TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Motorists are seeing sharply higher prices at the pumps in New Jersey.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the state on Friday was $2.36. That's up 7 cents from last week.

Motorists were paying $1.87 for gas last year. A 23-cents-per-gallon gas tax increase went into effect Nov. 1.

The national average gas price on Friday was $2.38, also up 7 cents from last week. That's also much higher than the national average from a year ago, when motorists were paying $2.04.

AAA says the higher prices at the pump are mainly due to rising oil prices and the switchover to summer-blend gasoline.