Oregon boasts second-highest gas prices in U.S.

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

Oregon boasts second-highest gas prices in U.S. The Associated Press 9/2/00 4:57 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon has the dubious honor of paying the highest gas prices in the continental United States ---- but that won't keep state residents from traveling by car this Labor Day weekend.

The average cost of regular gas in Oregon on Friday was $1.76, according to an AAA survey.

That's an increase of about 15 cents over prices last year at this time.

The only state to pay more for their miles is Hawaii, at $1.92 per gallon for regular gas.

Yet there's still no discernible change in Oregonians' vacation habits, particularly during the last three-day weekend of the summer.

"When there's a short holiday weekend, people take whatever the price is and go where they want to go," said Anne O'Ryan, media director for the Oregon-Idaho office of AAA. "There's no change with that."

That trend holds across the nation.

AAA estimates 28.3 million people plan to drive 100 miles or more from home this weekend. That's an increase of close to 6 percent over last year, when prices were about 20 cents a gallon lower.

"People have just gotten used to it," said Stephanie Lapsley, director of sales and marketing for the Westin Salishan resort in Gleneden Beach. "People just want to get out and enjoy the nice summer weather, and the 20 cents doesn't bother them."

In a car that gets 30 miles per gallon, gas for the approximately 160-mile round trip to the Oregon coast from Portland, for example, costs only about a dollar more this Labor Day than last year.

Audrey Karge, who works for the Seaside Chamber of Commerce trying to find hotel space for travelers, said she expected all rooms to be booked for the weekend.

"It's not terribly different from any other Labor Day weekend," she said, "But, then, it isn't a long trip, either."

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?o0003_BC_OR--GasPrices-Oregon&&news&newsflash-oregon

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 02, 2000

Answers

Ow

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 02, 2000.

I think they forgot California in this state appendage. I last paid $1.90 per gallon, with premium priced at $2.10.

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), September 02, 2000.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ