AAA: Gas prices won’t deter travelers during Labor Day holiday
Gas prices in the Philadelphia area are hovering around $4 a gallon. AAA says hundreds of thousands of residents will hit the road regardless.
Shown is the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Philadelphia skyline as seen from the Cramer Hill Waterfront Park in Camden, N.J., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Despite high gas prices, travel volume in the Philadelphia area is expected to return to near pre-pandemic levels this Labor Day weekend.
AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell said volume should largely be on par with Memorial Day weekend, when more than 465,000 residents traveled. More than 90% of them hit the road for that holiday, even as gas prices crept towards $5 a gallon.
“This is the third and final three-day holiday weekend of summer. People are ready to go. They’ve been ready to travel all summer long. Given our close proximity to the beaches, the shore, the mountains, people will most likely take to the roads for one final summer road trip,” said Tidwell.
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Labor Day weekend is traditionally the least traveled of the three-day holiday weekends in summer, however.
“With families back home from summer vacation, and many colleges and universities already returning for the fall semester, people don’t have as much flexibility for the Labor Day weekend as they do for the other two holiday weekends,” said Tidwell.
Traffic is expected to be at its worst on Friday afternoon, when commuters will be mixing with travelers, particularly those heading to the Jersey Shore. AAA suggests drivers also avoid traveling Monday afternoon, when many will be returning home from the long weekend.
More than 480,000 travelers are expected to come through Philadelphia International Airport over the Labor Day weekend.
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