Wisconsin driver tells Milwaukee's TMJ4 he canceled his Memorial Day road trip plans due to high gas prices
Driver: “We were supposed to go to Texas. ... Well, we canceled it because it's so expensive.”
Published
Citation
From the May 23, 2026, video uploaded to the website of WTMJ-TV TMJ4
ANDREA WILLIAMS (TMJ4 ANCHOR): Bad news coming as more than 800,000 Wisconsinites hit the road this Memorial Day weekend with gas prices averaging about $4.50 per gallon. Our Kaylee Staral spoke with travelers Jerome, Ernie, and Sophia about the impact it's having on their plans.
KAYLEE STARAL (TMJ4 REPORTER): The sound of Memorial Day weekend.
PERSON 1: Easy $80 here.
STARAL: But at this point, some people aren't running on gas.
PERSON 2: I was gonna get some gas. But I changed my mind.
STARAL: They're running on optimism.
PERSON 2: I'm going to stretch it out, ride on fumes for a second.
STARAL: Memorial Day weekend is underway, and AAA says more than 800,000 thousand Wisconsinites are expected to travel. But between higher gas prices, holiday traffic, and construction across Southeast Wisconsin, some people this year say they're doing summer a little differently.
PERSON 1: We were supposed to go to Texas. Drive to Texas.
STARAL: Supposed to.
PERSON 1: Well, we canceled it because it's so expensive.
STARAL: For Ernie Rodriguez, that road trip turned into a day trip.
PERSON 1: Cedarburg, they got a big flea market. It's called the Maxwell Street Days.
STARAL: Others say they're still getting out, just closer to home.
PERSON 3: On Monday, I'm going up in the Dells with my family. We're gonna celebrate together.
STARAL: The national average last year, $3.14 per gallon. The national average this year, up to $4.48, according to GasBuddy. And here in Milwaukee, we're seeing prices like $4.29, which people we've talked to today say makes all the difference when making those Memorial Day plans.
PERSON 1: I try not to put too much. I don't fill it, maybe a half a tank, if that.
STARAL: For many people, the holiday weekend is starting to look like a balancing act, trying to enjoy the holiday without emptying your wallet to do it.
PERSON 2: Sitting around, probably watching the game, barbecuing.
PERSON 1: Gonna turn the heater on tonight, put the cover on, and hopefully get it up to 82 degrees.
PERSON 3: Enjoy yourself, to be honest, but, like, also be smart about what you do.