Report excessive gasoline costs in Illinois have had an influence on the each day lives of Illinoisans. One skilled says this hasn’t affected the variety of commuters hitting the highway this weekend.
Fuel costs in Illinois hit report highs in 2022. The typical value of a gallon of normal fuel is $5,391, greater than $2 up from $three,357 final 12 months.
Even with a few of the highest gasoline prices within the nation, AAA’s Nicholas Jarmusz says he nonetheless expects a lot of Illinoisans to hit the highway this vacation weekend.
“We’re anticipating throughout the nation and right here in Illinois it will be a really busy journey weekend,” Jarmusz informed The Middle Sq.. “That is anticipated to be the second highest journey quantity we’ve on report for an Independence Day vacation weekend.”
Jarmusz additionally mentioned many vacationers needed to modify their budgets to account for greater gasoline costs.
“Even with the excessive costs, folks will nonetheless come,” Jarmusz mentioned. “They may discover methods to chop different facets of their journey finances or their household finances.”
Clyde, a repairman from New Lenox, mentioned that whereas he would not plan to journey this weekend, he feels the brunt of the excessive prices each different day.
“My job prices me $170 each different day to fill my truck, which in flip has prompted different costs to go up,” he mentioned.
When requested if sure jobs don’t get accomplished because of the distance of journey, he mentioned “jobs nonetheless have to be accomplished” however now it is costing clients “more cash.”
In keeping with AAA, its information present no connection between excessive fuel costs and trip journey.
“There has by no means been a direct correlation in our fuel and journey value information,” Jarmusz mentioned. “Particularly for a vacation weekend.”
The nationwide common for a gallon of normal gasoline is $four,857, greater than zero.50 cents lower than the Illinois common of $5,391.
Debbie Haas, AAA’s vp of journey, mentioned it doesn’t matter what occurs, folks wish to journey.
“Earlier this 12 months, we began to see a rise in journey demand and it is not slowing down,” Haas mentioned. “Persons are prepared for a break, and regardless that issues are costing extra, they’re discovering methods to take that much-needed trip.”
AAA predicts that 2.6 million Illinoisans will journey 50 miles or extra over the vacation weekend. That is practically four% greater than final 12 months’s trip and simply shy of views in 2019.
