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Gas Prices Back Down After Tax Hike

Gas Station Clouds Yuya Sekiguchi
Photo by Yuya Sekiguchi http://www.flickr.com/photos/ yuyasekiguchi http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/ legalcode

Gas prices resumed dropping throughout most of Southern California just a few days after the 5.6-cent statewide gas tax took effect July 1, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail statewide average is $3.75 a gallon for regular unleaded, which is three cents lower than last week.
 
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.78 per gallon, which is three cents lower than last week, seven cents lower than last month, and 10 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.73, which is three cents below last Thursday, 11 cents below last month, and seven cents higher than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.84, which is one cent less than last week, nine cents lower than last month, and ten cents higher than last year. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $3.67, which is two cents lower than last week, 12 cents lower than last month, and seven cents higher than last year. In San Bernardino, the $3.70 average price is two cents lower than last Thursday, 12 cents lower than last month, and seven cents higher than a year ago today.

"Local gas prices had been dropping for almost two months before the tax increase, and the same factors of increased production and supplies are now continuing to push them downward,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. "We recommend that drivers continue to shop around for the lowest priced TOP TIER fuel near them. In most areas, motorists should be able to buy regular unleaded for less than $3.50 a gallon.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on July 11, averages are:

Area

Regular

 1-week change

Record Price

Los Angeles – Long Beach

$3.78

 -3 cents

 $4.70 (10/9/12)

 

 

 

 

Orange County

$3.73

 -3 cents

 $4.69 (10/8/12)

 

 

 

 

San Diego

$3.73

 -3 cents

 $4.72 (10/8/12)

 

 

 

 

Santa Barbara – Santa Maria –Lompoc

$3.84

 -1 cent

 $4.70 (6/21/08)

 

Riverside

$3.67

 -2 cents

$4.68 (10/8/12)

 

 

 

 

San Bernardino

$3.70

 -2 cents

 $4.68 (10/8/12)

 

 

 

 

Ventura

$3.77

 -2 cents

 $4.68 (10/7/12)

 

 

 

 

Bakersfield

$3.83

 No change

 $4.64 (10/9/12)

Media Contacts

Marie Montgomery
(714) 420-0477 (cell)
Montgomery.Marie@aaa-calif.com
Doug Shupe
LA-based media contact
(512) 659-1632
shupe.doug@aaa-calif.com
CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.