Gasoline prices are on the rise as we kick off a new year. The AAA of Western and Central New York reports that the national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is now $2.34 per gallon, up five cents from last week and up 35 cents from one year ago.
The New York State average is $2.52 per gallon, up five cents from last week. A year ago, the state average was $2.23.
In Buffalo, the AAA says $2.44 is the average price. That is up 4 cents.
New York State’s gas tax actually went down by 0.8 cents on New Year’s Day, but that reduction was dwarfed by rising gas prices across the state.
It has been nearly 500 days since the national average topped $2.40 per gallon, according to Oil Price Information Service. For all of 2016, the annual national average price for a gallon of unleaded was $2.12. That is 27 cents lower than 2015.
OPIS says motorists should expect a moderate spike in 2017.
