Gas prices drop as travelers get ready for Labor Day weekend

The average price of regular gas has dropped just below $4 a gallon in Santa Rosa for the first time in three months, just in time for more than 3 1/2 million Californians to hit the highways for Labor Day weekend, AAA said.

But AAA says fewer people will leave home than in previous years for the third consecutive holiday weekend because of continuing high fuel costs, economic uncertainty and the increased cost of air travel.

“We are definitely noticing a significant downward trend in travel this year,” said Cynthia Harris, a Northern California AAA spokeswoman. “But even as Californians face steep increases in travel expenses, they continue to put a high value on travel in their lives and find resources for quick getaways with family and friends.”

The number of Californians planning to drive to their weekend destinations is down by about 1.8 percent from last year’s forecast, AAA said.

Another 590,000 people around the state have weekend air travel planned. But that’s down 3.4 percent from last year, the agency said.

Another 100,000 people will use bus, train or other types of transportation to reach their stops, AAA said.