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Gas Prices Continue Steady Decline

By Jim Melwert

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A bit of good news at the pump, as gas prices have been falling.

But how far will they go?

The average, nationwide, is down six-cents from last week, and 36-cents from this time last year, to $3.46 a gallon. That average gallon is a penny higher in the Philadelphia area, but in New Jersey, it's 16-cents cheaper.

Despite the lowest prices since January, it's still over 1,000 days since the average gallon of gas cost less than $3.00, so even with the dip, drivers like Joella from Cherry Hill say $3-plus gas seems to be the new normal:

"I don't want it to be, I mean a year or two ago, I'd say if we got to $3, I'd be mad, but now I do it without thinking."

Analysts cite several reasons for the dip in price, including the end of the summer driving season, and a dip in crude prices, but also some other factors, like an aging population that is driving less, and the rise of more fuel-efficient cars.

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