Today's stories

Gas prices fall in Tuscaloosa

(Dusty Compton / Tuscaloosa News)
Patrons line up and wait while other fill their vehicles with fuel at the Race Way gas station on Veterans Memorial Pkwy in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday Oct. 8, 2008. The station has its fuel priced at $3.29, the lowest price in town and the lowest price gas has hit in Tuscaloosa in months.
By Dana Beyerle Montgomery Bureau Chief
Published: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 12:13 a.m.

MONTGOMERY | That trip to the gas pump is getting a little less painful for your wallet.

Self-serve regular gasoline was selling for as low as $3.29 at some stations in Tuscaloosa by midday Wednesday, gasbuddy.com, a gas price tracking Web site, said.

It’s the lowest price since Hurricane Ike disrupted supplies in mid-September and sent gasoline prices soaring to as high as $4.65 a gallon in some Alabama locations.

An independent gasoline distributor says gas could fall below the $3 a gallon level by this weekend.

“This is the first time since April that I’ve seen prices this low,” said Zach Rosetti, 21, while filling up his girlfriend’s Honda Civic for $40 at the RaceWay gas station on Veterans Memorial Parkway on Wednesday.

“It took about $46 to fill up her tank last week,” he said.

Mary Ann Johnson, 70, of Northport, said she was driving to Target when she just happened to glance over at the RaceWay and saw the $3.29 gas price sign.

“When I saw the price, I had to pull over,” Johnson said as she finally pulled up to a pump after waiting in a long line of customers.

“I’m so excited because it’s so cheap,” she said. “It’s great. Prices should stay this low.”

The average price of gas on Wednesday in Alabama was $3.61 a gallon, according to AAA Alabama. A month ago it was $3.59 a gallon, and a year ago it was $2.68 a gallon.

At a south Huntsville independent station, gasoline was $2.92 for regular, self-serve, gasbuddy.com said.

Gasoline at an independent station in Hattiesburg, Miss., was $2.75 a gallon.

After Hurricane Ike, Jet-Pep Inc., an independent distributor, raised prices by $1.05 a gallon at many locations because Jet-Pep’s supplier raised its prices as much as $1.65 a gallon wholesale, a company spokesman said.

General manager Chuck Moore said that Jet-Pep will lower prices just as quickly as it raised them last month.

“I expect it to be under $3 a gallon by the weekend,” he said.

Gasoline is dropping in price partly because motorists have cut back on driving and because the U.S. dollar is increasing in value. Crude oil trades in U.S. dollars.

Staff Writer Jamon Smith contributed to this report.