Gas prices are silver lining during weakened economy

FILE - In this May 28, 2010 file photo, the rush hour commute starts in early afternoon and with greater intensity as traffic is jammed in both directions on Interstate 405 on the Westside of Los Angeles as commuters and vacationers hit the road. More Americans will hit the road this holiday weekend than a year ago. And they'll have a little extra money to spend thanks to lower gas prices. About 30.7 million people will drive more than 50 miles on vacation for Memorial Day, according to auto club AAA. That's 400,000 more than a year earlier, a jump AAA attributes to improvement in the economy and consumer sentiment. The number of holiday travelers grows to 34.8 million when you throw in planes, trains and other means of transportation, a 1.2 percent increase from 2011.(AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)