Gas prices hamper some Memorial Day travel
AAA predicts that nearly 43 million American will be traveling this Memorial Day weekend.
But with gas prices at an all-time high, it is hampering some travel plans for people on the Central Coast.
“I just kept seeing it climb and climb and I was like, OK you can stop now. But it wasn’t stopping,” said Julie Contreras, a Marina resident.
Contreras and her significant other Ramon Solorio, also a Marina resident, are driving down to Los Angeles this weekend for her sister’s wedding. But the gas is definitely on their minds.
“Yeah, it made think twice. Like, oh man, we’re going to have to spend a lot of money driving down,” said Contreras.
“You definitely try to look for the cheaper station anywhere you go,” said Solorio.
AAA says the national average price for gas is getting closer to $3 a gallon. But in California, the average is over four bucks. Premium gas at one Monterey pump station was $4.75.
For some, those prices means nice stay-cation for the holiday weekend.
“We’re probably just going to stay home just because my mom’s truck uses a lot of gas,” said Leslie Andrade, a San Jose resident who was visiting Monterey on Thursday. “So we don’t really want to do that much traveling right now till the gas prices go down a little.”
There are alternatives to using a car to get out of town. Some at the Monterey Transit Plaza are already taking advantage of buses and using the train. One bus drivers says it is the smart thing to do.
“They should take the train. It’s cheaper, costs less, they don’t have to drive, they don’t have to waste gas, they don’t have to wear out the car,” said Juan Garcia, who drives a bus for Amtrak passengers.
Still, the vast majority will drive this weekend. The gas prices are just part of the package.
“It is what it is. Just got to deal with it,” said Solorio.
AAA also predicts there is going to be more people driving, taking the train and flying this Memorial Day weekend compared to last year by about 1.5 million people.
