Gasoline prices decrease in time for July 4

The average price for a gallon of gasoline has dropped six cents in Beaumont during the past week, according to a survey from AAA Texas.

The average was $2.48 a gallon, down from $2.54 last week.  The average price at this time one year ago in Beaumont was $3.98.  The record high was $4 a gallon on July 16, 2008. 

Enjoy your holiday weekend and make sure you email Independence Day celebration pictures to photos@kfdm.com.  

AAA Texas 

(Houston, Texas; July 2, 2009) - Last week gas prices leveled off and this week the statewide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline decreased four cents from $2.53 to $2.49. Nationally the figure is $2.63, also reflecting a four cent drop.

Texarkana has the least expensive gas in Texas at $2.43, followed by Houston and Amarillo at $2.44. The highest is in El Paso at $2.58, a decrease of three cents since last week. Texas remains 14 cents below the national average and gasoline still remains well below where it was a year ago on this date when the national average was $4.09 and statewide motorists were paying $3.95.

"This is the time of the year when gasoline prices peak and that was the case last year in mid-July when prices jumped in most cities to above four dollars a gallon. This year, prices remain nearly $1.50 below their high last summer," said AAA Texas spokesperson Sarah Schimmer. "However, recent travel surveys anticipate the lower prices for gasoline are not expected to have a major impact on the number of people traveling over the 4th of July holiday."

AAA Texas is projecting the number of citizens traveling from the West South Central region, which includes Texas, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend will decline by 3.1 percent as compared to last year. Even with this anticipated decline, approximately 3.2 million Texans are expected to travel. Nearly 2.8 million Texans will drive; about 220,000 are estimated to travel by air; about 189,000 will take a bus or train. Texas is second only to California where it is expected 4.5 million will choose to take a trip over the holiday weekend.

Americans traveling on vacation this Fourth of July holiday weekend will decrease 1.9 percent from 2008 with approximately 37.1 million travelers taking a trip of 50 or more miles away from home. Last year, 37.8 million Americans traveled during the same period; a 10.5 percent decline from the 42.3 million travelers who vacationed in 2007. The July 4th holiday is typically the busiest time of year for auto travel since nearly all school-aged children are out of school at this time and, as a result, parents are more apt to take family vacations at this time.