Summer Driving Season Ends, But Prices Continue Rising

    LOS ANGELES--Sept. 7, 2001--An expected run-up in the price of gasoline continued after the Labor Day holiday weekend with motorists in all areas of the region paying higher prices than they did the week before, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.
    The current price in the Los Angeles/Long Beach reporting area is $1.615 per gallon, 6.8 cents higher than the price at this time last week. The price in San Diego is 7 cents higher than last week's average. Central Coast motorists are paying 6.9 cents per gallon higher than last week. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    "An increase in pump prices during the time immediately around a holiday weekend is somewhat expected," said Jeffrey Spring, Auto Club spokesperson. "However, wholesale prices have been declining in recent days and there is less demand for gasoline now that the summer driving season has ended. Conditions indicate that prices might begin falling again soon."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m. Sept. 7.

Area                             Regular Change from  Record Price
                                          last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach           $1.615  +6.8 cents   $2.036 (set 5/25)

San Diego                        $1.714  +7.0 cents   $2.025 (5/29)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc $1.751  +6.9 cents   $2.069 (5/16)

Las Vegas                        $1.490  +8.9 cents   $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.              $1.404  +5.7 cents   $1.720 (5/30)