Thanksgiving travel outlook: Lower gas prices, busy Wednesday on toll roads
After months of punishing gas prices, Thanksgiving road trippers are getting a break and it could continue, AAA predicted.
"While there could be some fluctuations in the coming weeks, AAA expects gas prices to remain low through the holidays, unless oil prices suddenly spike," auto group spokeswoman Molly Hart said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a gallon of regular gas cost an average of $3.59 in the suburbs, AAA reported. That compares to $3.76 last month or $4.17 a year ago.
Drivers traveling to neighboring states for Thanksgiving will find the biggest bang for a buck in Missouri with $2.91 a gallon on average. Other state averages are: $2.97 in Iowa, $3.01 in Wisconsin, $3.22 in Indiana and $3.24 in Michigan.
The end of summer road trip season and the switch to cheaper winter fuel are among the factors causing the reduction.
"Lower gas demand, alongside declining oil prices, has contributed to pushing pump prices down," Hart said Monday.
Meanwhile, the Illinois tollway expects heavy traffic between Wednesday and Monday with 8.8 million drivers on its system.
The busiest day on toll roads is Wednesday with 1.8 million vehicles projected compared to the typical 1.5 million.
Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse reminded customers they can use the tollway's app to add rental cars or out-of-town family and friends' vehicles to their accounts to conveniently pay tolls, she said.
The app is available on Google Play or Apple's App Store.
Motorists can also visit the tollway's website at illinoistollway.com to manage their accounts or use the Pay by Plate feature.