Area holiday traffic likely to exceed 2008 level

Lower gas prices and a resilient local economy will fuel a busier Memorial Day travel rush this year after a slump in 2008, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

About 730,000 Washington-area residents are expected to flee the area over the holiday weekend, and more than 80 percent of them will drive, the auto club and travel agency said Wednesday. That means some 33,000 more travelers will take to the region’s roads, a 5 percent increase from last summer, when a spike in gasoline prices caused many people to stay home.