Holiday travelers should expect busy roadways
After several weeks of declining costs, gas prices locally and statewide are facing upward pressure as Memorial Day weekend approaches.
No surprise, really, considering AAA is forecasting nationwide travel to hit its highest level in more than a decade for the unofficial start of summer.
Nearly 35 million Americans, with close to 2 million of those being Floridians, are expected to hit the road and travel 50 or more miles for the holiday weekend, according to AAA’s forecast.
That would be the most since 2005 both within Florida and across the country. The Tampa Bay and Orlando areas are two of the top destinations based on AAA travel bookings.
If (gas) prices do surge, it is unlikely they would exceed (a 10-cent jump) by the holiday.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins
“The expected spike mirrors the positive growth seen throughout the travel industry this year,” Bill Sutherland, a senior vice president for travel and publishing at AAA, said in a news release. “Higher confidence has led to more consumer spending, and many Americans are choosing to allocate their extra money on travel this Memorial Day.”
Gas prices fell Monday in the Bradenton-Sarasota area for the 31st consecutive day, but analysts predict that streak likely will end as demand increases with the holiday weekend approaching.
“If prices do surge, it is unlikely they would exceed (a 10-cent jump) by the holiday,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded Monday in the Bradenton-Sarasota area was $2.28, down 2 cents from a week earlier and 17 cents from a month ago, but 14 cents more than this time last year.
Prices won’t plummet to the $2 mark by the holiday weekend, as some analysts recently had predicted, but they’re well below the $2.44 average reached in late April, a 20-month high for the two-county region.
“After declining for a full month, the pump price plunge seems to be fizzling out, primarily due to rising demand and another week of declining crude inventories,” Jenkins said.
According to Gasbuddy.com’s daily survey of more than 300 area outlets, Manatee County stations were averaging $2.25 per gallon on Monday, while Sarasota County was at $2.28. Nearby, Pinellas County outlets were averaging $2.21, with Hillsborough County at $2.23.
“Due to a $3 per barrel surge in crude oil prices in the last week, gasoline prices have been moving higher across a good portion of the U.S.,” said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com.
The Orlando ($2.24), Tampa Bay ($2.24) and Jacksonville ($2.26) areas had the state’s least-expensive averages on Monday; West Palm Beach/Boca Raton ($2.42), Miami ($2.37) and Fort Lauderdale ($2.36) were the highest.
The Florida average on Monday was $2.30, well below the national average of $2.36.
Mike Garbett: 941-745-7011; @MGarbett52
Busy travel weekend
- This will mark the third consecutive year of growth in Memorial Day travel, with 2.7 percent more travelers than last year. A projected 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the holiday weekend.
- Travel volumes for all modes of transportation are forecast to be the highest since 2005.
- Approximately 34.6 million Americans (88.1 percent of travelers) will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.5 percent over last year.
- Approximately 2.9 million Americans will fly, increasing air travel by 5.5 percent over last year.
- Approximately 1.75 million travelers – an increase 3.2 percent from 2016 – will take other modes of transportation, including cruises, trains and buses.
Source: AAA
This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Holiday travelers should expect busy roadways."