Ohio roads are expected to be congested with nearly 1.7 million Ohioans planning to travel more than 50 miles from home, according to AAA.
Carla Hitchens, a spokeswoman for the AAA Club Alliance, said it's safe to say things are returning to normal as travel numbers for the holiday weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer, have increased year over year. Ta.
“It's going to be crowded,” Hitchens said. “We think this is a good indicator of what the summer is going to be like. It's going to be pretty busy, pretty crowded.”
According to AAA, the Memorial Day holiday travel period is set to begin Thursday and end Monday, May 27, but the busiest day and time is Thursday as afternoon commuters mix with vacation travelers. It will be Friday.
Nationwide, approximately 38.4 million people, an increase of approximately 1.5 million people, will head to their destinations by car. Ohio has the second-highest number of people traveling by car this year, with 1.5 million people traveling by car, an increase of 3.4% compared to 2023.
Hitchens said weekend getaways would be wise to do so “early in the morning before commuter traffic hits and late at night after commuters get home from work.”
“Obviously there are quite a few people who are still traveling, so we're going to be competing with them in terms of road travel,” she said.
Replenish your energy for the weekend
AAA says drivers can expect gas prices this Memorial Day weekend to be similar to last year, when the national average was about $3.57. Pump prices rose this spring but have remained somewhat stable.
Average gas prices on Friday were $3.60 per gallon nationally, $3.51 in Ohio, $3.43 in Dayton, $3.47 in Springfield and $3.51 in Cincinnati, according to AAA data.
Recent price increases due to the Ohio price cycle likely mean prices could fall through Memorial Day or even Memorial Day, said GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis. Patrick de Haan says: Search for real-time fuel prices at gas stations.
De Haan said the pattern of price fluctuations is such that each broadcaster ignores small daily fluctuations in the market, with most broadcasters undercutting each other by a penny or two each day until the margin runs out. . But if the retailer can't make a profit, he said, it will increase the price difference by 25 to 40 cents a gallon, bringing margins back to around 15 to 20 cents a gallon.
“This (price) cycle happens every one to two weeks, so this is just timing and has nothing to do with holidays. This simply has everything to do with the fact that it's a movement that we see week in and week out. ” he said. He said. “I don't think the cycle will be over by Memorial Day unless something nefarious happens.”
De Haan said drivers looking to refuel before a weekend road trip will be well served by waiting until later in the week.
“I think we'll potentially see another (price) cycle… on the 28th (of May), right around the time people go back to the office, but there's still a chance it could go up on the 24th. Over the weekend “If you're going out, it's a good idea to fill up on Wednesday or Thursday,” he said.
Air travel is soaring
Airports are preparing for a surge in travelers this weekend.
Nationwide, 3.5 million people are expected to take to the skies this weekend, a 4.8% increase compared to 2023 and a 9% increase compared to 2019. This will make it the airport's busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2005, when 3.64 million people traveled by air. With the travel industry finally recovering after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people can now fly on vacation.
This growth trend is also expected in Ohio, where 88,000 people will travel by air, an 11% increase in one year, according to AAA. This is a 3.3% increase from 2023, but is still far from the 2005 record of 123,000.
According to AAA, about 7,600 people in the Dayton area will be traveling by air, an increase of 3.7%.
“As the travel industry finally recovers after 9/11, this will be the busiest Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005, when 3.64 million people took flight on the holiday,” AAA said.
Dayton International Airport ensures its facility and its roads, runways and taxiways are “safe and ready” for passengers, visitors, airlines and tenants, spokeswoman Linda Hughes told news outlets. Told.
“Airlines operating from Dayton Airport and TSA, as well as our interests, will have sufficient staffing to handle the high volume of passengers, as they would during other major holiday travel periods,” Hughes said. said.
She said the airport is “easy to get to and pass through” and is very easy to navigate, “but be sure to allow plenty of time.”
“We recommend that passengers arrive at the airport terminal at least 90 minutes before their scheduled departure time,” Hughes said.
Alternative transportation travel returns
Approximately 1.9 million people nationwide are expected to travel using alternative modes of transport such as buses, cruises and trains, an increase of 4.1% compared to last year. In Ohio, AAA expects about 63,000 people to travel by other means of transportation, which is a 5% increase compared to 2023. Approximately 5,700 people are expected to travel by alternative transportation in the Dayton area, an increase of 5.2% from last year.
Travel by cruise ships, buses and trains has been hit “very hard” during the pandemic, adding: “What we're seeing there…is whether people really feel safe or if they're not on a cruise or on a train.” , I feel like I can travel again and get back on the bus and enjoy my vacation safely,'' Hitchens said.
