With a busy travel season ahead,
drivers will be paying over $1.25 a gallon more over 2020’s holiday travel
season
AAA expects nearly 110 million people to hit the
roads, sky or rails for year-end holidays. That is a
dramatic bounce-back over 2020 with nearly 28 million
more people traveling this year. The numbers will bring this year’s total
to 92% of 2019 levels.
Those who will be
driving will see a dramatic increase over gas prices of a year ago.
AAA says the
average cost per gallon in Westchester County is $3.71. In Rockland County, it is $3.67 which is about 15 cents more than the statewide
average. "There is still tremendous pent-up demand
for people to travel despite the surge of the omicron variant of COVID. The
widespread use of vaccines has increased the confidence of travelers, but they
still must be cautious as they set out for the busiest travel period of the
year,” says AAA Northeast’s Robert
Sinclair.
Sinclair says if
you want to avoid the crowds, the busiest travel days will be between
next Thursday, December 23 and January 2 which is a Sunday.
Like millions of Americans, Middletown's Melvin Ocasio will be hitting the roads this holiday season to head to Maryland to see family. "I'm going to be driving, about four hours each way, so it's going to be an all-day thing on Sunday," says Ocasio.
So where can you
find some good deal on gas? Here are some of the lowest prices according to Gas
Buddy:
- $3.19 at the Costco on Industrial Lane in New Rochelle
- $3.19 at the BJ's on Secor Lane in Pelham
- $3.31 at the Sunoco on North Broadway in North White
Plains