No Joke! Gas Prices Going Down

It seemed unlikely just a month ago, but the price of gasoline has dipped under $4 a gallon at some service stations in the East Bay.

The average price nationwide is now $3.84 for a gallon of regular unleaded, down 12 cents from a week ago, according to the California State Automobile Association.

In California, the average price has sunk to $4.12 for a gallon of unleaded regular, 10 cents less than a week ago.

In the East Bay, the price for regular unleaded has dropped to $4.11 a gallon, 11 cents cheaper than a week ago.

Most stations along the Interstate 580 and Interstate 680 corridors are selling gas for between $4.05 and $4.19 a gallon.

In Clayton, the price is still at the high end, with regular unleaded going for $4.19 a gallon at the Shell and Vallero stations on Kirker Pass Road and Clayton Road.

However, on the website gasbuddy.com, there are a handful of stations in virtually every community that are selling regular unleaded for under $4 a gallon.

One of the cheapest is the Stop N Save on Stanton Avenue in Castro Valley. Its listed price is $3.89 a gallon. Two Arco stations and a Quik Stop are also listed as selling gasoline for $3.99 a gallon.

In San Leandro, the Costco on Davis Street has a listed price of $3.95 a gallon. The Sunko on Washington Avenue is selling gas for $3.97 a gallon while Freedom Gas and Food has unleaded regular for $3.99 a gallon.

The sinking gas prices come as vacationers prepare to head out for the Memorial Day weekend. Triple A officials estimate 4.2 million Californians will travel more than 50 miles this holiday weekend. That's a 0.2 percent increase over last year.

“While concerns over higher gas prices are causing some travelers to opt out of a summer road trip, many are modifying or scaling back in other types of vacation expenditures,” said CSAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “Many people expect to stay with family and friends in order to afford a few days away from home.”