ATLANTA — Ron Shirley gets around Atlanta any way he can. Sometimes he walks, and other times, he'll take MARTA. Shirley is studying entertainment business, and his road to success goes with the flow of traffic and and prices at the gas pump.
"I try to take advantage of the train so that way I don't have to worry about these gas prices so often," Shirley said. "Granted, the traffic here is crazy.”
Lately, Shirley has worried less. The sticker shock he's used to seeing at the pump is less shocking, he said. Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, monitors gas prices nationwide. He said Georgia is one of 18 states where regular-grade gas prices are below $3 a gallon on average.
"Gas prices have been falling now for seven straight weeks across the country," De Haan said. "That's a trend that could continue. Americans start to stay inside more and more, and that helps put downward pressure on prices. We've also switched back over to the cheaper winter blend of gasoline. Both of those should keep gas prices falling for the next couple of weeks."
De Haan said gas prices typically match the season: gas prices fall heading into the fall. In Georgia, gas prices currently sit around $2.95 per gallon, according to AAA and GasBuddy. That price is more than 40 cents cheaper than a year ago and more than $1.50 cheaper than two years ago.
De Haan noted that other states saw significant decreases in prices compared to a year ago. However, Georgia had a gas tax suspension in place, making the Peach State's gap in prices smaller than other states.
De Haan said despite promises from presidential hopefuls, there's very little influence that comes from the Oval Office on gas prices.
"Politicians like to think they're the center of the universe, that they can drive magical powers," De Haan said. "But gas prices is one of those things that a president only has a tiny, miniscule impact over. A lot of Americans overestimate that impact. Just like you're going to fall back, your clock is going to change to standard time. Prices are going to spring back up next spring regardless of who's president."
Barring severe weather, an intense rise in international conflict or another emergency, De Haan said gas prices should keep falling and stabilize sometime in October or November. He said the Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates this week could also impact oil prices, which could ultimately affect how much drivers pay at the pump.
While Ron Shirley is busy moving around Atlanta, he said he's glad cheaper gas will give him more of a reason to get out, drive and spend those savings elsewhere.
"More money in my pocket is always a good thing," Shirley said. "I may need a vacation."