EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Buses have been joining commuters on the roads across Southern New England but AAA Northeast predicts traffic will slim back down over the upcoming holiday weekend.
The unofficial end to summer is quickly approaching with Labor Day weekend a few days away and with the average cost of gas dropping below $4 per gallon, travel isn’t going to uptick as we may think.
According to a recent AAA survey, many have decided to hold back on one last summer getaway.
“31% of our respondents said ‘yes, we’re getting away’ about 49% said ‘no sticking home for the long weekend’ but it was interesting because 70% of our respondents said that inflation is really the reason that is affecting their travel plans,” AAA Spokesperson Diana Gugliotta said.
While inflation does include gas prices, Gugliotta says the cost of airfare, hotels and car rentals have all increased 20-40%. The cost of food has also gone up both at the supermarket and at restaurants.
Gugliotta also noted that the end of summer is typically less traveled than the holidays that kick off the season — Memorial Day and the 4th of July — because many kids are already back to school.
Despite travel predictions being low, officials still say to still check real-time traffic conditions and fill the tank before you head out.
