ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 12, 1996 TAG: 9612120056
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
Americans will hit road for holidays
NEW YORK - Neither the Scrooge-like increase in gasoline prices nor the Grinch-like timing of Christmas and New Year's is enough to keep travelers at home over the holidays.
About 38.5 million Americans expect to travel 100 miles or more from home over the holidays, about the same as last year, according to a survey released Wednesday.
``Matching last year's record travel volume is even more impressive when you consider that both holidays fall on a Wednesday,'' said Graeme Clarke, senior vice president of products and services for the American Automobile Association.
Last year, Christmas and New Year's conveniently fell on Mondays, and the three-day weekends helped boost the number of travelers 5 percent from 1994's 36.5 million.
Apparently having little effect on travel is the rising price of gasoline, which averages 17 cents more per gallon this December than a year ago, according to AAA. The auto club's monthly fuel survey showed the average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline rose about a penny in the past month to $1.288 per gallon. That was the highest price for December since the Persian Gulf War, when it reached $1.371 in December 1990.
The holiday and winter travel surveys were based on telephone interviews with 1,500 adults.
- Associated Press
First Union slates Vinton opening
First Union National Bank said Wednesday it will open its new $1.5 million branch office in Vinton on Monday.
The new office replaces two smaller First Union branch offices, one at the same site, 120 Virginia Ave. It has been closed for construction of the new office and will now be demolished to make way for additional parking. Also being replaced is a branch at 616 Ninth St. S.E. in Roanoke. That branch will shut permanently Friday.
The new 4,500-square-foot building contains six teller windows, 1,000 safe deposit boxes and six private offices for customer service representatives and loan officers. Outside are five drive-through lanes, one of which is served by a 24-hour automated teller machine.
- Staff report
LENGTH: Short : 49 linesby CNB