Summer 2021 will undoubtedly look much different than the summer of lockdown in 2020. With mask mandates slowly lifting and vaccination rates on the rise, AAA expects roads in Ohio to be much busier this weekend.
A survey released by AAA Monday morning says over 1.4 million Ohioans plan to travel for Memorial Day weekend, which is about 86% of the people who traveled pre-pandemic.
The poll shows Ohioans have pent-up restlessness after the pandemic forced everyone to sit out for a year. AAA calls it "revenge travel.”
The poll shows 61% of Ohioans who responded plan on taking a trip, and 33% are thinking of taking just a quick get-away. But 18% of respondents are planning on a longer, more extravagant trip.
While people have all this energy for travel, gas prices could be the one roadblock.
According to Gas Buddy, gas prices this Memorial Day weekend will be the highest they've been since 2014, about $2.98 per gallon. That’s up about a dollar from last year's rate.
Most of that increase is due to the Colonial Pipeline Shutdown. The good news is that it should ease up soon, but Gas Buddy predicts demand may drive prices back up this summer.
