Gasoline prices taking different route this summer

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, we're seeing something that usually doesn't happen at this time of year. Gas prices going down.

Normally, fuel prices rise before Memorial Day, which kicks off the summer vacation season.

This season, however, gas prices have taken a small dip. And some experts say the trend may continue. "I think prices will continue to slide over the holiday weekend," said analyst Phil Flynn of PFGBest in Chicago.

Many suburban gas stations have lowered prices about a dime a gallon over the past week.

This correlates with the national trend. The average price nationally for a gallon of regular gas is $2.78, which is down from $2.86 a week ago. AAA's Fuel Gauge Reports daily averages for the Chicago area show a gallon of regular gasoline cost $3.02 Tuesday, compared to $3.11 a week ago. "At the pump in some places, we've seen prices fall 19 days in a row now," Flynn said.

The trend is a good one for consumers planning road trips this summer. "It's good news for the driver and the large number of people traveling over the holiday weekend," said Beth Mosher, a spokeswoman for AAA in Aurora.

She added that prices are dropping because of a significant drop in oil prices. "Oil prices are hovering around the $70 (a barrel) mark," she said.

The decline is filtering down to the motorist. "The price of crude oil hit the lowest level since last year," Flynn said.

In addition, supplies at the pump are at the highest level in many years. "We're swimming in gasoline supply," Flynn added. Demand is also down, he said.

The oil spill in the Golf of Mexico has had no impact on fuel prices.