Cheaper gas won’t drive up regional travel

You might think that cheaper gasoline would draw more drivers to the region’s highways on Labor Day, but AAA disagrees.

The automobile association projects that fewer people across the nation will get behind the wheel this holiday weekend than chose to drive last year.

About 28.9 million people will drive at least 50 miles over Labor Day, a drop of about 100,000, estimates Doreen Loofburrow, AAA Oregon/Idaho director of travel agency services in Portland.

This news comes despite the price of regular unleaded gasoline in Vancouver: $2.77, down from $3.03 at this time last year.

“Labor Day traditionally has been a slower holiday weekend for family travel because many schools have already started,” Loofburrow said.

Overall travel will be up, but extra travelers will opt to go by plane, bus or train, she predicts.

The West is the region of the country with the most projected travelers, according to AAA’s annual Labor Day travel survey.

About 7.4 million people from the western U.S. will travel by car, truck or RV, and another 1.5 million will fly.