A gasoline shortage is currently hitting the New York City metropolitan area, with many gas stations empty or shuttered due to Hurricane Sandy’s damage, and the remaining locations are plagued by never-ending lines. Asked about the situation today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg acknowledged the problem and said there is only so much the city can do about it.

“You’ve got to open the harbor, that’s one of the things,” he said to describe the issue. “There are some federal laws prohibiting foreign-flagged ships from doing certain things, we’ve got waivers already; the federal government couldn’t be more helpful. It will take some time. Some of the gas stations aren’t open because they don’t have electricity and the pumps need electricity to run. That, in the next couple days, will hopefully be accommodated. Once mass transit comes back, you have a lot fewer cars trying to buy gasoline.” Read More