HOUSTON, TX -- 11/20/08 --
Ten out of eleven metropolitan areas surveyed
in the state now have gas price averages under $2.00 a gallon, according to
AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.
The average price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 12 cents statewide
compared to last week, from $2.002 to $1.882 a gallon. The national average
price fell by 15 cents from $2.177 to $2.020.
Travelers can find gas in Amarillo at $1.815, which is the least expensive
average price compared to other metropolitan areas in the state. The
state's highest price is in El Paso at $2.145 -- a decline of 22 cents from
last week.
Houston, at $1.817, fell by more than 11 cents since last week. Dallas is
reporting a price of $1.856 a gallon, a weekly decrease of more than 11
cents.
"AAA Texas has forecast a slight, 1.2 percent decline in the number of
Texans traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However, with
prices now more than a dollar lower than they were at this time last year,
more Texans may decide at the last minute to travel to visit family for the
holiday," said AAA-Texas spokesperson Sarah Schimmer.
Texas continues to be one of the states with the largest number of
Thanksgiving holiday travelers with 3.18 million residents expected to take
trips next week, only second to California. Among Texas travelers, 2.5
million (79 percent) plan to drive, 448,000 (14 percent) plan to fly, and
232,000 (7 percent) will go by other means.
Approximately 41 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more
from home for the holiday which is a decrease of 1.4 percent from last
year's total of 41.6 million. Eighty-one percent of holiday travelers are
expected to travel by automobile, 11 percent by airplane, and 8 percent by
train.
1 Week Record Record
Current Ago Year Ago High High
Area 11/20/08 11/13/08 Difference 11/20/07 Difference Date Price
--------- ------- ---------- -------- ---------- -------- -------
National $ 2.020 $ 2.177 -0.157 $ 3.089 -1.069 07/17/08 $ 4.114
State $ 1.882 $ 2.002 -0.120 $ 2.959 -1.077 07/17/08 $ 3.985
Amarillo $ 1.815 $ 2.004 -0.189 $ 3.051 -1.236 07/16/08 $ 3.983
Austin-San
Marcos $ 1.938 $ 2.053 -0.115 $ 2.993 -1.055 07/17/08 $ 3.975
Beaumont $ 1.919 $ 2.055 -0.136 $ 2.944 -1.075 07/16/08 $ 4.001
Corpus
Christi $ 1.835 $ 1.932 -0.097 $ 2.937 -1.102 07/15/08 $ 3.960
Dallas $ 1.856 $ 1.973 -0.117 $ 2.945 -1.089 07/16/08 $ 3.983
El Paso $ 2.145 $ 2.366 -0.221 $ 2.970 -0.825 07/17/08 $ 3.967
Ft. Worth $ 1.848 $ 1.967 -0.119 $ 2.932 -1.084 07/16/08 $ 3.975
Galveston $ 1.873 $ 1.952 -0.079 $ 2.899 -1.026 07/14/08 $ 3.968
Houston $ 1.817 $ 1.932 -0.115 $ 2.896 -1.079 07/17/08 $ 3.960
San Antonio $ 1.881 $ 1.980 -0.099 $ 2.948 -1.067 07/16/08 $ 3.957
Texarkana
(TX Only) $ 1.829 $ 2.004 -0.175 $ 2.995 -1.166 07/17/08 $ 3.981
Contacts:
Dan Ronan
Statewide/Dallas
Ronan.dan@aaa-texas.com
danronan@sprint.blackberry.net
469-221-8217 office
469-583-7070 cell
Sarah Schimmer
Houston
Schimmer.sarah@aaa-texas.com
713-284-6552 office
281-797-7886 cell
