Gas Prices Up in Gilroy, Bay Area

Gas prices have been dropping in many parts of California the past few days, but Tuesday's AAA gas price report shows many Bay Area cities are seeing slightly higher prices at the pump since last month.

The average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in California is $3.78, the same price from a July 2011 report. Compared with reports from this time last year, this is a 61-cent increase, according to AAA officials, who monitor the rates.

Gas prices in Gilroy average $3.73, two cents higher than last month, according to Gasbuddy.com. It’s also about 60 cents higher than the same time last year.

In Northern California, gas prices are averaging $3.79 per gallon this month, up two cents from last month. In the Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $3.88 per gallon, also a two-cent increase from July.

San Francisco continues to have the highest gas prices in the Bay Area with the average gallon at $3.94. The cheapest gas in the Bay Area is in Santa Cruz, averaging $3.72 per gallon, according to the AAA report.

--Bay City News and Rachel Stern