Gasoline prices in Tucson, throughout Arizona and nationally continued their decline over the last week, heading into the busy travel season with Memorial Day this weekend.
The Triple-A Daily Fuel Gauge Report reported the Arizona average price for regular unleaded at $3.76.9 per gallon on Wednesday. That's down nearly 3 cents from one week ago.
The Tucson average Wednesday was $3.63.5 per gallon, down nearly 3 cents from one week ago. Tucson has the state's lowest fuel prices by almost 10 cents per gallon.
The average price in Phoenix Wednesday was $3.74.9, down more than 3 cents. The highest gasoline price in the state was in Flagstaff, at $3.90.1, down about one-half cent in a week.
Nationally, Triple-A reported, Wednesday's average price was $3.67.8, down 5 cents from one week earlier.
Triple-A said a rise in gasoline prices is usually anticipated going into the smmer months, including the first holiday, Memorial Day.
" ... gas price headlines suggested that a $4 national average for gasoline was a foregone conclusion heading into the summer driving season," the report said. "Only days before the busy Memorial Day travel weekend, the 34.8 million Americans who AAA estimate will travel 50 miles or more from home during the holiday are feeling some welcome relief as they fill up for their holiday travel."
Triple-A attributed the continuing declines to a loosening of the global price of oil.
"As crude oil prices have declined and global economic concerns have resurfaced the national price of gas at the pump has also fallen," the Triple-A report said on Monday. "Since the year-to-date peak price of $3.94 on April 6, the national average has fallen for 41 of 45 days and decreased 25 cents during this period."
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