Auto Club: Second Straight Week of Gas Price Declines Provides Some Relief to Motorists


LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - December 7, 2007) - Gas prices are backing away from near-record levels for the second straight week, but still have a long way to go before dropping below $3 a gallon, 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 $3.336, which is 4.5 cents lower than last week, 10 cents above last month, and 86 cents more than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.360, which is 5 cents less than last week's price, 11 cents up from last month, and 82 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.408, down 6.6 cents from last week, 3 cents above last month, and 70 cents more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.318, 5.4 cents under last week, 8 cents above last month, and 82 cents higher than last year.

"Two consecutive weeks of price declines are encouraging, but still haven't made much of a dent in the price increases we experienced from September through November," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Most areas of Southern California saw gas prices rise by 60 to 70 cents a gallon, or about 25 percent, during the fall months."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Dec. 7:

Area              Regular     One-week      Record Price
                               change
                                  
Los Angeles -     $3.336   - 4.5 cents    $3.487 (5/9/2007)
Long Beach
                                                   
Orange County     $3.294   - 5.4 cents    $3.479 (5/8/2007)
                                                   
San Diego         $3.360   - 5 cents      $3.503 (5/8/2007)
                                                   
Santa Barbara -   $3.408   - 6.6 cents    $3.614 (5/15/2007)
Santa Maria -
Lompoc
                                                   
Riverside - San   $3.318   - 5.4 cents    $3.486 (5/8/2007)
Bernardino
                                                   
Bakersfield       $3.296   - 6.5 cents    $3.489 (5/7/2007)
                                                   
Las Vegas, NV     $3.118   - 4.2 cents    $3.209 (5/29/2007)

Contact Information: Contact: Marie Montgomery/Carol Thorp (714) 885-2333