KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Gas prices went down almost two cents in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, a 12th consecutive drop, but still marked the end to a wild month of painful trips to the pump for millions of drivers here and across the country.
When viewed through the nozzle of your ride to work and school, the first day of the month seems like a long time ago.
A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline cost $3.2634 on the Missouri side of the metro on May 1, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Drivers in Kansas City, Kan., as always, were paying a little more, $3.363o. Both were a considerable amount under the pace of the national average of $3.5221.
But in a race to the highest gas prices over the next two weeks, Kansas City did everything it could to catch up to the national standard.
By May 15, local drivers on both sides of the state line were paying more than 32 cents more per gallon than they had been on the first of the month. That increase is more than nine times the pace of the national average’s uptick of about 3 and a half cents.
Drivers in KCK were paying more than the national average by May 10. KCMO prices, seemingly among the cheapest in the country, had drawn within a fraction of a cent of the national average as we approached the halfway point of the month.
A 16-gallon tank was already costing an extra $5 to fill up on either side of the state line.
And then it got scary.
Within the next five days, Kansas City would have its fastest lap.
Missouri-side gas stations raised prices another 23.5 cents, to $3.8255. Nine cents higher in KCK put the 2008 high of $4.140 within sight.
Meanwhile, prices nationally continued to trudge along at a snail’s pace, having gone up just 14 cents since May 1 – Remember: Local prices jumped more than 15 cents, BEFORE it got scary.
Local Kansas prices, which had gone up every day since the beginning of the month, were a quarter higher than the national average by May 20.
But perhaps the end of the month brings a bit of optimism that local gas prices will give up their relentless pursuit of the most-inflated fuel costs. Since their peaks at the beginning of last week, local prices have seen a steady drop.
A 16-cent decrease ($2.6640 in Missouri, $3.7578 in Kansas as of Thursday) has prices the lowest they’ve been in either state since the oppressive increase in the middle of the month.
No comments:
Post a Comment