According to AAA, the average cost of a gallon of gas in Washington is up to $5.78, the second highest in the country.
SEATTLE — Despite record-high gas prices, Seattle drivers are still hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend, including Jeremy Tryon, who stopped driving during the week to save money at the pump.
“Gas prices are just crazy so I just ride my bike everywhere,” said Tryon. “I don’t drive during the week, or typically ever. Even on weekends, we try to avoid driving as much as possible because gas prices are just outrageous.”
But this weekend, he’s heading out of town for a camping trip. He’s certainly not alone.
According to AAA, a record 39.1 million people will travel by car this holiday weekend, part of an overall record 45 million Americans expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday.
Nationwide, gas prices have reached a four-year high.
In Washington state, drivers are paying all-time highs. The average price for a gallon of regular gas is $5.78, making Washington the second most expensive state in the country, behind California.
For Barry King, a general contractor who lives in Ballard, the spike has been especially difficult to handle.
“I went from (paying) $35 a week in gas to $100 a week in gas. And now I’m not working again, the company dropped me,” he said. “It’s always frustrating when you cant make your ends meet.”
Both Tryon and King spoke to KING 5 in the parking lot of a Ballard gas station, where a gallon of regular fuel was listed at $6.19.
“Gas prices are crazy man, $6 a gallon is ridiculous,” said Chris Meyers. “I do a lot of driving. I’m constantly on the road and it’s kind of a pain every time I show up here to pay $60.”
AAA says relief isn’t coming soon.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Middle East waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply, has driven prices up more than 50 percent since the war with Iran began.
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