NEW YORK — An estimated 32.4 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, most of them taking advantage of a plunge in gas prices compared with last year, AAA said today.
The national travel organization estimates show a 1.5-percent increase in travel this weekend. Last year, Memorial Day travel dropped 9.6 percent compared with 2007 as pump prices soared to nearly $4 a gallon.
Today, retail gas prices averaged $2.25 a gallon, about $1.47 a gallon cheaper than a year ago, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service.
AAA said about 83 percent of Memorial Day travelers are expected to hit the highways in a motor vehicle. Another 7 percent will travel by plane. The remaining 10 percent will get around by train, bus or another mode of transportation.
AAA based its estimates on a forecast by Boston-based IHS Global Insight.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
