Nearly 2.2 million New Englanders will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, up 2.4 percent over last year and the largest number of travelers since 2005, according to AAA.
“As usual, there are a combination of factors contributing to the increase in travel, including improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, rising wages and overall strength in consumer confidence” says AAA spokesperson Amy Parmenter. “And, of course, gasoline that is relatively inexpensive fuels holiday travel as well.”
Across the country, AAA estimates U.S. drivers have saved more than $28 billion so far at the pumps this year compared to the same period last year. Driving remains most popular mode of travel for Thanksgiving.
Almost 1.9 million New Englanders will be hitting the road – an increase of 2.5 percent over last year and the most since 2005, Parmenter said.
In Connecticut, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded today is $2.30, up about 3 or 4 cents over last year at this time but it’s been falling for about two weeks, AAA says, so it may even drop a bit further before holiday travelers hit the road.
Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.14, about a dime more than the average price on Thanksgiving last year ($2.05). Still, most U.S. drivers will pay the second-cheapest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2008, when the national average was $1.85.
