Auto Club: Gas Prices Resume Slight Downward Trend

    LOS ANGELES--Sept. 21, 2001--After nearly a month of increasing pump prices, the average price of unleaded regular self serve gasoline dipped slightly throughout Southern California, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.
    Since Aug. 24, gas prices had risen by an average of 10.2 cents per gallon until this week in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. In parts of Southern Nevada and Arizona, prices inched upward.
    The current price in the Los Angeles/Long Beach reporting area is $1.616 per gallon, 1.6 cents lower than the price at this time last week. The price in San Diego is four-tenths of a cent lower than last week's average. The price for Central Coast motorists is eight-tenths of a cent lower than last week. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    "In the week since the terrorist incidents in New York and Washington, D.C., the major oil companies have asked their dealers to hold the line on prices," said Jeffrey Spring, Auto Club spokesperson. "That along with the traditional easing of demand at this time of the year are two factors contributing to this downward trend in pump prices."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m. Sept. 21.

Area                      Regular     Change from   Record Price
                                      last week                

Los Angeles-Long Beach    $1.616      -1.6 cents    $2.036 (set 5/25)
San Diego                 $1.739      -0.4 cents    $2.025 (5/29)
Santa Barbara-Santa
Maria-Lompoc              $1.744      -0.8 cents    $2.069 (5/16)
Las Vegas, Nev.           $1.512      +0.6 cents    $1.885 (3/27/00)
Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.       $1.437      +1.1 cents    $1.720 (5/30)