AAA: Kansas motorists see falling gas prices in advance of holiday travel

Kansas motorists greeted by falling gas prices in advance of holiday travel

Topeka, KS (June 26) – AAA projects 15.3 percent of the population from Kansas and six other West North Central states* will travel at least 50 miles from home for Independence Day, compared to 12.9 percent of the U.S. population. A .9 per cent decline, to 3.19 million travelers in the region, is forecast by AAA. Most, nearly 87 percent, will travel by automobile. The anticipated decline in holiday travel is mainly thanks to a shorter holiday period. With the Fourth of July landing on a Thursday this year, the holiday period has returned to the standard five days, compared to six days in 2012 when the holiday fell on a Wednesday.

Gas prices have fallen precipitously over the past month in Kansas, as gasoline supplies have improved with help from refineries in the Gulf of Mexico and some of the refinery issues in the Midwest have been resolved. The average price of unleaded gasoline in Kansas is $3.48, nine cents lower than a week ago and 38 cents lower than a month ago. Still, the Kansas average today is four cents higher than a year ago at this time.

“Independence Day has historically been the busiest holiday of the summer travel season and we expect that trend to continue this year,” said AAA Kansas spokesman Jim Hanni. “We expect to see the highest traffic volumes on Wednesday as folks get away and next Sunday as they head home.”

Highlights from AAA’s 2013 Independence Day Travel Forecast:

Freedom of the Open Road. Nearly 2.8 million, or 13.2 percent of the region’s population, plan to drive to their destination—a 0.7 percent decline from last year.
Average Travel Distance. The average roundtrip distance for travelers from the region is expected to be 748 miles, compared to the national average of 613 miles. Farther distances to drive and air travel distances account for the difference.
Travel Spending. Median trip spending among those traveling from West North Central states is projected to be $622, with a third of the budget (33 percent) going toward fuel and other transportation costs.
Air Travel Flat. Some 130,000 West North Central travelers are expected to fly for the Fourth— unchanged from last year, and only .6 percent of the population, compared to the national average of 1 percent of travelers flying.