Record number expected to travel for July 4 holiday

Gas prices down a bit since last year

PHILADELPHIA » Anyone planning a mid-week getaway and long weekend for the July 4 holiday is going to have lots of company.

AAA is predicting that nationwide, a record 48.9 million Americans plan to escape during the Independence Day holiday period — defined as Wednesday July 3 to Sunday, July 7.

That number is more than 2 million more than last year, and is the highest figure on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.

For the record-high 41.4 million Americans who plan to travel by car this year, INRIX — a global mobility analytics company — predicts drivers could face delays as much as four times a normal commute, with July 3 likely the worst day on the roads.

AAA Mid-Atlantic projects more than 660,000 Philadelphia area residents plan to travel 50 miles or more to mark the holiday weekend — a nearly four percent increase over last year’s forecast.

“The leading cause for the increase in travelers has been the economy,” said Jana Tidwell, spokeswoman for AAA MidAtlantic. “With a strong economy comes an increase in disposable income. People want to use it to travel.” She pointed out that during the recession, travel numbers were down, but in the last four year, “it has been very strong in terms of travel volume for major holidays.”

Tidwell added that gas prices are also a factor and indicator of whether people will travel.

“This week is a bit of an anomaly, because we are seeing an increase in process — significant in some areas — related to the fire and closure announcement of Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ South Philadelphia refinery,” she said.

According to AAA statistics, gas prices in Pennsylvania are up 9 cents since June 21, the day the fire started. In the Philadelphia 5-county region, prices are up 4 cents since June 21. In both New Jersey and Delaware, gas prices are up 12 cents since June 21.

Despite that, Tidwell said motorists will still see gas prices lower than they were over the Memorial Day Holiday, and lower than the 2018 Independence Day holiday.

On Monday, July 1, gas prices were averaging $2.92 per gallon across the region and $2.91 per gallon in Pennsylvania.

By comparison, gas prices last year averaged $3.03 per gallon