Paying more at the pump? Motorists filling up in Chautauqua County are, according to a report issued this past week by AAA East Central. The average price per gallon for regular, self-serve gasoline this past week was $2.915 at both north and sounds ends of Chautauqua County. That’s close to 15 cents more than the national average and more than 3 cents above what county motorists were paying locally the week before. The average price of gas per gallon locally during the week of March 2 was $2.879. Both local average prices are up from a year ago at this time, when the price per gallon during the week of March 10, 2009 was $2.089. “We continue to monitor gas prices in Western New York as compared to the upstate regions and post the averages on our website,” said U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, who in 2009 pushed for an investigation into gas prices. According to AAA East Central, the current increase in prices is based largely on renewed optimism on the short term health of the U.S.