AAA Projects Memorial Day Travel Will Match 2002 Levels

Gas Prices $1.55 and Rising in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis., May 16 -- Despite continued economic sluggishness and lingering effects of the war in Iraq, Americans are projected to travel this Memorial Day holiday in numbers equal to last year, according to AAA.

AAA estimates that 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, up a slight 0.1 percent from last year.

Approximately 29.4 million travelers (84 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 0.3 percent increase from the 29.3 million who drove a year ago.

Another 3.9 million (11 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel by airplane, down 2.5 percent from last Memorial Day. A projected 1.7 million vacationers (5 percent) will go by train, bus, or other mode of transportation, unchanged from a year ago.

"Given conditions just two months ago with the U.S. at war and dismal consumer confidence, AAA is encouraged to see holiday travel return to 2002 levels," said AAA Wisconsin spokesman Michael Bie.

In the Great Lakes region, which includes Wisconsin, 4.4 million people are projected to travel 50 miles or more away from home by motor vehicle, up 1.6 percent from last year.

AAA Wisconsin projects peak travel times in the state will be noon to 8 p.m. Friday, May 23, and noon to 8 p.m. Memorial Day, Monday, May 26.

"Motorists must be vigilant in wearing safety belts, not drinking and driving, and traveling at speeds appropriate for the conditions," Bie said, "if we hope to see a reduction in Wisconsin's high number of crashes."

The current average price for a gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in Wisconsin is $1.553 and rising, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report. The current average is 9.9 cents higher than a year ago at this time.

"Gas prices are on the rise, particularly in southeast Wisconsin," Bie said. "Inventories of gasoline are low at this time of year due to the annual conversion from winter fuels to summer fuels, and combined with increasing seasonal demand for gasoline, it's a recipe for higher prices."

The average price for self-serve regular unleaded in the Milwaukee- Waukesha market is $1.608 and rising, with some stations selling as high as $1.67.

  The Wisconsin per-gallon price breakdown from AAA's Fuel Gauge survey is:

                 AVERAGE SELF-SERVE
                 Unleaded regular:    $1.553
                 Mid-grade:           $1.576
                 Unleaded premium:    $1.454

Other average prices for regular unleaded gas in the region are: Illinois, $1.543; Iowa, $1.463; Minnesota, $1.517; and Michigan, $1.480.

Of the total Memorial Day travelers, 37 percent expect to stay at a hotel/motel and another 27 percent will stay with friends or relatives. Other overnight plans include: camper/trailer/RV/tent, 12 percent; cabin/condo, 13 percent; other 8 percent; and no overnight stay or didn't know, 3 percent.

Research for Memorial Day travel is based on a national telephone survey of 1,300 adults by the Travel Industry Association of American, which conducts special research for AAA.

AAA Wisconsin, which serves more than 590,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 45 million members in the United States and Canada.