If you’re headed out from Missouri in any direction for the Thanksgiving holiday, it might be a good idea to fill up your tank before you leave the Show-Me State.
That’s because Missouri’s average price for regular gasoline — $3.17 a gallon — is among the lowest in the nation, according to the AAA. The national average Tuesday was about $3.41.
Mike Right, vice president of public affairs for AAA of St. Louis, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that Missouri is usually in the top three when it comes to the lowest average price for regular gasoline nationwide.
“That’s because there’s competitiveness in the market in Missouri,” he said. “We’re close to the supply, and we are well-served by pipelines. Our motor fuels tax is among the lowest in the nation. And, we do not impose a sales tax on gasoline as some states do.”
An uptick in prices of nearly 15 cents a gallon greeted motorists this week in the Joplin market. But regular grade gasoline could still be found Tuesday at a few locations in the Joplin area at not far above $3 per gallon.
That 15-cent increase was linked to the unrest in the Middle East and seasonal factors. Still, the cost of gasoline is down more than 25 cents per gallon since September.
AAA estimates that 43.6 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more for the holiday weekend. It would be the fourth consecutive year of growth since 2008, when Thanksgiving travel dropped by 25 percent.
Right remembers that time well.
“In 2008, we saw travel fall off the cliff,” he said. “We saw the results of the recession that started in 2007. To show how bad it was then, here we are five years after, and we are yet to reach the same level of travel we had five years ago.”
Travel, he said, is a “pretty good barometer” of the economy.
“Looking back on it, we had 9 percent unemployment and the anxiety of whether our jobs would be there,” Right said. “There was a great deal of anxiety about personal financial situations back then.
“It’s less so today because of lower unemployment and improved consumer confidence. Travel for this holiday will be up less than 1 percent, and we have had only a slight increase thus far in 2012 when compared with last year.
“I was really thinking we would see more improvement than what we have seen. But being up less than 1 percent is still positive.”
Tension in the Middle East and the “fiscal cliff” issue at the federal level, he said, could affect that progress before year’s end.
Of the estimated 43.6 million Americans who will travel this Thanksgiving holiday, 90 percent will go by automobile, an increase of 0.6 percent from last year’s figure, according to AAA.
Air travel is expected to decline this year, from 3.2 million travelers in 2011 to 3.14 million, a total of 7.2 percent of trips, AAA estimates.
And though more Americans will travel this holiday, they are planning to spend less. Median spending is expected to drop about 10 percent, to $498 from $554 in 2011.
Kammy Bramlett, director of the Missouri Welcome Center on Interstate 44 southwest of Joplin, said in a telephone interview Tuesday: “We are starting to see traffic pick up for the holidays. They’re already headed to grandma’s house or mom’s house.”
Many of those who are traveling east, she said, have told her they are headed for Silver Dollar City at Branson to see the Christmas lights.
“We’ve got a great weekend ahead for the weather, and that always helps,” Bramlett said. “Gas prices are down, and that’s a big factor. I think it will be a pretty good season for travel.”
Free coffee
MOTORISTS WHO STOP at the Missouri Welcome Center on Interstate 44 southwest of Joplin can take a safety break with free coffee, thanks to an arrangement the center has with a company that operates five hotels in the Branson area, according to Kammy Bramlett, director of the center.
Top Stories
Related Photos
-
Rita Hecox, of Joplin, fills up Tuesday at the Casey’s General Store at Fourth Street and Maiden Lane in Joplin. Travel industry representatives note that fuel prices are down compared with the prices at this time a year ago. They are projecting a slight increase in holiday travel this year. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER
-
Fran Hahn, of Albuquerque, N.M., on Tuesday takes in “Detour,” a mural that covers the main wall of the Missouri Welcome Center on Interstate 44 on Joplin’s west side. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER
Discussion
Travel industry: Gas prices, good weather bode well for Thanksgiving travelers
- Top Stories
-
-
Area pools ready for plunge; Schifferdecker opening still to be announced
Though this week’s mild temperatures may not signal swim season, most area pools are ready anyway. And, the mercury should rise a little this weekend to help those anxious to dive in. Highs will be in the low 80s today and Sunday. There is a chance for isolated thunderstorms on Monday, but the thermometer should hit 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
-
Joplin School Board decision could take up to two weeks; Turner remains on paid leave
It could take up two weeks for the Joplin Board of Education to decide whether Randy Turner’s teaching contract should be terminated, the school district’s attorney, John Nicholas, said Friday.
-
Joplin insurance agent seeks donations for Moore, Okla.
After losing an office building and her home in the tornado on May 22, 2011, Loretta Bailey is familiar with the destruction that a tornado brings. The 400 households that her insurance agency helped through the aftermath of the tornado also know that loss. \
-
Families, friends invited to honor veterans with flags this weekend
Small lengths of plastic pipe have been installed behind the headstones of veterans graves in Joplin cemeteries so that every veteran will have a flag on Memorial Day.
-
Events, activities planned to honor veterans Monday
No ceremonies are planned at Joplin cemeteries this year or at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, but a number of other events are scheduled in cities around the region.
-
Joplin Board of Education to decide fate of East Middle School teacher
After hearing nearly 10 hours of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses and accepting more than 45 exhibits into evidence, members of the Joplin Board of Education voted to move behind closed doors Thursday night to decide whether Randy Turner, a communication arts teacher at East Middle School, will continue to teach.
-
Memorial Day travelers bemoan high gas prices
Norm Hayward and his wife, Claudia, have a couple of things going for them as they continue their increasingly expensive motor home trip around parts of the United States. For starters, the Phoenix, Ariz., couple are saving on hotel costs.
-
Cunningham Park vandalism estimated at $4,000
Vandals caused an estimated $4,000 worth of damage in Cunningham Park, draining the pool in the aquatic center of about 200,000 gallons of water and throwing some large landscaping rocks into the reflecting pond.
-
Joplin team drove through storm to get to Moore
It was a long drive in the middle of a severe thunderstorm that had earlier produced a massive tornado in Moore, Okla. With the two-year anniversary of Joplin’s deadly twister approaching on Wednesday, a team of 14 Joplin emergency workers was ready to risk the trip in order to get help to a hurting Moore.
-
Content of book, students' access to it at issue in hearing for suspended teacher
A standing-room only crowd is present at the hearing this morning to decide the fate of suspended Joplin Middle School teacher Randy Turner, who has asked for the hearing before the board of education.
- More Top Stories Headlines
-
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
