In Boca Raton, Costco gas lines are insane, but the company has a plan to fix it
BOCA RATON — Gas lines at Boca Raton's Costco on Congress Avenue can keep customers waiting for 20 minutes on an average day. Four new pumps may change that.
The addition of the four pumps is in the preliminary stages, city documents state. They would bring an extra eight fueling positions to the station, which currently has 10 pumps.
Even with its current 20 fueling positions, the station almost perpetually remains crowded.
For Boca's Shanika Cowan, the crowds mean little compared to the dollar she saves, per gallon, to fill her car with premium gas, which costs $4.19 per gallon at the Costco station. The longest she's waited in line is about 30 minutes during the holiday season, she said.
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On April 10, the cost of gas was $3.46 per gallon at the Costco Gas Station at 17800 Congress Ave. Just about half a mile down the road, at the Valero on Congress Avenue and Clint Moore Road, that number was almost a dollar higher at $4.39. Usually, it shows, with no crowds or lines forming at Valero.
As with other Costco gas locations, the fuel station on Congress Avenue is available to Costco members only. Costco membership is $60 a year.
PJ Navarro of Delray Beach visits the gas station at Costco twice a week. The wait time is around 10 minutes each time, he said. But the cheaper gas isn't the main reason he frequents the station.
"I'm happy with the whole program here," Navarro said. "We shop here, and I get my gas here, my tires here, all that stuff."
He hopes the new pumps will thin out traffic approaching the station. Safety is a factor, too.
"You never have to really worry about it," Cowan said, as she filled her tank. "Having to lock your car, somebody breaking in."
At the Lantana and Royal Palm Beach Costco gas stations, the price for gas is nearly 10 cents cheaper than in Boca Raton, at $3.39 per gallon, on average. Premium gas is $3.95 per gallon at these stations.
Boca Raton's Costco Gas Station is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
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Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Four more pumps coming to Boca Raton Costco Gas Station
