With California’s record gas prices well above $6 a gallon, Alex Trembath summed it up nicely for Memorial Day road trippers this year.
“It’s not changing my decision on whether or not to go on vacation,” he said, pumping $6.49 a gallon into his sedan before setting off from Oakland to San Luis Obispo on Friday. “It just costs more and that sucks.”
This Memorial Day weekend, Bay Area drivers are facing gas prices nearly $2 higher than the same time last year. But even as motorists like Trembeth let out a collective groan, the record high gas prices are not deterring millions of Americans from packing the roadways to pay homage to fallen military personnel and mark the unofficial start of summer.
The surging fuel costs mean a roundtrip from San Francisco to Los Angeles is going to cost around $155 for a vehicle getting 30 miles per gallon – a $50 hike over last year and more than double the cost in 2020 when travel plummeted during the COVID-19 lockdowns
“It’s like twice as much as I’m used to, which is a huge bummer,” Trembath said.
Nearly 35 million people are expected to make Memorial Day trips of 50 miles or more this weekend – a 4.6% increase from 2021 – according to AAA, and air travel this weekend is up 25% from last year. In Southern California, this holiday is expected to be the fourth busiest in history, AAA said. The estimates however are still below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, a peak year for travel.
The surging vehicle travel comes as average California gas prices tick up to $6.08 on Friday — a new record in a state that has the highest fuel costs in the nation. Regular gas prices are even higher in the Bay Area, averaging $6.19 in Oakland, $6.31 in San Francisco, and $6.20 in San Jose.
The high price of oil — largely because many buyers are refusing to purchase Russian oil because of its invasion of Ukraine — is the main cause of the steep gasoline prices. In California, environmental regulations, higher taxes, and, according to analysts, larger profit margins from the gas industry are helping drive fuel prices a $1.50 higher than the national average.
“Memorial Day is always a good predictor of what’s to come for summer travel,” said Paula Twidale, a senior vice president at AAA. “Based on our projections, summer travel isn’t just heating up, it will be on fire. People are overdue for a vacation and they are looking to catch up on some much-needed R&R in the coming months.”
But for some, the surging gas prices have caused them to rethink their Memorial Day travel plans.
Laura Dena and her sons would typically go to Southern California around Memorial Day weekend to escape Arizona’s scorching heat. This year, because it takes at least $100 to fill up her truck, they’re staying home.
“It’s really frustrating,” said Dena while waiting in line in 90-degree heat for a pump at a Costco in Phoenix. “It’s upsetting, but there’s not much we can do. We have to pay the price.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
