Despite Cheaper Gas Prices Fewer Maryland Residents Traveling for Thanksgiving

Fewer Maryland residents are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday, AAA Mid-Atlantic says, a result of continued economic uncertainty, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

Some 903,000 Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more roundtrip for Thanksgiving, with the majority doing so via automobile, the Journal says.

AAA said the projected 1.2 percent decrease from last year is the first time since the beginning of the 2008 recession that the auto agency expects a dip in Thanksgiving travel for Maryland, the Journal reports.

Despite the decline, the total number of expected travelers still marks the second straight year that the number of Marylanders expected to hit the road for Thanksgiving has exceeded 900,000.

Around 819,000, or 91 percent of travelers, are expected to travel via car. Airplane travel is next at 62,200, or 7 percent of Maryland travelers, AAA says. While both are expected to see slight declines, other modes like bus, train and watercraft are expected to increase 20.1 percent to 21,800.

One bright spot: The AAA website says drivers in most states can find gas for less than $3 a gallon.

The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.