Low Prices are Gravy Baby for Thanksgiving Travelers

    LOS ANGELES--Nov. 16, 2001--Motorists traveling over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house will be able to get there for less money this year as gasoline prices dipped for the ninth consecutive week, 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 $1.274 per gallon. This is 4.6 cents lower than last Friday and nearly 42 cents below last year's level. In San Diego, the price is 4.2 cents lower than last week's level. Motorists in the central coast are enjoying an average that's 5.6 cents below last Friday's price.
    "Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled holiday of the year and this year nearly nine out of 10 travelers will be driving," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "About 2.6 million Southern Californians will be on the road during the holiday period and they will be able to gobble up gasoline at the lowest prices of the year."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., Nov. 16:

Area                       Regular      Change from    Record Price
                                         last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach     $1.274       -4.6 cents     $2.036 (5/25)

San Diego                  $1.446       -4.2 cents     $2.025 (5/29)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Lompoc                     $1.413       -5.6 cents     $2.069 (5/16)

Las Vegas                  $1.295       -3.5 cents     $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.        $1.261       -2.2 cents     $1.720 (5/30)