Georgians to hit road despite gas price hike

Despite a 27-cent increase in Georgia gas prices over the past month, three-quarters of a million state residents are expected to hit the road this weekend.

AAA Auto Club South projects 757,000 Georgians will travel by motor vehicle on Memorial Day weekend, with 61,000 flying and 90,000 traveling by other means. The 908,000 total would represent a 3.7 percent increase over last year.

“There’s a pent-up demand to get out and go somehwere,” AAA spokesman Gregg Laskoski said. “A lot of people had postponed some of these vacations and families don’t want to go through that again.”

AAA’s projections are based on research by Boston-based IHS Global Insight.

As of Monday, the average price for regular unleaded is $2.18 in metro Atlanta, compared to $1.91 a month ago. That’s still way below the $3.79 price from a year ago.

Oil prices jumped nearly $8 a barrel since the beginning of May as it appeared the worst of the recession was over.

In addition, gas prices typically rise in the spring as refineries switch to a summer blend with additives. The switchover puts a strain on supply.

The national average for regular stands at $2.31.

Among Georgia metro areas, the lowest average price for regular is $2.13 a gallon in Augusta-Aiken. The highest is $2.21 in Savannah.

Nationwide, 32.4 million people are expected to take some kind of trip over the holiday weekend, most of them on the road. The projected 1.5 percent increase would reverse a year-long trend of declines during major holiday travel periods.

Americans have cut back on Memorial Day travel every year since 2005, when 44 million people traveled at least 50 miles from home.

AAA forecasts 83 percent of travelers this weekend will go in a motor vehicle, compared to 7 percent by plane and 10 percent by train, bus or another mode of transportation.

While Laskoski said a stronger travel weekend bodes well for the summer season, an AP-Gfk Poll released this month projects fewer Americans will be traveling. A third of those surveyed said they’ve already canceled at least one trip this year trying to save money.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.