LA Auto Club: For Fifth Consecutive Week Gas Prices Find Lower Levels

    LOS ANGELES--May 17, 2002--The average price of gasoline dipped slightly for the fifth straight week as price stability at the pump enters its second month, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
    The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    Currently, the average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.587 per gallon, which is 1.9 cents lower than last week's price, 4 cents lower than last month's price and 43 cents lower than the price at this time last year.
    In San Diego the price is $1.617 which is 2.9 cents lower than last week's level, 6 cents lower than last month and 40 cents lower than last year. Motorists in the central coast have an average price of $1.672, which is 1.1 cents below last week's price, 1 cent lower than last month's price and 40 cents lower than the price last year.
    "Motorists shouldn't be too surprised to see a slight upward bump over the Memorial Day holiday next week," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "However, after that we expect prices to be very close to where they are currently."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., May 17:

Area                        Regular    Change from    Record Price
                                        last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach      $1.587      -1.9 cents    $2.036 (5/25/01)

San Diego                   $1.617      -2.9 cents    $2.025 (5/29/01)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Lompoc                      $1.672      -1.1 cents    $2.069 (5/16/01)

Las Vegas                   $1.470      -1.5 cents    $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.         $1.403      +0.2 cents    $1.720 (5/30/01)