RI Memorial Day 2022 Travel Guide: Worst Times To Drive, Fly

RHODE ISLAND — Memorial Day 2022 could end up being the biggest in years for travelers in Rhode Island and across the United States.

The coronavirus pandemic mostly sidelined the traditional unofficial start to summer in 2020, and holiday travel came back big in 2021.

But this year, Memorial Day should be even bigger. AAA is predicting an 8 percent increase in travel — the second-highest year-over-year increase since 2010 — even with near $5 gas prices, higher airline fares and an extremely contagious coronavirus variant circulating at high levels.

"AAA predicts 39.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday," the travel organization said in its annual Memorial Day forecast. "The bulk of holiday travelers will drive, with nearly 35 million hitting the road, about 89 percent of all travelers. Air travel will increase 25 percent over last year, totaling more than 3 million. Travel in the other category, bus, train or cruise ship, will increase 300 percent, with more than 1 million traveling."

If you're preparing to hit the road — or the sky or rails — this week, here's what to look out for in Rhode Island and beyond this Memorial Day weekend:

Gas prices

As of Tuesday, gas price averages were hovering between $4.69 and $4.76 per gallon in Providence, Bristol, Newport and Block Island.

Even if you're driving out of Rhode Island, every New England state had an average gas price above about $4.6 per gallon, according to AAA. You won't find gas below $4.50 per gallon in any nearby state, unless you're headed to West Virginia or Ohio.

The rise in prices will likely continue into the holiday weekend due to higher demand and lower supply, according to AAA.

Relief could come at the local level, but that's not likely before Memorial Day. Rhode Island lawmakers are considering suspending the gas tax until the end of 2022. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. James McLaughlin (D-Cumberland), was ordered held in committee on May 5 for further study.

Connecticut has suspended its 25 cent gas tax through June, but that hasn't resulted in much lower prices. At the closest stations near the tri-state border off of I-395, the cheapest gas was $4.67 per gallon as of Tuesday. That's about the same price as in nearby Webster, according to GasBuddy.

Traffic

AAA expects Thursday and Friday to be the busiest driving days of the weekend, and Thursday the busiest at T.F. Green International Airport and other local airports.

A good way to avoid traffic jams over Memorial Day is to check RIDOT live traffic cameras, which show images of traffic on some of Rhode Island's busiest roads and highways.

But if you don't want to drive, public transportation offers an alternative. RIPTA bus and ferry services will operate on a Sunday schedule on Memorial Day, as will the MBTA's Commuter Rail train that stops in Providence.

Ba.2 circulating

Coronavirus cases in Rhode Island and around New England are at high levels right now due to the omicron subvariant ba.2.

Four counties of Rhode Island's five counties saw their community level risk upgraded to "high" last week, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bristol, Kent, Providence and Washington counties are now deemed "high risk" by the CDC, while Newport County remained at "medium risk."

On Monday, the state reported 256 new cases from over the weekend.