CA Gas Prices Still Climbing; $10 Per Gallon Spotted

CALIFORNIA — Californians have been feeling pain at the pump for months now, and despite a slight reprieve during the spring, prices have resumed their upward trajectory going into the summer months.

On Sunday, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $6.32, up from $5.76 one month ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

In some areas, gas prices have reached hair raising heights. A Chevron station in downtown Los Angeles was charging $8.05 for regular gas, the Los Angeles Times reported. On Saturday, members of the Brown Beret National Party protested high gasoline prices at a Chevron gas station downtown Los Angeles.

On the other end of the state, Schlafer's Auto Repair in Mendocino was charging $9.60 per gallon for regular gas, CNN reported.

Gas prices have also risen nationally, increasing to $4.84 per gallon of regular gasoline on Sunday, up 13 cents from Tuesday.

Gasoline stocks decreased rapidly last week as demand for fuel rose sharply over the Memorial Day travel weekend, according to the Energy Information Administration.

"These supply and demand dynamics have contributed to rising pump prices," the Auto Mobile Club wrote in a statement. "Coupled with volatile crude oil prices, pump prices will likely remain elevated as long as demand grows and supply remains tight."

California's gas prices are higher than anywhere else in the nation amid clean energy regulations and the severe impact of inflation.

Gas prices through the rest of the summer could remain unpredictable and tied to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Douglas Shupe, a spokesperson for AAA told the Los Angeles Times.

Demand for gas throughout the summer is likely to persist even amid rising prices.

"Just this weekend for Memorial Day we saw a 5 percent increase in auto travel," Shupe told the Times.

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Meanwhile, California lawmakers are still weighing a relief package that could place $400 checks in the hands of California motorists, thanks to an enormous budget surplus.

Newsom announced his $18.1 billion inflation package last month to help offset skyrocketing costs in the Golden State. The $400 checks would go to registered car owners, with up to two checks possible per person, per vehicle.

Lawmakers have been scrambling for months to find a solution to rising costs. In March, Republican legislators failed to garner enough votes Monday to trigger an immediate gas tax holiday in the state. The measure would have eliminated about 51 cents per gallon in gasoline excise taxes for six months.

Although prices were already on the rise amid inflation, the surge was further aggravated by Russia's war with Ukraine.

What's more, the price California residents paid to take a ride or order food through Uber and Lyft also went up.

To offset rising gas prices for California Uber drivers, the ride-sharing and food-delivery company imposed a temporary surcharge on customers.

As prices remain elevated in California, motorists could soon start turning to public transportation to avoid pain at the pump, according to media reports.

Alicia Trost, a Bay Area Rapid Transit spokesperson, told The Mercury News that she had seen a 15 to 20 percent surge in riders in San Francisco at the Embarcadero and Montgomery stations in downtown.

"You couldn't time historic high gas prices and offices reopening any better for transit recovery," she told the newspaper. "It's a pivotal moment."