A recent AAA survey shows most people start to rethink their driving habits when gas prices hit the $4 mark. But an official from AAA Northeast says Rhode Islanders have not yet altered their road travel in a significant way, despite the fact that gas prices have been above $4 a gallon for over a month.
“As we go forward, when you couple the significant increase in gasoline prices with the inflationary pressures across the board, that could change,” said Lloyd Albert, senior vice-president of public and government affairs at AAA Northeast.
Albert says we’re likely to see gas prices hover around the $4.20 mark for quite some time, especially as the war in Ukraine continues.
“I think we have to be realistic here,” said Albert. “If there’s escalation in Ukraine, that number could go higher.”
With the summer tourism season around the corner, Misquamicut Business Association executive director Caswell Cooke doesn’t think high prices at the pump will keep people away from the beach, but it could affect how much they spend once they get to Rhode Island.
“Will it affect a place like Misquamicut Beach overall? Probably,” said Cooke. “If you’re spending more on gas to get there, and if all the prices have gone up, it could be the difference between packing [your] own lunch or eating lunch at a restaurant on the beach. It could also determine whether you’ll stay in a hotel versus going home or going camping. That could be where the sacrifice comes in.”
Cooke says, historically, bad weather has a bigger impact on beach attendance than gas prices.
Joe Tasca can be reached at jtasca@ripr.org
