GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – If you hit the roads this holiday weekend, expect plenty of company.
AAA projects 766,000 Wisconsinites will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day.
That would mark a 2.5% increase from the same weekend last year.
The auto club’s Public Affairs Director Nick Jarmusz has some advice for those concerned about the orange barrels that will be on some roads.
“Check ahead. The D.O.T. has a really great map on their 5-1-1 app or their website to see where those road construction projects are taking place.”
Nationally, more than 39,300,000 people are expected to travel at least 50 miles.
“Triple-A is projecting that we are going to see the highest traveler volume since 2005. We’re up about 2.5% over our travel volumes in 2016.”
Jarmusz notes 2017 would mark the third consecutive year of growth in Memorial Day travel.
More than 88%, 34,600,000, of Americans are expected to drive to their destination while 2,900,000 are projected to fly and 1,750,000 will take other modes of transportation, such as trains and buses.
In Wisconsin, nearly 694,000 people are expected to hit the roads.
Jarmusz discusses the reason for the projected increases:
“Folks having an increased consumer confidence. They feel that they have the money in their budget to take a trip this weekend.”
That confidence boost comes at a time where other factors are working against travelers.
“Gas prices that are higher than they were at this time last year. In fact, we’re seeing some higher prices on other travel-related expenses as well, the average hotel night rate, the average airfare, the average rental car rate.”
AAA says Memorial Day gas prices are their highest since 2015, average airfare for the top 40 domestic flight routes are 9% higher than last year’s holiday, the average three-diamond rated hotel is 18% more than last year, and rental car rates are up 7%.
Jarmusz does not expect prices will increase much, if at all, by the Fourth of July.
