DEARBORN, MI (WKZO) -- High gas prices are getting the blame for an anticipated decline in holiday Travel this Fourth of July weekend, even though they have been dropping.
The trend has been toward lower prices for the past few weeks, at some stations in Kalamazoo, prices have dipped below $3.40 a gallon. Economist James Hamilton thinks they will drop further before the holiday.
But he says they will still be nearly a dollar higher per gallon than they were this time last year, and it’s taken a toll on the purchasing power of all Americans. AAA says that will result in nearly a million fewer travelers nationwide this Fourth, a 2.5% decline nationally. Michigan’s Triple-A says the decline won’t be that severe in the state, but travel will be down.
They say another reason travel numbers may be down this year is because they rose so spectacularly last year, making the stats tough to beat.
