AAA: Holiday travel up from a year ago

A million travelers from the Philadelphia area will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the year-end holidays - 3 percent more than last year - AAA Mid-Atlantic said today.

The estimate follows travel increases that the auto club projected in 2010 for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

"A modestly improved economic environment resulted in more Americans traveling overall in 2010 and the year-end holidays are no exception," AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman Rick Remington said in a prepared statement today.

The auto club defined the holiday travel period as running from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2. The forecast is based on travelers' stated intentions and historical data as of mid-November.

Of the 1 million regional travelers this year, AAA said 93 percent will go by auto, 3 percent by air, and the rest by other means, including trains and buses.

For the nation as a whole, AAA says 92.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home for the holidays, an increase of 3.1 percent from a year ago.

Separately, AAA said gasoline prices in the region stood at their yearly highs today - an average $3.11 per gallon of regular in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and $2.92 in South Jersey. The South Jersey price was up a penny from yesterday, but first touched $2.92 on Dec. 9.    - Reid Kanaley