About 33 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during this Labor Day holiday weekend, a 2.9 percent increase over last year, the AAA predicts.
The Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as extending from Thursday, Aug. 30, to Monday, Sept. 3.
Travel in New England is expected to increase by 3 percent during that period, compared to Labor Day of 2011. Of that figure, New England auto travel is expected to increase 3.2 percent, while air travel in the region will be up 3.7 percent. Approximately 11.3 percent of the New England population is expected to travel this Labor Day weekend, exceeding the national projection of 10.5 percent, the auto club reports.
All that travel will be happening at a time when gas prices are on the rise again.
In Connecticut, the average price for a gallon of regular gas has hit the $4 mark after hovering just below that price over the last week, according to the website Connecticutgasprices.com.
To get gas prices in your area, go to Mansfield-Storrs Patch’s Commute section.
Average gas prices in the state are about 9 cents higher than a year ago at this time, AAA reports. Today’s national average price for a gallon of gas is $3.80, which is 17 cents higher than last year.
Despite that increase, this year’s total number of Labor Day travelers is expected to reach a new post-recession high. It’s also the third increase in holiday travel this year, according to AAA. The national auto club projected increases of 1.2 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively, for Memorial Day and July Fourth this year.
The auto club attributes the holiday increases this year to an uptick in consumer confidence.
Of the 33 million travelers across the country this holiday weekend the AAA predicts that:
- About 85 percent will travel by car, a 3.1 percent increase over last year
- 8 percent will fly, a 3.7 percent increase over 2011
- The remaining 7 percent are expected to use other modes of transportation, including cruise ship, rail and bus, a nominal 0.2 percent decrease over last year.
