WRGB Albany: Memorial Day travel faces sticker shock as local gas jumps $1.50 a gallon from last year

May 19th, 2026

by Emma Quinn, Mon, May 18, 2026. Watch on CBS6Albany.

CAPITAL REGION, NY (WRGB) — Whether you’re hitting the road, hopping on a plane, or train this Memorial Day weekend, the cost of traveling has risen, and it’s bound to impact consumers’ wallets.

According to GasBuddy, prices for regular gas are up $0.04 since last week and up $0.52 since last month.

“It’s also $1.50 more per gallon today than a year ago,” said Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis. “But unfortunately, kind of a bitter start to the summer travel season with Memorial Day upon us.”
According to AAA, 45 million people are expected to travel for the holiday weekend.

“The fact is, as consumers are squeezed, right, folks were—well before this—people were already feeling the crunch,” added Justin Wilcox, Executive Director at Upstate United. “Their pocketbooks were already being impacted by high prices that really had not gone down.”

The price of diesel is impacting businesses around the country.

“The average price for diesel right now in Albany is about $5.91 a gallon,” said De Haan. “It’s almost $2 a gallon more expensive this year for diesel than last year; the average price for diesel a year ago in Albany was only $3.73.”

“That is impacting businesses that will impact restaurants, that will impact hotels, that will impact airlines,” said Wilcox. “We’re seeing, you know, truckers impacted, of course, with the price of diesel—that those costs get passed along to consumers as they go shopping.”

Experts say prices could hit a multi-year high if tensions with the Strait of Hormuz continue.

“Diesel powers much of the U.S. economy, from tractors to trains and trucks that deliver your groceries to the grocery store. It’s likely to push upward pressure on many of those household items and food expenses that Americans are experiencing,” added De Haan.

There are ways to save a dollar here and there. You can use apps like GasBuddy to find the lowest prices in your area.

De Haan says taking stuff out of your trunk can make your vehicle lighter, and checking your tire pressure can use less energy.

“Taking it a little bit easier would increase your fuel efficiency—reduce your rate of acceleration and reduce how fast you go on the highway. Even a five- to ten-mile-an-hour reduction in your speed can boost your efficiency 10 to 20%,” said De Haan.