LA Auto Club: As Summer Wanes So Do Gas Prices

LOS ANGELES--Sept. 10, 2004--The price of gasoline took an expected downturn last week with the traditional end of the summer driving season, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.093 a gallon, which is 1.8 cents lower than last week, 3 cents lower than last month and 2 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.128, which is four-tenths of a cent below last week, 2 cents below last month and 1 cent lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.275, which is down 1.9 cents from last week, 2 cents below last month and 5 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.121, which is down eight-tenths of a cent from last week, 2 cents lower than last month and the same as last year.

"After the Labor Day holiday, demand for gasoline drops considerably as fewer motorists are on vacation," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "That lower demand coupled with strong supplies for gasoline should lead us through a downward trend at the gas pump over the next few weeks."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Sept. 10.

Area                         Regular   Change from  Record Price
                                        last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach       $2.093    -1.8 cents   $2.368 (5/28/2004)

Orange County                $2.089    -1.8 cents   $2.353 (6/01/2004)

San Diego                    $2.128    -0.4 cents   $2.373 (5/26/2004)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                      $2.275    -1.9 cents   $2.489 (5/29/2004)

Riverside-San Bernardino     $2.121    -0.8 cents   $2.399 (6/01/2004)

Bakersfield                  $2.144    +0.5 cents   $2.383 (6/01/2004)

Las Vegas                    $2.057    -0.5 cents   $2.279 (5/26/2004)