Drop In Gas Prices Nationwide Coming To End; Md. Still Trending Down
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- All good things must come to an end. Experts say the steady drop in gas prices across the country is one of those things.
But Gigi Barnett explains, Maryland's gas prices are still trending down.
More than 120 straight days at the pump, the numbers kept going down. Drivers rejoiced.
"I'm loving it. I can get my tank filled and it's fabulous," said Becky Reber, driver.
While the national average for a gallon of regular should hit $2.00 this week, prices in some parts of the country made a slight uptick.
Maryland is still going strong on the downward trend.
"We don't expect the statewide average to continue to decline," said Ragina Cooper Averella, AAA Mid Atlantic spokesperson.
But could the state see a return to $3.00 for a gallon of regular? AAA Mid Atlantic says not likely.
"Moving into the rest of 2015, we expect the average will remain below $3.00 a gallon," Averella said.
Economists say the low gas trend puts more cash in drivers' pockets and more time on the road.
"Spend it. You can get a nice bottle of wine now. It's really, really great," said Chris Phillips, driver.
"I usually wait till I have vapors of air [to fill up]," said Reber.
Low prices at the pump are also affecting Maryland's massive transportation budget. The agency that runs the state's buses and rail systems saved at least 10 percent on fuel between July and December last year.
The State Highway Administration says it saved 12 percent on gas in the last six months. The money saved will be funneled back in to its budget.