Getting There: Summer road tripping can lighten your wallet

A new study shows that summer road trips aren’t cheap. Many drivers spend $500 or more for a jaunt out of town.

A 2017 Road Trip Survey showed that 51 percent of drivers think that summer is the best time of year for a road trip. Approximately 1,300 drivers participated in the survey commissioned by GM’s credit card program.

A quarter of road trippers are going to a national park. Forty-seven percent of those taking road trips will use a credit card.

There is a reason SUVs have been so popular, according to the survey. Forty-four percent of respondents said the SUV is the right vehicle for a road trip. Only 3.8 percent prefer a sports car.

As states go, California is the top destination, netting 15 percent of all road trips. Alaska is second at 8 percent, followed by Florida at 7.7 percent.

The study even looked at potty stop and eating habits. Potty stops are the chief instance for pulling off the highway, while chips (30.8 percent) are the road trip snack of choice.

New flight at Spokane airport

Southwest Airlines inaugurated a new seasonal service between Spokane and San Diego on Sunday.

The service is expected to run through August.

Outbound flights leave Spokane at noon and arrive in San Diego at 2:45 p.m.

Inbound flights leave San Diego at 11:25 a.m. and arrive in Spokane at 2:05 p.m.

Nissan Leaf tour to pass through Spokane

An important event for electric vehicle enthusiasts arrives Thursday in Eastern Washington.

A driving team in a Nissan Leaf is leaving Everett on Wednesday and stopping at several charging stations along U.S. Highway 2.

The idea is to promote the first cross-state electric vehicle highway.

The driving team is asking electric vehicle owners to join them at a charging station in Davenport at 12:45 p.m., including a chance to have lunch.

Then, the team will depart for Spokane, arriving at the Montvale Hotel at First Avenue and Monroe Street about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. They are asking electric vehicle owners to join them in downtown Spokane.

The other charging stops are in Coulee City, Waterville, Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Skykomish and Sultan.

Highways and interstates

Across the region, the eastbound Liberty Lake interchange on Interstate 90 is likely to be congested because of repairs to Liberty Lake Road.

The work on I-90 near the Hamilton Street interchange continues to slow eastbound traffic. The eastbound on-ramp for Maple and Walnut streets is closed for work as well.

The Keller Ferry across the Columbia River on state Highway 21 returned to service last week following repairs on the ramp at the north landing.

To the north, a one-lane temporary bridge is serving traffic on Highway 21 pending construction of a new bridge.

Asphalt work is planned on state Highway 26 from Laurel Road to Washtucna; state Highway 28 from Davenport to Lamona; state Highway 31 from Tiger to Metaline Falls; state Highway 174 from Wilbur to the Grant County line; and state Highway 291 from Suncrest to state Highway 231.

U.S. Highway 395 is closed at Matsen Creek in Stevens County until washout damage is repaired.

Handicap curb ramps and new sidewalk ends are being installed on Division and Ruby streets from the Spokane River to Euclid Avenue.

In the city

In the city of Spokane, traffic is restricted along Browne and Division streets downtown for improvements to sidewalks and the main “gateway” to downtown.

A new phase of building a bicycle network in downtown Spokane will start on Monday on Sprague and Riverside avenues from Bernard to Maple streets and First Avenue from Walnut to Bernard streets.

Pavement repairs continue on Freya and Thor streets from Second to Sprague avenues.

Spokane County

Spokane County has major street work north of Francis Avenue on Monroe and Wall streets as well as Market Street.

Coeur d’Alene

In Coeur d’Alene, major projects continue on I-90 and U.S. 95. Traffic restrictions are in place.