Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

Transportation and Mobility

Gas Prices Reach $6 Per Gallon

The Mobil logo and gas prices are displayed at a Mobil gas station. A white man with grey hair is visible attempting to pump gas in his silver, grey SUV.
Southern Californians are experiencing pain at the pump with gas prices rising to around $6 for a gallon, the highest prices have been since last October.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Topline:

Southern Californians are experiencing pain at the pump with gas prices rising to around $6 for a gallon, the highest prices have been since last October.

Reasons for the rise: Doug Shupe, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California said the reason for the rise in gas prices is because of oil supply cuts in Saudi Arabia and Russia as well as the deadly flooding in Libya. The floods that have claimed over 11,000 lives have temporarily disrupted oil exports from the OPEC nation.

“The other main factor that we're seeing on our pump prices is regional refinery issues,” Shupe said. “Whenever our refineries have planned or unplanned maintenance, it reduces our inventory and sends those pump prices skyrocketing.”

Support for LAist comes from

When can we see relief: Shupe expects drivers to see some relief at the end of the month when shipments from overseas are expected on the West Coast. “We'll have even more relief at the end of October, that's when the cheaper winter blend fuel can be sold here in Southern California,” Shupe said.

How to maximize fuel efficiency: “Keep your vehicle well maintained, including properly inflated tires. If you're driving on under inflated tires, you're just wasting money,” Shupe said. “Lighten the load of your vehicle, get rid of any extra heavy, bulky items you don't need for your daily commutes. The heavier the vehicle is, the more you're paying to drive it around.”

He also advised commuters to obey the speed limit.

“The faster the vehicle is moving, the more fuel you're burning,” he said.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist