Gas Prices Up From Last Memorial Day, AAA Says
27 May 1999
Gas Prices Up From Last Memorial Day, AAA Says
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 26 -- The average price of self-serve
regular unleaded gasoline this Memorial Day weekend is 22 cents higher than
Memorial Day 1998 at $1.328 per gallon. This is an increase of 12 cents since
Easter 1999.
Seattle ($1.40), Lynnwood ($1.369) and Everett ($1.367) have the highest
average prices of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline of the metropolitan
areas in central and western Washington. The Seattle and Bellevue areas have
seen the largest increase in prices since Easter.
Since April, the national average of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline
increased .7 cents to $1.157 per gallon. The only two regions where gas prices
have decreased are the Great Lakes by .7 cents to $1.13 per gallon, and the
Southwest by .6 cents to $1.17 per gallon. The western region continues to
maintain the highest average price at $1.341 per gallon.
The increase in gas prices isn't holding back holiday travelers. A record
33.3 million Americans are expected to travel over 100 miles this Memorial Day
weekend, with 27.5 million going by automobile. Great exchange rates are
enticing Washington travelers to head north to Canada for the Memorial Day
Holiday. Many travelers are heading to Victoria and Vancouver, British
Columbia, and Banff and Jasper in Alberta. Other exciting travel destinations
for Washingtonians are the Washington and Oregon Coast, Las Vegas, Reno and
San Francisco.
AAA Washington provides a full range of products and benefits, including
personal lines insurance, financial, leisure travel, and auto-related services
to more than 615,000 members. A not-for-profit services organization, AAA
Washington operates 13 offices in central and western Washington. More
information about AAA Washington can be found on the Internet at
http://www.aaawa.com.
AAA Washington's Memorial Day 1999 Fuel Gauge Price Averages
Area by Area Comparison of
Self-Serve Regular Unleaded Fuel Prices
City Memorial Day Easter Memorial Day
1999 1999 1998
Bellevue 1.361 1.210 1.12
Bellingham 1.328 1.225 1.13
Bremerton 1.315 1.188 1.10
Everett 1.367 1.253 1.14
Lynnwood 1.369 1.239 1.11
Olympia 1.353 1.241 N/A
Renton 1.324 1.219 N/A
Seattle 1.400 1.210 1.16
Tacoma 1.359 1.219 1.12
Tri-Cities 1.196 1.100 1.05
Vancouver 1.338 1.256 1.12
Wenatchee 1.299 1.195 1.12
Yakima 1.260 1.126 N/A
Averages 1.328 1.206 1.11
CONTACT: Janet Ray or Jennifer Harbison of AAA Washington,
800-562-2582.