This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Just in time for Christmas travel, gasoline prices in the Salt Lake metro area are dipping under $2 a gallon at some stations.
To add to the cheer, the Utah Department of Transportation says road projects are mostly complete or suspended for the holidays — so roadwork should not create any extra obstacles for motorists this week.
Gasoline prices were between $1.97 and $1.99 a gallon at five Costco stores and three Sam's Clubs in Salt Lake County on Monday. They were the only Utah sites so far that had broken the $2-a-gallon barrier, according to the UtahGasPrices.com website.
Average prices in the state are still much higher.
Regular-grade gasoline cost an average 2.52 a gallon statewide on Monday, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That was 13 cents higher than the national average of $2.39 a gallon.
Some of the highest gasoline prices in Utah on Monday were $3.09 at some Hanksville gas stations, 2.99 at some in St. George, and $2.91 a gallon in Vernal, according to UtahGasPrices.com.
But prices generally have been in a free fall recently. Average Utah gasoline prices dropped from an average $2.69 a week ago, and $3.03 a month ago (which was also the price a year ago).
"It's good for everyone when the prices go down," said John Hill with the Utah Petroleum Marketers and Retailers Association.
"The retailer actually benefits when the price goes down, because people go in the store and they will spend money because they are saving money at the pump. It's all good," he said.
While gas prices are low, history suggests that perhaps they should be a little lower.
"In December, Utah is typically in the lowest 10 states in the country for gas prices," AAA spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough said. "This year, we are in the top 20." Utah had the 19th-highest average gasoline prices among the 50 states on Monday.
"Even though we are enjoying lower gas prices, we are not following the typical trend relative to the rest of the country," Fairclough added.
Gasoline prices are down nationally because crude-oil prices have dropped amid increased production internationally. That created an abundant oil supply while demand has been down.
While that can be good news for U.S. consumers, it could be bad news for oil-producing areas such as Utah's Uinta Basin. Layoffs could result from long-term falling prices and demand.
Meanwhile for holiday travel, UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo said only two road projects still have some work that could cause slowdowns. One is a project to add express lanes to Interstate 15 in southern Davis County. The other is conversion of the intersection of Bangerter Highway and Redwood Road in Riverton into a freeway-style interchange.
While little work will be going on there during the holiday week, construction has narrowed lanes and shifted traffic patterns, Carrillo said.
UDOT expects heavy traffic on highways this week mostly because of last-minute shopping. "One thing we recommend is that people pack some extra patience. There's a lot of extra vehicles on the road. And with last-minute shopping, people are rushing."
Carillo suggests leaving for trips early and allowing a little extra time.
For longer trips, he urges people to get plenty of sleep beforehand and taking plenty of breaks to help stay alert. He also encourages keeping some water, food and blankets in cars, in case drivers have accidents or get stuck.
For mass-transit users, the Utah Transit Authority offers only ski-bus service on Christmas Day sand New Year's Day, with all other service canceled.
However, UTA is offering extra late TRAX and FrontRunner trains on New Year's Eve to help people get home after late Eve festivities in downtown Salt Lake City. The last TRAX trains leave downtown Salt Lake City around 1 a.m. on New Year's morning, and the last FrontRunner leaves at 1:30 a.m.
Schedules are available at rideuta.com.