AAA: Gas prices force Michigan drivers

WILX reported on May 17 that some Michigan drivers were reworking Memorial Day and summer travel plans as gasoline prices stayed elevated in Lansing and other parts of the state. The station said families it interviewed were delaying trips, cutting back on distance or choosing closer destinations as fuel costs rose. AAA's Michigan fuel tracker listed the statewide average for regular gas at $4.831 a gallon on May 18, compared with $4.723 a week earlier and $3.178 a year earlier. ### How high are Michigan gas prices right now? AAA's Michigan price page showed regular gasoline averaging $4.831 a gallon on May 18. The same page listed the previous day's average at $4.843, the week-ago average at $4.723 and the month-ago average at $3.849. The year-over-year comparison is sharper. AAA's tracker showed Michigan drivers were paying $3.178 a gallon at the same point in 2025, putting this year's statewide average more than $1.65 higher. (newsbreak.com) ### How many people are still expected to travel? AAA said on May 12 that more than 1.3 million Michiganders are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the Memorial Day holiday period. (gasprices.aaa.com) WNMU, citing AAA, reported that nearly 1.2 million of them are expected to drive, about 70,000 will fly and more than 68,000 will use other modes such as bus, train or cruise. The holiday travel window in AAA's forecast runs for five days, beginning on the Thursday before Memorial Day and ending on Monday. WILX said that statewide forecast is colliding with a different reality for some households in Mid-Michigan, where drivers told the station they were looking for ways to limit fuel spending. (wnmufm.org) ### What are drivers in Lansing saying they are changing? WILX's May 17 report said some drivers in Lansing and surrounding communities were reconsidering summer road trips because of pump prices. The station said people it interviewed described choosing shorter drives, postponing plans or trimming discretionary travel to manage the added cost. (wnmufm.org) The report did not present those decisions as statewide survey data. It framed them as examples from local families and motorists confronting higher spring and early-summer fuel bills in Michigan. ### How does this compare with last Memorial Day? (newsbreak.com) AAA's Michigan travel forecast said the state average price on Memorial Day 2025 was $3.20 a gallon. WNMU's report, also citing AAA, said the average price in Michigan this year was $4.73 a gallon when the forecast was released on May 12. (newsbreak.com) That means a holiday road trip in Michigan is set to cost more at the pump than it did a year ago. Bloomberg reported on May 11 that AAA expected 39.1 million Americans to drive at least 50 miles over Memorial Day weekend, even as fuel prices climbed nationally. (wnmufm.org) ### Where can drivers track prices before the holiday weekend? AAA updates its Michigan fuel-price page daily with statewide, county and metro averages. The page listed Michigan's average at $4.831 a gallon on May 18 and showed metro-area breakdowns for places including Lansing-East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Metro Detroit and Traverse City. (bloomberg.com) Memorial Day travel in AAA's forecast begins on Thursday, May 21, and runs through Monday, May 25. Drivers looking to compare prices before leaving can monitor AAA's Michigan gas-price tracker as the holiday weekend approaches. (wnmufm.org) (gasprices.aaa.com)