High gas prices take a toll on Valley residents

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More and more stations are selling fuel for well above the $4 mark. The national average price for gas has gone up for 26 straight days and is now $3.82 a gallon.

Prices in the Valley are even higher. Fresno's average is now $4.17 a gallon. Merced and Visalia are coming in slightly higher at $4.18.

To put it in perspective, at this time in 2008, when gas prices were skyrocketing the Valley was paying around $3.75 a gallon.

A week ago, it wasn't as difficult to find gas for under $4 a gallon. But today, those places are few and far between.

Gas prices have hit the ground running and drivers are doing everything they can to catch up.

"Well, I gotta work. My habits are less. My recreational time is severely cut, " Mike Sweeney said.

Right now, the average price for gas in Fresno is $4.17 a gallon.

Last week, it was $4.11. A year ago, it was $3.14!

"I just think it's ridiculous, I can't believe gas is 4.03 a gallon," Bobby Thomas said.

Sunday, unleaded gas at a station on Belmont and Maple in central Fresno was selling for $3.99 a gallon.

It was the lowest price we found all day.

Experts say the rapid increase at the pump mirrors a rise in oil, which has risen 48 percent since Labor Day.

"We're seeing gas prices go up by a penny a day for the last week or so and all stars seem to be a line right now to make prices continue to go up," Robert Sinclair with AAA said.

And those higher prices have Valley residents, like Briana Zurita of Fresno changing her Spring Break plans.

Instead of driving somewhere far this weekend, she and her family decided to stay closer to home.

"Take them to the park, take them to outings like this. Movies," Zurita said.

Richard Garcia of Fresno has found another alternative by riding a motorcycle instead of taking his truck to work.

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