Labor Day Travel In RI: Ocean State A Top Travel Destination

This story was last updated at 2:24 a.m. on Sept. 1.

RHODE ISLAND — For many in Rhode Island and across New England, Labor Day weekend will be a time to hit the road for a long weekend before a bit of a holiday drought in the coming months. Apparently, people outside the region will use the opportunity to make their way north.

According to a recent survey from AAA, their members are heading to New England at the fourth-highest rate, behind only Orlando, Italy and Las Vegas.

For those traveling in the region, AAA suggests leaving early. For drivers, an early start should relieve them of most of the stress that comes with congested highways. They’ll feel little relief at the pump, however.

The average price of a gallon of gas dropped to about $3.80 this week, according to AAA. That’s down from $3.86 a week ago, and $4.18 at the beginning of August. However, gas cost about $3.18 per gallon this same time last year.

Except Connecticut (average price: $3.79), every New England state was hovering a little above the national average for gas this week, which may make you think twice about holiday travel to popular end-of-summer destinations like the White Mountains, Maine coast and Cape Cod.

In Rhode Island, the cheapest gas was available in Johnston, Scituate and Woonsocket, where the price of a gallon ranged from $3.32 to $3.45, as of Friday afternoon.

The regional survey of AAA members found that 31 percent say they plan to travel for Labor Day weekend, but 49 percent won’t. Seventy percent of those surveyed said that inflation—including higher gas and airfare prices—played a role in their travel decisions.

Read more: Gas Prices Down In RI Ahead Of Labor Day Weekend

For those that plan to drive, there are ways to check on traffic on your route before you hit the road.

To view the map, click here.

RIPTA- MBTA Holiday Schedule

The MBTA has also released a Labor Day update. The commuter rail will run on a weekend schedule. RIPTA buses will run on a Sunday schedule.

Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over Campaign

Rhode Island police departments are participating in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign” through the end of the Labor Day weekend, meaning increased enforcement is scheduled in towns and cities across Rhode Island.