After prices for regular, unleaded gasoline in Hawaii reached a record high average of $4.61 during the spring, Kalihi resident Linda Wong said it was a pleasant surprise to see prices at the Costco gas station in Iwilei have now dipped below $4.

Thanks to the drop in the price of oil, gas prices are falling.

"It’s nice that the gas stations are passing the savings to the customer," she said. On Thursday, Costco gas prices on Oahu were $3.84 for regular unleaded and $4.04 for premium unleaded.

Fuel prices in Hawaii dropped for the third week in a row, according to AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch released Thursday.

The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday put the statewide average fuel price at $4.35 for regular, compared with $4.54 a month ago and $4.06 a year ago.

The average price in Honolulu dipped to $4.20 a gallon for regular unleaded, 19 cents below a month ago. The average price also dropped to $4.40 a gallon in Hilo from $4.68 in May. Wailuku’s average was $4.79 a gallon Friday, a dime less than last month.

"With the Fourth of July holiday, price drops are going to benefit motorists, benefit families, especially those who will consider taking a vacation, whereas earlier, a few weeks or a few months ago, they wouldn’t have felt that way," said AAA Hawaii spokeswoman Elaine Beno. Visitors also can take advantage of low gas prices for car rentals, she added.

Despite the drop, Kaimuki resident John Fong said gas prices in Hawaii are generally high, reflecting increases across the board: homes, food and utilities. "It’s a reminder of what little control we have," he said.

Hawaii motorists pay the highest average price per gallon in the nation. In April, Hawaii’s average price for regular, unleaded gas reached a record high of $4.61 a gallon.

More residents are turning to public transportation because of the gas prices.

During the weekdays, Liliha resident Michael Tejada catches the bus to downtown Honolulu where he works at an investment firm. He reserves the weekends to drive his 2000 Toyota Corolla, which helps Tejada save at least $250 a month in gas and parking costs.

Regardless of the current price drop, Tejada said he is resigned to paying the cost whether it’s high or low because there’s no way getting around it. "We can’t do anything about it," he said.

Hawaii’s high gas prices are one of the main reasons why Kaimuki resident Lisa Barroga said she stopped driving four years ago.

After she paid off her 2004 Dodge Neon, Barroga, a library assistant at Hawaii Pacific University, said she decided to donate her car to the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization that has a car donation program. After Barroga calculated how much it would cost to regularly fill the tank along with the added costs of insurance and maintenance, she recalled saying, "I’m just going to get rid of it."

When she hears people complain about high gas prices, Barroga said, "I like reminding them that I pay $60 a month for a bus pass."