PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Despite steep gas prices, millions of Americans are planning to hit the road this holiday weekend for one last taste of summer.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, gas prices are the highest on record for the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Spokesperson Jana Tidwell said people don’t want to miss out on the unofficial end of summer, even if that means paying more to fill the tank.
“Motorists have told us repeatedly and historically that gas prices don’t typically impact their decision to travel,” she said. “Labor Day travel expenses are definitely more expensive than last year, but, as always, travel is a personal decision. People will travel if they want to travel, and they will adjust their spending in ways to make that happen if that’s their priority.”
AAA said a gallon of unleaded fuel in the greater Philadelphia region is $1.08 more than it was a year ago, and Pennsylvania is currently about 10 cents higher than the national average.
Tidwell said the best off-peak travel windows for drivers are before noon on Friday, before 10 a.m. on Saturday, and before noon on Monday. The worst times to hit the road are between noon and 8 p.m. on Friday, 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 2 and 5 p.m. on Monday.
Monday is expected to be a busy return day, but Tuesday could become congested as travelers try to extend their trip as long as possible.
“If you’re waiting it out, coming back Tuesday morning, keep that in mind because early Tuesday morning could see some traffic,” said Tidwell.
Airports are preparing for a busy weekend as well. Labor Day is the least busy of the summer holidays, but TSA said it is preparing to screen more than 17 million passengers nationwide through Wednesday.
