Gas prices move lower as summer travel begins

MIAMI – As we kick off the summer travel season, there’s good news for those planning a road trip. Gas prices in the state dropped 11 cents in the past week and a half.

“The summer travel season is beginning with gasoline prices that are 20 cents less than the highest price this year,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. “While gasoline prices are usually volatile through the summer months, recent futures prices suggest the state average could move lower this week.”

Sunday’s state average was $3.45 per gallon. That’s 5 cents less than a week ago but 6 cents more than this time last year.

On Monday, the average in Miami-Dade was $3.49 a gallon, down from $3.53 a week ago. Broward’s average was $3.50 a gallon, down from $3.56 a week ago.

The most expensive cities in the state for gas are West Palm Beach, Naples, and Fort Lauderdale. The cheapest places for gas are all in the panhandle.

Last week, the U.S. price for crude oil dropped 1 percent, amounting to a combined 4 percent drop through the past two weeks. Meanwhile, gasoline futures are down 16 cents during that time.