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Fewer Labor Day Travelers

Triple A Texas expects this long holiday weekend to be the third busiest Labor Day weekend of the decade even though the number of travelers will be down from a year ago.

Rod Rice reports.

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AAA and its research partner IHS Global Insight believe that more then 39-million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles through Monday.

“In Texas the projection is 2.8 million people will travel, that’s about 10% of our total state population.”

That’s Triple A Texas’ Sarah Shimmer.

“2.43 million of the 2.8 will choose to drive, 139-thousand will choose to fly, and the remainder, they will take a boat or a train.”

Shimmer says travel in this area of the country will be down about 11% from last Labor Day.

“A lot of it has to do when Labor Day falls. Last year it fell on September 1st, right when school had just begun and this year it’s falling on September 7th and most school in Texas and across the nation are already two weeks into session, so that has a lot to do with the decline we’re seeing.”

Those who do travel and choose to drive will find relatively good gas prices.

“Here in Texas we’re looking to $2.45. Texans last year were paying $3.54, and luckily Houston has the cheapest gasoline in the state over Labor Day week-end at $2.39.”

Shimmer says there will be more Labor Day travelers then there were 4th of July travelers, and people are expected to spend a bit more too.

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