From today through Jan. 4, 4.2 million New England residents will travel at least 50 miles, AAA said.
That’s an increase of 3.9 percent from last year, and represents the highest travel volume for the region since 2004, according to AAA, which based its projections on forecasting and research by HIS Global Insight.
It’s also more than twice the number of New Englanders that traveled for Thanksgiving last month.
The higher volume is driven by growing consumer confidence and lower gas prices, the automobile club said. The average price of regular gasoline in the Hartford metro area on Tuesday was $2.74, down 25 percent from $3.66 a year ago.
The price drop isn’t lost on travelers. Of those planning to travel, 3.7 million will do so by road, up 4.2 percent from last year.
Because of where Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on the calendar this year, the holiday-travel period is 13 days long for the first time since 2008. That “calendar effect” is also driving higher travel volume, AAA said.
