Ohioans traveling in record numbers
Nearly 4.5 million Ohioans are expected to be among a record 107.3 million Americans traveling more than 50 miles from home in this yearend holiday week, according to AAA.
The projected 3.6 percent increase in Ohio travelers would make this the ninthstraight year of increasing holiday travel.
AAA attributes the increase to steady economic growth and a lower unemployment rate, said Kimberly Schwind, spokeswoman for AAA Ohio Auto Club.
“More people are confident in the economy, so we see more people spending money on things like travel,” she said. “And that is the reason we continue to see travel increasing, not only for this holiday but, really, across the board.”
More than 90 percent of those 4.5 million Ohioans are expected to drive, according to AAA.
The motor club suggests avoiding routes through major cities during peak traffic hours, warning that travel
times in some areas could be three times longer than normal.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is aware of the expected record-setting number of travelers. The department plans to remove as many orange barrels and open as many lanes as possible to allow improved traffic flow, ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning said.
Still, drivers on Interstate 71 near the South Side should expect lane shifts in areas due to roadwork, according to ODOT. Roadwork on sections of Interstate 75 is restricting the number of lanes in several spots in the Toledo, Findlay and Cincinnati areas.
In the past, Ohio has typically seen a 37 percent increase in traffic in the days surrounding Christmas, and a 33 percent increase around New Year’s Day, Bruning said.
The holiday season also brings an increase in impaired driving, said Lt. Robert Sellers, spokesman for the State Highway Patrol. Ten fatal crashes resulted in 13 deaths in Ohio between Dec. 23 and 26, 2016, he said. Last December, 781 people died across the country in crashes involving impaired drivers.
“What we know about the holiday season is that it can be a deadly one,” Sellers said. “Enjoy the holidays, but be responsible. It is not worth injuring or killing yourself or somebody else.”
ODOT suggests that travelers plan their routes, buckle up and stay attentive on the road. The department’s website and app OHGO give real-time updates on traffic and roadwork zones.
The nation’s average price of regular unleaded gasoline on Christmas Day, Monday, is projected to be $2.39 per gallon, the highest since 2013, according to a GasBuddy report. The national average was more than $3 per gallon on each Christmas Day between 2010 and 2013.
At midday Thursday, Ohio’s average price was $2.38 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.
In Columbus, the National Weather Service forecasts an 80 percent chance of rain showers Friday night, with a low temperature of about 41 degrees. More showers are expected before 3 p.m. Saturday. Snow flurries are possible later in the day, but little to no accumulation is expected.
Sunday in Columbus is forecast to be cloudy, with a chance of snow between 2 and 10 p.m., according to the weather service. The temperature is expected to drop to 21 overnight.
No precipitation is forecast for Monday through Jan.2.
Still, Bruning said that ODOT will be watching the roads in case those forecasts change.
“Whatever Mother Nature throws our way, we’ll be ready for it, even over the holidays,” he said.