Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the storyPHOENIX -- Drivers heading out for the July 4th holiday are paying 35 percent less at the gas pump compared to last year.
July 3rd marks the one year anniversary of when gas prices in Arizona reached an all time high of $4.09 cents a gallon.
This year, gas prices average around $2.64.
Check for the lowest gas prices in your neighborhood.“This is just fine with me,” said Jacob Martin as he was fueling up for the weekend.
Martin says that this year he is staying close to home for the holiday.
“It is not so much about gas prices but jobs,” he said. “People have lost their jobs and they can’t travel as much compared to last year.
Nationwide travel is down about 1.9 percent this holiday weekend compared to last year.
Michelle Donati from
AAA Arizona says that prices for the rest of the summer will fluxuate between $2.50 and $3.00 per gallon.
She says while it may not happen immediately, you can never rule out the possibility that prices will climb to record levels again in the future.
“When the economy does recover, prices are expected to turn around although we don’t know to what level,” she said. “It underscores the need for a long term energy solution."
Many drivers in the Valley say they’ve learned their lesson after struggling through last year’s prices. Some say they carpool and consciously reduce the number of short trips they make around town each day.
