Has COVID-19 canceled your summer vacation?
For the first time in over a decade, AAA is projecting a drop in the number of people traveling for summer vacation. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise given the pandemic, but the finer details include some interesting figures.
AAA anticipates Americans will take 707 million trips this season, down from 828 million over the summer in 2019, a 14.6% drop. But not all modes are dropping equally.
Car trips will only slip by 3.3% while air travel will fall 73.9%. Rail, cruise and other modes of travel were combined into a single category but are expected to plummet 85.5%.
I found it interesting that AAA doesn’t anticipate travel will drop more. Many attractions are still closed, including live concerts and sporting events. While some destinations like Disney World are scheduled to open, many would-be travelers may stay home given the surge of new cases in many states, including Florida, Texas and California. With millions of people unemployed, others may decide they can’t afford to travel.
I’m curious to hear from readers about what their plans are. Are you shifting to a staycation with day trips? Using the time off for home improvements? Or will you be sunning on Jersey Shore this Independence Day? If so, watch out for a new kind of tan line — you’ll be required to wear a face mask.
For what it’s worth, the last time AAA projected a drop in summer travel was back in 2009, when the country was still trying to escape the Great Recession. back on the road!
For the first time in ages, I’ll soon have an opportunity to bring back the popular radar gun readings, and it may be more eventful than ever. It’s no secret that during the past four months, speeding has shot up across the Lehigh Valley.
I suspect drivers are willing to push their luck because there have been fewer vehicles to slow them down. Whatever the cause, the results are undeniable. Police have noticed, and cellphone data reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission confirms it.
If you’re new to this exercise, here’s how it works. Send me an email (see the bottom of the column — email works best during this time of working remotely) explaining where you’d like me to scope out. Be specific. I’ll then show up with my radar gun and take readings for 15 minutes, making a note of how many cars are speeding. I’ll publish my findings toward the middle of next month.
There are some limitations. I can’t be everywhere at rush hour, so these will likely be during off-peak hours during the day when traffic is lighter. I also need a place to stand for my readings, meaning expressways like Route 22 and Interstate 78 won’t work.
You’re also welcome to send in questions about traffic, road construction or PennDOT frustrations. Here’s one sent in by reader about Route 22.
How did anyone in their right minds think that closing a lane 24/7 on Route 22 for weeks on end was a good idea? In all my years of living here, I’ve never seen a 24/7 closure. They’ve always done the work overnight. Even with reduced traffic, this still causes unnecessary traffic. ~ Jason Bloomenthal, Allentown
If you haven’t been caught in the long line of traffic for this westbound project, consider yourself fortunate. I wound up driving east on Route 22 quite a bit last week, and westbound traffic was badly backed up. It was bad enough that I never attempted to head back on Route 22, opting instead for back roads.
The work is part of a $6.6 million project that involves milling, paving, adding new pavement markers and upgrading the guard rails between Route 191 in Bethlehem Township and 25th Street in Palmer Township. The Route 33 ramps on the Route 22 interchange will also be getting some muchneeded attention.
As Jason noted, projects like this are almost always limited to weekends and overnight work. However, with traffic levels down significantly from the pandemic, PennDOT gave permission for road crews to shut down a lane and work during the day, said PennDOT spokesman Ron Young. He said the work on Route 22 west is on pace to wrap up by 6 a.m. July 3.
But that still leaves work on Route 22 east, which should start in mid or late July. It’s unclear if PennDOT will repeat the daytime shutdowns. Young said PennDOT staff is evaluating traffic and will make that decision soon.
I won’t play Monday morning quarterback and second-guess PennDOT’s decision to attempt the lane closure in the first place. Traffic had dropped to levels not seen in decades, and construction projects had been delayed for weeks by the pandeimc. It was worth a shot, and the daytime construction has quickened the turnaround time.
That said, I don’t think I would recommend attempting this again. As the region shifts into the green phase, we’ll be seeing more people return to the road.
It’s been particularly troublesome with some of the other construction projects underway. Drivers trying to avoid traffic on Route 22 may turn to Route 248 instead. I know I’ve done that, only to get caught in the detour for bridge work in Upper Nazareth Township.
Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610-820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com.