Millions Expected To Hit The Road For Labor Day Thanks To Low Gas Prices
RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Drivers can expect some company on the roads for Labor Day weekend.
AAA projects 35.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more, the highest since 2008. Eighty-six percent of travelers are expected to drive, thanks to gas prices that are lower than they've been in 10 years.
"Lower gasoline prices are a strong motivation for people to get out and take a trip," AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.
Gas prices nationwide average $2.53 per gallon, which is nearly a dollar cheaper than last year, AAA said.
The price for a gallon of regular at the Vince Lombardi rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike dropped from $2.34 to $2.27 Friday morning, leaving many drivers smiling.
Here's before & after as gas prices at Vince Lombardi on the NJTpk are falling. About $1 cheaper than '14. @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/tKIRPqfPzG
— Peter Haskell (@peterhaskell880) August 28, 2015
"I think it's pretty good," said Dwayne Joyce, who is traveling to Massachusetts. "Down in Atlanta, Georgia I think it's at $2.50."
"I'm retired so every penny counts," said Dieter Koontz, who is driving to Florida. "You don't want to spend anymore than you have to."
AAA predicts the top travel destinations for New Yorkers will be Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Washington, DC; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.