AAA: Rising gas prices in R.I., Mass. won’t affect holiday travel

GAS PRICES climbed 2 cents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, AAA Southern New England said Monday, but the price gains are not expected to affect travel for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/DANIEL ACKER
GAS PRICES climbed 2 cents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, AAA Southern New England said Monday, but the price gains are not expected to affect travel for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. / BLOOMBERG FILE PHOTO/DANIEL ACKER

PROVIDENCE – Gasoline prices rose 2 cents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts this week, driven in part by the continued unrest in Iraq, according to the weekly survey by AAA Southern New England.

A gallon of self-serve, unleaded regular gas averaged $3.76 in Rhode Island in the June 30 survey, 2 cents higher than the price a week ago. Similarly, in Massachusetts, the average price for self-serve, unleaded regular climbed 2 cents over last week’s to $3.71 per gallon.

It has been six years since gas prices in both states were as high approaching the Fourth of July holiday as they are this year, AAA said, but prices aren’t expected to have a significant impact on the 41 million Americans expected to travel for the holiday weekend.

The average price in Rhode Island came in 5 cents higher than the average a month ago, while in Massachusetts, prices were 6 cents higher than last month. A year ago, the same gas cost $3.56 per gallon in Rhode Island and $3.45 per gallon in Massachusetts.

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Self-serve, unleaded regular varied in price from $3.66 to $3.90 across the Ocean State in the survey. The average per-gallon prices for different grades of gas ranged from $3.94 for mid-grade unleaded to $4.05 for premium unleaded and $4.03 for diesel.

Self-serve, unleaded regular ranged in price across Massachusetts from $3.58 to $3.90 per gallon. Mid-grade unleaded averaged $3.87 this week, while premium unleaded cost an average of $4.00 per gallon, and diesel posted an average price of $4.01 per gallon.

The national average price for a gallon of unleaded regular was unchanged this week at $3.68, 3 cents lower than the Massachusetts average and 8 cents lower than Rhode Island’s average.

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