New York Starts Gas Rationing; New Jersey To Re-evaluate

By Mark Memmott

Published November 9, 2012 at 6:53 AM CST

One way to avoid the odd-even rationing rule is to line up with a gas can and no car, as these people were doing last week in Matawan, N.J.

Nearly two weeks after Superstorm Sandy pummeled the region, problems getting gas to stations and power outages that have left many pumps inoperable continue to plague drivers in New York City, New Jersey and some points nearby.

So starting today, New York City and Long Island are joining New Jersey by enacting gas rationing rules.

Basically, if your vehicle's license plate ends with an odd number, you can fill up on odd days (such as today, Nov. 9). Have a vanity plate that doesn't end in a number? It's considered odd too.

Vehicles with plates that end in even numbers can fill up on even-dated days.

You can still, as many people have been doing, come anytime with just a gas can or two or three and line up without your vehicle.

As NBC New York reports, it's hoped the rules will alleviate "panic-buying and hoarding by drivers" that have led to long lines at stations that do have gas. Police officers will be out in New York City to enforce the rules.

But just as New York is starting to ration, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is saying that this weekend he'll re-evaluate the need for his state's week-old rationing rules.

Meanwhile, the federal Department of Energy says that as of mid-afternoon on Thursday, " there are 761,418 customers without power in the affected states impacted by Hurricane Sandy and [this week's] Nor'easter."