While Massachusetts did suffer as much as other states stemming from the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware attack, the average gas prices in the Commonwealth nevertheless saw another price hike this week. According to the AAA Northeast’s weekly update, average gas price is up another five cents from last week ($2.86), bring this week’s average to $2.91 per gallon.
To compare: today’s price is 18 cents higher than just a month ago ($2.73), and 96 cents higher on this same day, May 17, 2020 last year, when it was $1.95. The only good news about this week’s increase appears to be that Massachusetts’s average gas price continues to be 13 cents lower than the national average.
“This is going to be an expensive summer for motorists. However, we do not expect it to deter travelers from hitting the road. AAA finds that despite the higher pump prices, Americans still take their road trips, but just may not travel as far as originally planned or go to their planned destination and spend a little less,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Government Affairs.
AAA is forecast that approximately 34 million Americans will take a road trip 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, which is typically touted as the unofficial kickoff to summer. If this numbers are realized, it will be a a 52% increase as compared to last summer, but nearly 9% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Regardless, motorists will be met with the most expensive gas prices since 2014.
AAA Northeast’s May 17 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be 8 cents higher than last week ($2.96), averaging $3.04 a gallon. Today’s national average price is 17 cents higher than a month ago ($2.87), and $1.17 higher than this day last year ($1.87).
