly.
And for people living on a fixed income, even relatively small increases in everyday expenses can make budgeting more difficult.
Source: AAA Gas Prices (https://gasprices.aaa.com/). Prices are dated November 11 2026, and will change over time.
Where Does the Money Go When We Purchase Gasoline?
I wanted to understand how gasoline prices are calculated.
So I looked into the information published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, commonly called the EIA.
According to the EIA, four major components generally make up the retail price of gasoline: crude oil, refining, distribution and marketing, and taxes.
Something I found interesting is that the federal gasoline tax is 18.4 cents per gallon.
California also imposes state taxes, and additional taxes or fees may apply.
But here’s something important.
Even if gasoline taxes were removed, gasoline wouldn’t suddenly become free or inexpensive.
We would still have to pay for crude oil, refining, transportation, and retail operations.
Source: EIA (https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php).
Why Does Gasoline Cost More in California?
This was another question that interested me.
Why should someone living in California have to pay so much more for gasoline than someone living in another state?
I researched information from the California Energy Commission.
The Commission explains that several circumstances contribute to California’s higher gasoline prices.
For one thing, California requires a specially formulated gasoline blend intended to reduce air pollution.
California’s gasoline supply system is also relatively isolated from other parts of the country.
The state does not have incoming interstate pipelines carrying gasoline from refineries elsewhere in the country.
Instead, gasoline is produced at California refineries or imported by ship.
That can make it more difficult to replace supplies quickly when refineries experience problems.
Taxes, environmental program costs, distribution expenses, crude oil prices, and market conditions can all influence what drivers pay.
I also learned that global events affect local gasoline prices.
So although taxes are important, they’re only part of the explanation.
Source: California Energy Commission (https://www.energy.ca.gov/what-drives-californias-gasoline-prices).
How Much Would Gasoline Cost Without Taxes?
This is the question that originally encouraged me to research gasoline prices.
The federal tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, but gasoline sold in California is also subject to state and other applicable taxes.
To calculate a meaningful before-tax price, we need to know which taxes apply and how they’re calculated.
Some charges are fixed amounts per gallon, while others depend on the selling price.
There’s also a difference between an actual tax and an operating cost that may result from an environmental regulation.
Consequently, we cannot simply subtract one tax figure from the posted gasoline price and assume we’ve discovered the true cost of producing gasoline.
In addition, removing a tax does not necessarily guarantee that the entire amount would be passed along to consumers through lower pump prices.
That’s one of the things I learned while researching this subject.
The price of gasoline is more complicated than it first appears.
Public Transportation Gives Me Another Perspective
Something I enjoy about writing and researching subjects is discovering information I didn’t fully understand before.
I may not drive anymore, but I still use transportation services and purchase groceries, household supplies, and other products.
Transportation expenses can affect those costs.
Public transit also requires funding for operators, maintenance, equipment, fuel, electricity, and other expenses.
I appreciate having accessible transportation available because it helps me travel around my community without depending on owning or operating an automobile.
And for me, being able to board a bus or train in my electric wheelchair is an important part of being independent.
That’s why I believe transportation should be considered from more than just the driver’s perspective.
My Final Thoughts
When I started researching gasoline prices, I had one basic question.
How much does gasoline really cost without taxes?
What I discovered is that there isn’t one simple answer.
Taxes are part of the cost, but so are crude oil prices, refining, transportation, distribution, and market conditions.
I also realized that my own experiences using public transportation give me a different way of looking at the issue.
I haven’t driven since approximately 1995, but gasoline and transportation costs still matter to me.
I enjoy traveling on Los Angeles Metro buses, the Metro rail system, and the different local transportation services throughout Los Angeles County.
And I’m grateful that accessible public transportation gives me opportunities to get around my community.
My hope is that sharing my experiences and the information I’ve researched will encourage others to think about gasoline prices and transportation from different perspectives.
I’d like to hear your thoughts.
How much does gasoline cost where you live?
Do you use public transportation? And if you do, what has your experience been?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Research Sources and Helpful Transportation Links
AAA Gas Prices — https://gasprices.aaa.com/
U.S. Energy Information Administration — https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php
EIA Gasoline Tax Information — https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=10&t=5
California Energy Commission — https://www.energy.ca.gov/what-drives-californias-gasoline-prices
Los Angeles Metro — https://www.metro.net/
Gardena GTrans — https://ridegtrans.com/
Torrance Transit — https://transit.torranceca.gov/
Culver CityBus — https://www.culvercitybus.com/
Santa Monica Big Blue Bus — https://www.bigbluebus.com/
Long Beach Transit — https://ridelbt.com/
Norwalk Transit — https://www.norwalk.org/
Metro K Line Extension to Torrance — https://www.metro.net/projects/k-line-extension-to-torrance/
This article combines my personal transportation experiences with publicly available research. Gasoline prices and transit services may change after publication.