Gas prices continue to dip around the area as they get closer -- or even dip below -- the magical $3 mark.
At one area intersection the difference in prices caused traffic to backup Friday morning as two stations with the same name posted differing prices.
The Sunoco Station at City Avenue and Conshohocken State Road in Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County was packed Friday morning as cars lined up to get regular gasoline for $3.17 a gallon. But the line at the Sunoco station diagonally across the intersection stretched down the Philly side of City Avenue as cars lined up for $3.05 gas.
Some drivers could even be seen leaving the Montco station and heading across City Avenue to fill up on the cheaper petrol in Philly despite longer lines. The traffic caused by motorists looking to fuel up caused traffic to slow along the busy stretch of City Avenue even more so than it normally does during the day.
(You also might notice in the photo the effect Philly's new $2-a-pack cigarette tax has had on prices on each side of the street.)
AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Jana Tidwell said that it's no surprise that motorists took advantage of the cheap gas price since even at $3.17 it was low for Pennsylvania. The $3.05 price even sets up on par with South Jersey where low gas taxes lead to the lowest prices in the area.
It wasn’t clear what caused the 12-cent difference in the cost of gas but often factors like delivery costs, taxes and separate cash prices can lead to price fluctuations. Timing could also play a role even though both stations are Sunocos.
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"They can be owned by different people who are buying gas at different times," said Tidwell.
The fact that a tanker was delivering gas to the Philly station Friday morning could be a sign that the station recently purchased fuel.
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