What to expect next weekend
By plane, boat or auto, most Floridians plan to leave home.
By MIKE BRASSFIELD, Times Staff Writer
Published August 27, 2007
The Labor Day weekend will soon be here, offering a final opportunity for a quick vacation before summer winds down.
Lots of local families will be on the road, in the air or on the water, in part because gas prices have dropped in recent weeks.
Here is some information to help guide you through this last extended weekend until Thanksgiving:
Are the roads going to be packed?
Yes. Even though local schools are back in session, this is the last big bang of the summer travel season.
AAA won't release its traffic estimates until Wednesday, but officials there don't foresee a significant change from last year's record numbers for Labor Day, when a whopping 1.7-million Floridians were expected to drive at least 50 miles from home. Another quarter-million were expected to catch flights.
There will be no interstate construction to slow traffic. You can call 511 or go online to www.fl511.com or www.511tampabay.com to check traffic conditions ahead of time.
How do gas prices look?
They're down. Last week, according to AAA, the average cost of regular unleaded gas dropped to $2.65 a gallon in the Tampa Bay area. That compares with $2.88 a month ago and the same price -- $2.88 -- a year ago.
Other drivers are paying more than us. The average statewide was $2.74 a gallon and $2.78 nationally. It's good to live near a major port.
"Usually in advance of any major holiday weekend, we expect that gas prices would go up in response to consumer demand," said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of AAA Auto Club South in Tampa.
"That did not happen during Labor Day weekend of '06, and that was the beginning of a pretty consistent decline in gas prices that extended well into November. We think we may be headed in the same direction right now."
What should I keep in mind if I go boating?
Have fun, watch the weather and watch the drinking. The Florida Marine Patrol plans heavy enforcement on area waters next weekend, with an emphasis on BUIs and life jackets because the state could set a record for boating deaths this year.
Florida has logged 53 boating fatalities so far in 2007, with another three boaters missing. The record for a full year is 82. Most of the dead weren't wearing life jackets and drowned after they fell overboard or the boat capsized.
"You really ought to wear a life jacket. If you choose not to wear one, it should be readily accessible," said Gary Morse, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "These accidents often happen in an instant. Life jackets today are quite comfortable. The newer ones are not hot."
If I'm flying, should I get to the airport even earlier than usual?
Yes. And be prepared to park in Tampa International Airport's remote economy garage if the short-term and long-term garages at the main terminal are full.
An average of 252 flights will be leaving daily with nearly 30,600 seats. That's up slightly from last year.
"In the past when we didn't have as much parking space available, sometimes Labor Day would surprise us," said TIA spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan. "Until we had the economy parking garage, we were like, 'Where did all these cars come from?' "
What if I don't want to travel very far?
"There are a lot of good deals out on the beaches for Labor Day weekend," said D.T. Minich of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Even if you just live in Tampa, if you go out there and rent a condo or hotel room, you feel like you're a million miles away."
Mike Brassfield can be reached at (813) 226-3435 or brassfield@sptimes.com.