Holiday travel fizzles from high gas prices | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

This time last year, gasoline cost an average of $2.92 per gallon, according to AAA. The last couple of weeks in north county it has averaged about $3.99 a gallon for regular unleaded.

While gas prices in Maryland are below the national average of $4.08 a gallon, residents say the prices are still high enough to change their plans.

"I'm not going over 5 miles" because of gas prices, said Yvonne Minor, 59.

Ms. Minor said she will be going to a neighborhood picnic instead of going out of town.

And she most likely won't be alone, AAA officials said.

Nearly 762,600 Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more this holiday, a 1.3 percent drop from 2007, according to a AAA release. About 642,300 of those travelers will be travel by car, another 1.3 percent dip from last year, according to AAA.

The same story can be found nationwide.

AAA estimates that 34.2 million Americans, or 85 percent of holiday travelers, plan to travel by car this Fourth of July, but many people throughout the country seem to agree with Ms. Minor that gas is simply too expensive to warrant traveling for the holiday.

Nationwide, gas consumption has dropped by 5 percent since Jan. 4, slipping during the week of June 20 to its lowest levels since January 2007, a trend that AAA said is responsible for keeping the gas prices from rising even higher this past week.

Ashley Powell, 24, a leader of a youth group from the St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Richmond, Va., was at Westfield Annapolis mall, stopping for lunch on her way to Philadelphia. She said the group was headed to participate in M-Fuge for the weekend. M-Fuge is an annual event in which youth groups travel to cities across the country to help local residents.

"If we weren't able to charter a bus we wouldn't be able to go on our mission trip because of the cost," Ms. Powell said.

Ragina Averella, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said the projected trend isn't surprising as everyone is grappling with increased costs for everything from gas to food and even car-rental rates.

"However, despite the downward economy and lack of consumer confidence, Marylanders still want to get away from the daily grind, which is evident by the more than half million people expected to travel for the upcoming holiday," she said.

Some area residents said they will be cutting out their travel plans altogether, including Hidinio Ruiz, 29, of Annapolis who said that because of gas prices he will be staying in town.

Edgewater resident Nick Hampshire, 17, also said gas prices changed his plans.

On Fourth of July his family usually goes out on their boat to watch the fireworks, but that they won't be doing that this year because of the cost of gas, Mr. Hampshire said.

And, his family used to go out on their boat every weekend but don't anymore because it has become too expensive.

Other residents said that while gas prices have been affecting their routines, they won't affect their weekend.

"We live in Severna Park, so we're going to go to the parade, so for this particular instance (gas prices) won't affect us because we can walk, but it has been affecting things," said Tracy Finnerin, 40.

Wade McCormick, 41, of Arnold said rising gas prices haven't forced him to change his lifestyle. Mr. McCormick said he will be going to a party in Bowie for the holiday. However, he has noticed one change in recent weeks.

"My savings account isn't growing as fast as it should be," because of the cost of gas, he said.

Rental car companies also have noticed a change recently due to the increase in gas prices. Femi Akinyemi, a sales representative from the Hertz car rental on Chinquapin Round Road, said that while reservations have remained steady for the holiday weekend, people are renting more compact cars.

"They're asking questions about gas mileage that they didn't ask before," he said.

A sales representative at Avis Rent-A-Car on West Street in Annapolis said he has noticed a decrease in reservations compared with this time last year.

The company's rates for car rentals have increased along with gas prices, said Brian Mills. They've seen a "big increase" in the number of people renting compact cars. And when it comes to SUVs, Avis hasn't rented as many as it did over the Fourth of July weekend last year, Mr. Mills said.

Lou Williams of the Budget Car and Truck Rental on West Street also said fuel-efficient vehicles have been a more popular choice for the holiday weekend.

"They're requesting more fuel-efficient vehicles than we have," he said.

AAA said it doesn't expect gas prices to rise substantially over the holiday weekend.