This Memorial Day weekend marks the starting point of the summer traveling season, which means motorists will face a tight gas market this year, according to AAA South Central Ohio.
Traditionally
the gas prices hit their peaks around the Memorial Day and continue hovering in that way until the end of summer driving season said Bevi Norris, a spokeswoman for AAA in Pittsburgh.
As of Tuesday, Athens' average gas price tops the list in Ohio at $2.14 per gallon of regular gas. The lowest average price was found in Washington Courthouse, which was $1.978 per gallon. Central Ohio's average was $2.06, compared to a national average of $2.053, according to AAA.
There are many reasons for local differences and region differences Norris said, listing competition among gas stations, differences in gas demand, sources for gas supply and the distance to the supplier as possible causes.
Despite record gas prices, some Athens travelers are sticking to their traveling plans.
Jesse Shoup, an Ohio University student majoring in mechanical engineering, said the high gas prices have no impact on his holiday plan. He will leave today for Toledo to visit with friends and then travel back to Athens on Sunday.
We have been planning to go for a while
so I will go
he said.
Shoup said a lot of travelers already mentally accounted for the cost of gas as an additional loss, so high gas prices will not affect their plans.
High gas prices also will not keep OU faculty member Shyler Switzer, a lab coordinator in the mechanical engineering department, from visiting his daughter in Lancaster this weekend.
Gas price is certainly something we have to factor in
but I'll still go there and see her
no matter how gas prices increase
he said.
It has been two months since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries cut crude oil supply. OU economics professor Kyongwook Choi estimated the situation of soaring gas prices could last for another six months.
Increasing demand from global economic growth and tight crude oil production are cited as two primary reasons for the high prices.
If Saudi Arabia does increase crude oil supply
it may help stabilize the oil price
but the problem won't be fixed
he said. Iraq
