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Busiest Labor Day Travel Weekend In Memory Expected

With the extended Labor Day weekend falling a week later than typical this year, area residents can expect one of the busiest travel weekends of the year as locals take to the rails, roads and skies to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.

With gas prices down, travelers are expected to take to local roads to celebrate Labor Day weekend outside of Westchester County.

With gas prices down, travelers are expected to take to local roads to celebrate Labor Day weekend outside of Westchester County.

Photo Credit: Brian Donnelly
AAA New York expects that Westchester County may see a busy travel weekend over Labor Day.

AAA New York expects that Westchester County may see a busy travel weekend over Labor Day.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Flickr user Sara Jay

According to AAA officials, this Labor Day weekend may be the most travelled in nearly a decade, with millions getting ready to send the summer off in style. Using economic forecasting and research from Colorado-based HIS Global Insight; it is expected to be the busiest since 2008.

It is estimated that more than 35 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles between Thursday, Sept. 3 and Monday, Sept. 7 as they enjoy Labor Day weekend. In New York, airports are expected to see nearly 1.5 million travelers, with more than two million commuters driving to their destination.

Less expensive gas prices have had a major impact during recent holiday seasons, which have been busier than they have in the past decade. As of Monday, Aug. 31, the national average of a gallon of regular gas was $2.48, down from $3.43 a year ago.

While gas prices in the area remain among the highest in the nation, they are still down to an average of $2.64, more than a dollar less than last year’s $3.70 average. The lowest prices in the country can be found in South Carolina, with an average price of $2.01 per gallon, with the most expensive in California, which has a per gallon average of $3.35, according to AAA.

“Cheap gas, strong new vehicle sales and an improved household economy continue to motivate travelers to take a trip,” AAA New York spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. stated.

The sharp downtick in prices at the pump can partially be attributed to gas stations preparing to switch to a switcher blend of gasoline. Each year, following the busy summer driving season, refineries begin to process a winter blend of gasoline, as opposed to the more expensive, more eco-friendly summer blend.

Prices should continue to drop until they bottom out in December or January. Prices typically rise in March when the transition toward the summer blend begins.

“(The lower prices) are a trend, we’ve switched blends and overseas, the news isn’t as dire as it has been,” Sinclair said. “There’s many different reasons for the shift, some are cyclical, some are typical and others are based on the markets.”

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