Bloomberg May Extend Odd-Even Gas Rationing In New York City

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg is thinking about extending the odd-even gas rationing system in New York City that was put in place after Superstorm Sandy.

An executive order on the fuel management program is set to expire on Sunday. The system was instituted on Nov. 9 in an effort to ease long lines associated with the gas crunch that occurred in the days after the storm.

1010 WINS' Stan Brooks reports

Bloomberg is debating keeping the system in effect until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

"It certainly hasn't hurt and there's some people that say, 'You know, Thanksgiving is coming up, a lot of people drive and fill up their cars maybe we should have it go another week,'" Bloomberg said on his weekly radio program Friday. "I'm going to think about that today."

Bloomberg said the program has been successful in New York City.

"All I can tell you is we put it in and the lines started easing," Bloomberg said. "If in the end it protects you why not run it for another five days?"

New Jersey implemented odd-even gas rationing in the days after superstorm Sandy, but the restrictions were lifted on Tuesday morning.

Gas rationing will also come to an end in Nassau and Suffolk counties at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

The system limits drivers to filling up on odd or even days, depending on the last digit of their license plate number.

The storm knocked out power to many gas stations and fuel was slow to reach the Tri-State Area in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Nearly 70 percent of gas stations are now open in New York City.

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