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UP FRONTSaturday 5 September 2015
Labor Day drivers to enjoy lowest gasoline prices since 2004
JONATHAN FAHEY James Lewis pumps gas at a station in Portland, Ore. It has been more than a decade since U.S. declines but refineries keep
AP Energy Writer drivers paid so little to fuel up for that last road trip of summer. The national average price of running to meet demand
NEW YORK (AP) — It has gasoline fell to $2.44 Thursday, nearly $1 a gallon cheaper than last year. (AP Photo/Don Ryan) for heating oil and diesel.
been more than a decade They can’t make one type
since U.S. drivers paid so toward the end of the sum- that future demand growth than the price they get for of fuel, like diesel, without
little to fuel up for that last mer driving season as sup- will slow. At around $47, oil their products. U.S. sup- also turning out gasoline.
road trip of summer. plies dwindle and rough is down 23 percent from its plies of gasoline are above “For most of the country,
The national average weather disrupts produc- June 10 high and around where they were at this below $2 is in our future for
price of gasoline this La- tion along the Gulf Coast, half the price it was last time last year. September November and Decem-
bor Day weekend will be its where much of the nation’s year at this time. can be a choppy month for ber,” Kloza says.
lowest at this time of year fuel is made. The low crude prices and gas prices because refin- By this weekend, 10,000
since 2004, a result of low But crude oil prices have humming refineries have ers conduct maintenance stations around the coun-
oil prices and a quiet hur- plunged because produc- helped the national aver- while switching over to win- try, mostly in the Southeast,
ricane season that has al- ers in the U.S. and around age price of gasoline fall ter blends of gasoline and will be selling gasoline for
lowed refineries to churn the world have been furi- 17 days in a row, according supplies can get tight. But less than $2 a gallon. South
out gasoline and diesel. ously pumping oil while at to AAA. Refinery produc- prices are expected to drift Carolina’s average has al-
“The year of cheap fuel the same time economic tion has remained high be- lower and then drop sharp- ready sunk to $2, lowest in
continues,” said Tom Kloza, weakness in China, Japan cause refiners’ raw mate- ly in the late fall and winter the U.S. California drivers
chief oil analyst at the Oil and Europe raises concerns rial costs have fallen faster as demand for gasoline had a difficult summer, of-
Price Information Service. ten paying far more than
The national average price drivers elsewhere because
of gasoline fell to $2.44 of refinery problems in the
Thursday, nearly $1 a gallon state. Midwest drivers suf-
cheaper than last year. fered through a short spike
That means drivers will save because of a refinery prob-
about $15 on a typical fill- lem in Ohio.
up. For the four big driv- Now prices everywhere are
ing days of the weekend, falling, but Western driv-
Friday through Monday, ers are still paying far more
Americans will spend $1.6 than the national average.
billion less than last year, California and Nevada
according to an analysis by drivers are both paying
Kloza’s OPIS. They are ex- more than $3 per gallon on
pected to drive more miles, average, and the top 11
encouraged by low fuel state averages are all out
prices, but not enough to west. The lowest prices are
burn up their savings. found in the Southeast and
Gasoline prices often rise near the Gulf Coast.q
Labor Day flying: behind the scenes at a very busy airport
SCOTT MAYEROWITZ A passenger jet lands at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. Each day, world. Since many of those
AP Airlines Writer more than 170,000 passengers use the airport, making it the ninth busiest in the world. trips are on smaller, domes-
DALLAS (AP) — More than tic jets, the airport sees a
14.2 million people are (AP Photo/LM Otero) higher share of takeoffs
expected to fly over the and landings than other
seven days surrounding fast, nothing can compete Dallas-Fort Worth Interna- nation. big hub airports — 1,845
theLabor Day holiday, a 3 with flying. More families tional Airport granted The To see the video, visit: daily flights, which is the
percent increase from last are now able to afford to Associated Press unique https://youtu.be/oXFC- fourth most in the world.
year, according to Airlines hop on a plane thanks to a access to their operations 2CZ1Lp8 . Each day, more In the bellies of those jets
for America, the industry’s stronger domestic econo- to get a sense of what it than 170,000 passengers each day is another 1,873
trade and lobbying group. my. In advance of the holi- takes to get thousands of use the airport, making metric tons of cargo. It
The unofficial end of sum- day, American Airlines and passengers to their desti- it the ninth busiest in the takes a workforce of 60,000
mer is one last long week- to get all those passengers
end for Americans to sneak and the cargo to their des-
in a trip, with Friday, Sept. tination. The airport covers
4, expected to have been 17,207 acres — an area
the busiest day to fly once larger than Manhattan —
the numbers are in. and has five terminals with
Millions of others will drive a total of 165 gates. To get
or take trains and ferries around, passengers use
during the holiday. For in- the Skylink tram system,
stance, 1.14 million people which travels 35 mph to
are expected to use inter- 37 mph. In its decade of
city buses, an increase of operation, the tram fleet
5 percent compared to has traveled a combined
last year, according to the 32,465,945 miles.
Chaddick Institute for Met- Whether traveling this holi-
ropolitan Development at day or not, here’s a look at
DePaul University. one of the world’s busiest
But for those who need airports: https://youtu.be/
to get across the country oXFC2CZ1Lp8q
