Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Their Slow Rise for the Seventh Straight Week

    LOS ANGELES--Feb. 22, 2002--The price of gasoline inched upward again during the past week throughout most of the region of Southern California, southern Nevada and Arizona, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
    It was the seventh consecutive week of moderate price increases at the pump. 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 $1.30 per gallon, which is 1.3 cents above last week's price. In San Diego the price is $1.368, which is 1.7 cents higher than last week's level. Motorists in the central coast have an average price of $1.383, which is 0.9 cents above last week's price.
    "Typically, gas prices don't fluctuate significantly during this time of year, due to lower demand and reduced travel compared to the summer," said Auto Club spokesperson, Jeffrey Spring. "The slow rise that we've seen during the past few weeks is understandable since most retailers were selling gas at a loss during December and are still feeling the effects of a slow economy and abundance of supply."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., Feb. 22:

Area                       Regular      Change from    Record Price
                                         last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach      $1.300       +1.3 cents    $2.036 (5/25)

San Diego                   $1.368       +1.7 cents    $2.025 (5/29)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Lompoc                      $1.383       +0.9 cents    $2.069 (5/16)
 
Las Vegas                   $1.236       +1.0 cents    $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.         $1.075       -3.4 cents    $1.720 (5/30)