Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Downward Trend for Fifth Straight Week

    LOS ANGELES--Dec. 20, 2002--A seasonal weakness in demand helped push gasoline prices lower last week, the fifth consecutive week that prices declined in the region, 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 $1.532 per gallon, which is nine-tenths of a cent lower than last week's price, 6 cents lower than last month and 49 cents higher than last year.
    In San Diego the price is $1.600, which is 1.5 cents lower than last week's level, 6 cents lower than last month and 37 cents higher than last year. Motorists in the central coast have an average price of $1.611, which is two-tenths of a cent below last week's price, 4 cents lower than last month and 45 cents higher than last year.
    "For more than a month, demand for gasoline has been dropping while supplies for refined fuel are ample," said Carol Thorp, Auto Club spokesperson. "However, crude oil prices have been climbing during the past few days, so we'll have to see how much impact they have on pump prices."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., Dec. 20:

Area                        Regular    Change from    Record Price
                                        last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach      $1.532      -0.9 cents    $2.036 (5/25/01)

San Diego                   $1.600      -1.5 cents    $2.025 (5/29/01)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Lompoc                      $1.611      -0.2 cents    $2.069 (5/16/01)

Las Vegas                   $1.395      -2.1 cents    $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.         $1.328      -1.2 cents    $1.720 (5/30/01)