4th of July Travelers Look to Skies, Not Roads

If you’re driving to your Fourth of July getaway destination, expect fewer people on the road than last year, says AAA Mid Atlantic.

The automobile advocacy group says gas prices nearly a $1 more than a year ago will prompt a 1.8 percent decline in the number of drivers on the road this upcoming three-day holiday weekend.

“While gas prices have eased slightly since their peak in May, the extra 80 cents per gallon drivers face will be enough to keep the number of travelers on the road from topping last year’s numbers, which were the second-highest seen in the past five years,” said Anderson. “Travel during the Independence Day holiday has shown significant variability during the past five years, as the overall economic downturn and recovery have contributed to large swings in holiday travelers.”

Airport travelers at the region’s three major airports, however, are expected to feel the travel pinch when it comes to congestion. A 22 percent increase in air travel is expected over the long holiday weekend.

The average traveler from the Washington area will trek 50 or more miles from their home this weekend, said Anderson.