Fewer Washington-area residents are hitting the roads this year for the Fourth of July, and more people will opt for air travel, according to a study released by AAA Mid-Atlantic.
“People are perceiving gas as being expensive because it has been cheaper over the last several months,” said Lon Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “But [gas is] still almost $1.50 cheaper than last July. It was last July when we hit our record of $4.11 a gallon.”
Michael Williams, a 23-year-old intern living in Northwest Washington, said work commitments and gas prices were keeping him home this holiday.
“I can’t leave D.C.,” he said. “It’s just too expensive.”
Gas prices across the U.S. have been steadily climbing since January until this week, when prices fell by a nickel on average. Meanwhile, airlines trying to boost sales during one of the most well-traveled holidays in the nation are offering record discounts. The average cost for domestic flights this weekend is $169, according to the AAA study.
“There are some huge deals out there for flying, so a lot of people are enticed to fly to take advantage of those deals,” Anderson said.
Jonathan Clark, a college student from St. Louis, typically doesn’t fly anywhere over the Fourth of July holiday, he said. But this year, he landed a cheap flight and decided to visit a friend in D.C., then fly back to St. Louis with her for a wedding over the long weekend.
“Even though there is 2.2 percent decrease in overall travel, 859,000 Washingtonians are still heading out of town,” Anderson said. “That’s a bunch of folks. If you’re leaving town, you’re gonna have a bunch of people traveling with you. It’s gonna be a crowd.”
Ingrid Hodge, of Stafford County, said she was staying home this weekend to avoid the traffic. Gas prices have little to do with her decision, she said. “For us, we’re just tired of all the traffic.”
