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AAA forecasting slight decline for Thanksgiving travel

Lots of people will be hitting the roads or heading to the airports this Thanksgiving, but not quite as many as last year.  AAA is forecasting more than 43 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this holiday.  That's a 1.5 percent drop from last year.  In Ohio, 1.6 million will be traveling, down 1.7 percent. 

Why the decrease in travel?  AAA spokeswoman Cheryl Parker says while the economy has been improving  it's still sluggish.

"With the (federal) shutdown earlier this year and the overall uncertainty about the economy in the minds of some consumers, there's a slight decline," said Parker.  "People aren't as confident as they were a year ago, so that's why we're seeing declines across the country."

The AAA forecast shows 37 percent of travelers are heading out today, making this the busiest day of travel during the holiday period.

If you're traveling by car, it won't cost you as much at the pump.  The local average price for a gallon of gas  is about 30 cents lower than last Thanksgiving.