Major Memorial Day traffic expected locally

Watch out, Checkered Flag fans.  The roads are about to get crazy.  Memorial Day travel madness is on the way.

After a Harsh Winter More Americans to Start Summer Travel Season with a Memorial Day Getaway
AAA projects more than 36 million Americans to travel for the holiday

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., (May 16, 2014) ? AAA Travel projects 36.1 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 1.5 percent increase from the 35.5 million people who traveled last year. Kicking off the summer driving season, more than eight in ten travelers will be driving to their destinations. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26.

?As we enter into the summer travel season with warmer temperatures and tulips in bloom, thoughts of historic cold are still fresh in the minds of Americans in many parts of the country,? said Georjeane Blumling, Vice President of Public Affairs for AAA Tidewater Virginia. ?The winter blues appear to have given Americans the travel bug and a case of cruise cabin fever as travel for the holiday is expected to hit a new post-recession high.? In Virginia, over 1 million persons are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend, equaling a 1.4% increase from 2013 totals and the largest number overall since the 2005  record of just over 1.2 million travelers of this time period.

Highlights from 2014 Memorial Day Travel Forecast include:

• Memorial Day holiday travel volume is expected to reach a new post-recession high with 36.1  million Americans taking a trip.
• The 2014 forecast is 2.6 percent higher than the ten-year historical average and the second highest travel volume since 2000.
• Eighty-eight percent of travelers (31.8 million) to travel by automobile, an increase from 31.4 million last year.
• Holiday air travel expected to increase from 2.4 percent to 2.6 million leisure travelers.
• Travel by other modes of transportation including cruise, trains and buses will see the largest increase, up 6.5 percent (total 1.7 million travelers).
• Travelers will encounter slightly higher prices with airfares six percent higher, mid-range hotels up two percent and car rentals costing one percent more.

In addition to seasonal rising temperatures, improvements in several key economic factors are driving the expectation for more holiday travelers this year. ?As the economy continues to improve at a slow and steady pace consumer spending, disposable income, consumer confidence and the employment outlook are trending up which is welcomed news for the travel industry,? continued Blumling.

The unforgiving winter was a hindrance to economic growth at the beginning of the year but economic factors influenced by weather, such as car and home sales, appear to be resolving themselves now.  Indicative of the unusually harsh winter, AAA experienced an increase of nearly 12 percent in battery related calls this winter.

Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans

AAA expects that most drivers will pay lower gas prices by Memorial Day weekend due to rising supplies. AAA expects holiday gas prices to be relatively similar or even slightly less than last year?s national Memorial Day average of $3.63 per gallon, though unexpected developments such as refinery problems or international events could result in higher costs. With many plans already made and budgets set, it is unlikely that gas prices will have a significant effect on travel plans compared to a year ago. In Virginia, prices have dropped slightly from $3.51 on May 1st to $3.46 today, May 16th. This price is two cents lower than a month ago and 11cents higher than one year ago.

Travel expenses rise modestly

According to AAA?s Leisure Travel Index, hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase just two percent from one year ago with travelers spending an average of $169 per night compared to $166 last year. The average hotel rate for AAA Two Diamond hotels has risen three percent with an average cost of $124 per night.

Weekend daily car rental rates will average $44, only one percent higher than last year. Airfares are experiencing the largest increase. The average round-trip, discounted fares for the top 40 U.S. routes have increased six percent to $227 from $215 last year.

Traveler by car holding steady.

Automobile travel is expected to increase 1.2 percent from 2013 with 31.8 million travelers expected to hit the road. The share of people traveling by car is expected to fall slightly to 88.1 percent. Gas prices are expected to be relatively similar to one year ago for the holiday. In the Commonwealth, 937,138 auto travelers are expected over the holiday weekend. This is a slight increase from 2013 number of auto travelers, but 2014 is still the highest number on record since 2005 when over one million took to the roads during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. (For full article, see source link below.)

For more Hampton Roads traffic news, stay tuned to the home of your Virginia Beach auto service centers, Checkered Flag.com.

Source: [aaa.com]