MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — If your Memorial Day weekend plans include a trip in the car, you’re certainly not alone.
According to AAA, the travel volume this weekend is expected to be the highest it’s been in a decade.
“A lot of people are looking at Memorial Day as the kickoff to summer. They’re driving to their destination and flying to spend time with family and friends. The weather forecasts in the area are supposed to be nice as well. People are taking advantage everything that has to offer,” according to Chelsea Pompeani, Public Affairs Director AAA East Central.
An estimated 37 million people will be traveling by airplane, car or bus.
Travelers will journey at least 50 miles from home.
Gas prices typically start going up this time of year. And, that’s true since January 2015.
“Going into the spring and summer time, the blends are more expensive for those months too. So, this is kind of typical,” Pompeani explained.
More than 88 percent of travelers, or 33 million, will travel by automobile, an increase of 5.3 percent over last Memorial Day.
“I think we were at $3.67 Memorial Day last year. Still we had a few million people driving as well. Now that the gas prices are lower, we see an increased population of people on the road,” she said.
Air travel prices are a bit down. Lodging and other prices may be on the rise.
“When people aren’t spending as much money on filling up their tanks, they’re using that extra cash to go and spend money on tourist destination or entertainment,” Pompeani predicted.
The 4.7 percent increase over Memorial Day 2014 is the highest forecast growth rate for any of the holidays tracked by AAA since Independence Day 2012.