August 25,2014
Southern Californians will travel over this holiday weekend in bigger numbers than during any other Labor Day holiday since 2008, according to projections from the Automobile Club of Southern California. More than 2.48 million Southland residents are expected to take trips – a 1.6 percent increase over last year’s holiday.
With a boost fro abundant oil and gasoline supply and lower prices for both, travelers will enjoy pump prices at the lowest levels since February according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $3.877 a gallon for regular lasr Thursday, 2.3 cents less than last week.
In the S2S reading area the Visalia Costco is down to $3.53 as are multiple Fresno stations. Some Bakersfield stations are posting around $3.45. On the Coast the SLO Costco is selling gas for $3.84 and the Nipomo Vons is $3.63.
World oil prices have been falling including WTI down to $93 a a barrel on the futures market today,more than $10 lower than a month ago. US supply continues to grow from states like North Dakota and Texas even as average consumption in the US falls.
More Travelers
AAA says nearly 80 percent of local travelers, or 1.98 million, are expected to drive to their destinations. That’s a 1.9 percent increase from last year. Air travelers are expected to increase by less than 1 percent, to 314,000 locally. And those going by bus, train, cruise ship or other means are projected to hold steady at 189,000.
Statewide, 3.99 million travelers are expected to get away this holiday weekend, compared to 3.93 million last year – also a 1.6 percent increase. Of those, 3.19 million will drive, which is a 1.9 percent increase from last year’s 3.13 million, and 508,000 will fly, which is a 0.5 percent increase from last year’s 505,000 air travelers statewide. About 290,000 are expected to go by other modes of travel, almost the same number as last year.
“As the summer ends, we are entering the ‘shoulder’ travel season and even though Labor Day is a three-day weekend, it can often be a more affordable travel holiday than other peak times such as Christmas and July Fourth,” said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services.
The all-time record for Southern California Labor Day holiday travel was set in 2008, when 3.2 million Southern Californians and 5.2 million statewide took holiday trips.
Nationally, more than 34.7 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles away from home during the holiday period between Thursday and Monday. That’s a 1.3 percent increase from last year’s 34.2 million travelers.