Average price of gasoline drops in Beaumont

Gasoline prices are finally levelling off and even decreasing in Southeast Texas, just in time for the July 4 holiday.

The latest survey from AAA Texas indicates the average price for one gallon of unleaded gasoline in Beaumont is $2.54, down two cents from last week.  The average price was $3.93 one year ago.  The record high was $4 a gallon on July 16, 2008.

AAA Texas

(Irving, Texas; June 25, 2009) -  For more than seven weeks gasoline prices in Texas and across the nation have steadily increased, but this week they have leveled off.  The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular in Texas is $2.53.  Nationally the figure is $2.67.

Houston and San Antonio have the least expensive gas in Texas at $2.49.  The highest is in El Paso at $2.61. Texas remains 14 cents below the national average and even with the significant price increases over the last seven weeks, gasoline still remains well below where it was a year ago on this date when the national average was $4.07 and statewide motorists were paying $3.93.

"Oil prices in the last week have held steady at or below 70 dollars a barrel and gasoline usage is historically low because of the struggling economy.  Typically 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 about $1.40 below their high last summer.  However, they're about 90 cents to a dollar a gallon higher than they were in January," said AAA Corporate Communications Manager Dan Ronan in Irving.

So far, the lower prices for gasoline are not expected to have a major impact on the number of people traveling over the 4^th 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.