![[e-mail]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/presentation/v2/images/header/email-15x10.gif){kind=small}
Subscribe
![[e-mail]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/presentation/v1/images/icon_email-story.gif){kind=icon}
Get News Alerts to your Email & Cell Phone
![[search]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/presentation/v1/images/icons/16x12/search-form-icon.gif){kind=icon}
Site SearchRaleigh, N.C. — Gasoline prices are likely to continue to climb but won't reach anywhere near the record prices of last year's summer travel season, according to AAA Carolinas.
After dropping earlier this year, gasoline prices are on a steady rise. The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded in the Triangle on Friday was $2.51, up 11 cents from last week and 48 cents from a month ago.
Jodi Woolard, a branch manager with AAA Vacations, said Friday that motorists could see gasoline prices reach around $2.75 a gallon this summer but that prices shouldn't come anywhere close to the nearly $4 mark last summer.
"Crude supplies are a lot larger than they were this time last year, and the demand is not as great," she said.
Woolard said people are driving less and staying closer to home because of the down economy. Woolard said AAA Vacations saw a 33 percent decrease in travel in its first quarter.
"People are not employed, so they're not spending the money to travel," she said.
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/share/2012/02/07/10698470/4f318233c3f45-100x43.jpg){kind=small}
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2012/02/08/10701229/thumbnail-100x75.jpg)
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/entertainment/out_and_about/2012/02/02/10702427/pics_britt53446-100x75.jpg)
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/basketball/2012/02/09/10705803/10705803-1328766083-100x75.jpg)
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/lifestyles/travel/2012/02/08/10704761/10704761-1328743348-100x75.jpg)
![[SLIDESHOW]](http://wwwcache.wralsportsfan.com/asset/colleges/2012/02/08/10705323/austin-100x75.jpg)
WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.
This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Once we stopped attempting to fix the problem, the oil/gas companies are again manipulating the supply to drive up prices. People, the situation has not changed. The oil/gas companies still have us in the choke hold, they just loosened the grip so we would stop fighting.
The long term answer to this problem is alternative energy sources. In the mean time, our cars, trucks, trains, ships, boats, and motorcyles still run on fossil fuels. We must go back to the only weapon that allowed us to fend of the high prices. We must go back to seeking our own oil supplies. No more 'stocks are dwindling' excuses.
June 5, 2009 7:16 p.m.
June 5, 2009 6:46 p.m.
June 5, 2009 6:10 p.m.
You know what I think -- gas prices go up and down at the drop of a hat, based on nothing other than greed.
If our country had gotten SERIOUS about alternative fuel in the 70's, then we would not be so dependant on oil production anywhere. Too many politicians have become millionaires over the years at the behest of gas PAC's while the poor dumb taxpayer (who voted these fools into office) keeps paying more and more and more. It's never enough.
June 5, 2009 6:06 p.m.
June 5, 2009 5:56 p.m.