AAA Wisconsin Forecasts Busy Fourth

State Gas Prices Stable, Higher Than Year Ago

MADISON, Wis., June 25 -- An estimated 37.4 million people nationwide are projected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Fourth of July weekend, according to AAA. That total is nearly 2 percent more than a year ago and the highest total for the holiday in at least nine years.

An estimated 32.6 million people nationwide will travel by auto, while 4.3 million are projected to travel by air. Another 500,000 will take other modes of transportation.

In the Great Lakes region, which includes Wisconsin, 4.5 million people are projected to travel 50 miles or more away from home by automobile during the holiday weekend, down 1.4 percent from a year ago at this time.

"Although the projections for the Great Lakes states show a slight decrease in the number of travelers," said AAA Wisconsin spokesman Michael Bie, "roughly 10 percent of region's population will be traveling, which is consistent with previous July Fourth holidays. It will be busy as ever for the huge number of motorists taking to the roads. Slowing down, wearing safety belts, and not drinking and driving should be on every vacationer's checklist."

Peak travel times in Wisconsin will be noon to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 3, and noon to 8 p.m., Sunday, July 6.

Towns and rural areas lead the list of popular holiday destinations with 22 percent of the travel volume, followed by oceans or beaches with 19 percent; lakes, 17 percent; cities, 15 percent; state or national parks, 9 percent; mountains, 7 percent; theme/amusement parks, 4 percent. Seven percent were undecided or visiting another destination.

Of those spending at least one night at their destination, 34 percent will stay at a hotel or motel while 29 percent will visit with family or friends. Other overnight plans include camper/trailer/RV/tent, 14 percent; cabin/condo, 8 percent; and 11 percent, other. Four percent had no overnight stay or were unsure about their lodging plans.

Research for Independence Day is based on a national telephone survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association, which does special research for AAA.

The current average price for a gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in Wisconsin is $1.577, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report. The current average is sixth-tenths of a cent higher than a month ago at this time and 11.4 cents higher than a year ago at this time.

The highest local average price for self-serve regular unleaded is $1.592 in the Milwaukee-Waukesha market. The lowest local average is $1.509 in the La Crosse market.

  The Wisconsin per-gallon price breakdown from AAA's Fuel Gauge survey is:

             AVERAGE SELF-SERVE
             Unleaded regular:   $1.577
             Mid-grade:          $1.638
             Unleaded premium:   $1.713

Other average prices for regular unleaded gas in the region are: Illinois, $1.538; Iowa, $1.452; Minnesota, $1.465; and Michigan, $1.536.

AAA Wisconsin, which serves more than 590,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 45 million members in the United States and Canada.