The number of travelers who took Memorial Day weekend trips through the Eisenhower Tunnel dropped by thousands this year, indicating higher gas prices are taking their toll.
“I would say obviously the price of gas has to be on people’s minds,” said Brian Jordon, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “It’s been real quiet at the Eisenhower Tunnel over the Memorial Day weekend.”
Nearly 7,000 fewer motorists drove through the tunnel the first three days of the Memorial Day weekend than last year, a 5 percent drop, Jordon said, noting the cool and wet weather might have played a role.
As gas prices reached the highest average price ever in Colorado on Memorial Day, people were taking shorter trips in the state and avoiding out-of-state journeys, AAA Colorado officials said.
“A lot of people are staying closer to home,” said Eric Escudero, spokesman for AAA Colorado. “Instead of going to Disneyland, they’re going to Durango.”
Allen and Patty Schultz decided not to travel at all. They were home for the weekend making a Walgreen’s run.
They just bought motorcycles to replace their cars for work commutes.
“My Celica is $40 to fill up,” said Patty Schultz, who drives from the city to Aurora for work. “And my motorcycle costs less than $20. I recommend people get a motorcycle, it’s so much cheaper.”
Jack Cone has an even cheaper way to travel that he figures many people might soon be following. He rides a bicycle. Cone said he owned a Denver home before he owned a car and still prefers riding his bicycle.
“I think I am the man of the century, the man of the new era,” Cone said.
On Monday, the average price of regular unleaded gas in Colorado was the highest ever at $3.90, Escudero said. That is an increase of 56 cents per gallon over the last year, meaning to fill a 15-gallon tank cost $8.40 more this year than last, he said.
“For people on an extremely tight budget, that can make a difference, but for most people, traveling is still affordable,” Escudero said.
For example, a round-trip drive between Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park will cost about $2 more this year than it did last year in a midsize car running on unleaded regular gas, he said.
Cynthia Long of Tigard, Ore., took a road trip just for the pleasure of it, even though it was more expensive than flying.
Long and her girlfriend weighed buying plane tickets to Denver, which would have been cheaper than gas, which cost them more than $200. But they decided a road trip would be more fun.
“It was expensive, but it was worth it,” said Long, drinking a glass of wine at north Denver restaurant. “We did it for the experience.”
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
