New York drivers are seeing some relief at the pump as gas prices continue to decline, although costs remain significantly higher than they were a year ago.
According to AAA Western and Central New York, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.36, down 9 cents from last week. Despite the weekly drop, New York motorists are still paying considerably more than they did a year ago, when the statewide average stood at $3.11 per gallon.
The national average also fell 9 cents over the past week to $4.07 per gallon. One year ago, the national average was $3.14.
Across Upstate New York, most regions reported decreases in gas prices over the past week. The largest decline was recorded in Elmira, where prices dropped 13 cents to $4.21 per gallon. Ithaca continues to have the highest average price among major markets tracked by AAA at $4.50 per gallon.
Current regional averages include:
- Batavia: $4.34 (down 7 cents)
- Buffalo: $4.45 (down 6 cents)
- Elmira: $4.21 (down 13 cents)
- Ithaca: $4.50 (down 6 cents)
- Rochester: $4.45 (down 5 cents)
- Rome: $4.42 (down 6 cents)
- Syracuse: $4.44 (down 6 cents)
- Watertown: $4.41 (down 5 cents)
AAA says the recent decline is being driven in part by lower crude oil prices, which have remained below $100 per barrel. Prices also eased following a diplomatic agreement between the United States and Iran that is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
Crude oil prices briefly fell to around $80 per barrel after the announcement and were trading between $81 and $84 per barrel Monday morning, down from $94 to $97 a week earlier.
Despite the recent decreases, AAA cautions that uncertainty remains in global energy markets. While the Strait of Hormuz is expected to reopen later this week, analysts say it could take months for oil transportation and supply chains to fully stabilize, making the outlook for summer fuel prices difficult to predict.
Meanwhile, diesel prices also declined. The national average for diesel fuel fell 12 cents over the past week to $5.20 per gallon, while New York’s average dropped 7 cents to $5.74 per gallon. Diesel prices, however, remain sharply higher than a year ago, when New York’s average was $3.87 per gallon.
