Holiday travel gets boost from low gas prices
Lower gas prices are expected to boost year-end holiday travel locally and nationally, according to AAA projections released Thursday.
The auto club forecasts that nearly 300,000 Delawareans will travel more than 50 miles during the year-end holiday season, up 4.5 percent from a year ago. Nationally, AAA projects more than 98 million Americans will hit the roads or skies – the highest since AAA began keeping records in 2001.
The previous record was set last year.
The average price of gas in Delaware on Wednesday was $2.63 a gallon – the lowest in five years. That price is down more than $1 from this year's high of $3.68 on April 28, according to AAA figures.
"One of the big things that we continue to see through the fall is really the surprising drop in gas prices, which is putting more money in people's pocket, making them feel better about economic conditions," Jim Lardear of AAA Mid-Atlantic said.
"Plus, how the holidays fall this year, we get an 'extra' day, so it's a longer period, and that gives people more opportunity to travel."
The projections cover the 13-day holiday period from Tuesday through Jan. 4, which is the Sunday after New Year's.
One in four Delawareans are expected to travel by car, so expect some extra traffic en route to grandmother's house as early as Saturday.
Ongoing lane closures on most state roads will be suspended at midnight Wednesday and will resume at midnight Dec. 27, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation. Extra personnel will be manning the toll plazas on I-95 and Del. 1.
Holiday transit
Buses and trains will operate on altered schedules:
Dec. 24: DART First State fixed-route and paratransit buses will operate regular service. SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line also will operate, except for Train No. 9251, normally departing Suburban Station at 5:09 p.m. won't run. SEPTA has added Train No. 9201 departing Suburban Station at 12:16 p.m. to an express service to Newark.
Dec. 25: No DART bus service. SEPTA trains will operate on a modified Christmas schedule (see www.septa.org for times).
Dec. 31: DART buses and SEPTA trains will operate on regular schedules, and additional trains might leave Philadelphia's Center City after New Year's Eve celebrations.
Jan. 1: No DART bus service. SEPTA trains will operate on a weekend schedule.
Contact Melissa Nann Burke at (302) 324-2329, mburke@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @nannburke.