UNDATED (WKZO) — It’s the last weekend of summer and if you want the numbers, we have them.
AAA estimates that 35.5-million folks nationally will travel this weekend, about a million Michiganders.
7% will fly, 85% will travel by car leaving the other 8% who will go by bus, boat, bicycle, train or oxcart we presume.
For the fifth year in a year travel volumes will be up…AAA’s Gary Bubar says that has traditionally been impacted by two factors, weather and the economy. The statistics on both have been spectacular this summer.
He says to a lesser extent, gas prices have also been encouraging for travelers.
That presents the opportunity for some more numbers. Gas prices are the cheapest they have been since 2004, 27-cents cheaper than this time last year.
Still Bubar says travel over the three day Labor Day weekend is different than travel during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends because school starts in most school districts as soon as the weekend is over.
That means people tend to travel fewer miles and get back earlier.
Hungry for more numbers?
There will be 212 foot races during the holiday weekend and one great big march as about 40-thousand are expected to walk, jog and trot over the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day.
Thousands more will gather in Downtown Detroit for the annual Labor Day parade.
