NEWS RELEASES
Gas Prices Rise As Holiday Travel Ramps Up
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through AAA Newsroom's website.
ORLANDO, Fla. – AAA announced that prices at the pump have jumped a nickel or more in many states, just as a record 49 million people take off for the Independence Day holidays. “This year will be one for the record books, with more Americans than ever planning vacations,” Paula Twidale, vice president, AAA Travel, said in a press release. AAA estimates that 41.4 million Americans will travel by automobile, up 1.9 million over last year. Roadtripping Americans will face higher prices at the pump across the country, with some 25 states reporting increases of a nickel or more.
The national average price per gallon on July 1 was $2.71, a nickel more than last week, but 11 cents less than last month and 14 cents cheaper than a year ago. States seeing the greatest increases are North and South Carolina, both with 13-cent increases, and other states along the eastern seaboard and in the Midwest. Factors affecting the price include low stock levels, rising demand and crude oil prices, and the permanent closure of the South Philadelphia refinery, the oldest and largest refinery on the East Coast, following a fire. In a press release, Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson, said, “It’s typical to see increases at the pump ahead of the holiday, but we may see prices continue to jump throughout the month due to refinery interruptions on the East Coast, increasing demand and fluctuations in crude oil price.”