You’ll have company on your holiday trip
AAA projects a record 107.3 million holiday travelers, heavy congestion
A record 107.3 million people will travel to celebrate year-end holidays, braving roads with up to three times the average congestion in big cities, according to a AAA forecast Thursday.
Holiday travel already set records this year for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving, according to AAA. The auto club said the projected 3.1% increase in travel from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1 would represent the ninth consecutive year-end rise.
Most travelers will jump in cars, with 97.4 million hitting the road, according to AAA. Another 6.4 million will fly somewhere. And trains, buses and cruise ships will carry 3.6 million.
More travel comes as the economy is growing and gas prices are falling. The 3.3% annual growth rate of gross domestic product in the third quarter was the biggest gain since the same period in 2014, according to the Commerce Department.
The national average price for a gallon of gas dropped two cents this week to $2.46, AAA said Monday. East Coast and Midwest states saw the largest price drops — as much as 6 cents. But a small number of states with historic volatility saw hikes, including Indiana at 11 cents a gallon, Michigan at 8 cents and Ohio at 4 cents.
Drivers can expect prices to continue to drop heading into the holidays as supply strengthens and gasoline demand weakens, according to AAA.
According to Inrix, a company that analyzes transportation data, the heaviest road congestion in the biggest cities will be in the afternoons the Wednesday or Thursday before Christmas:
New York City from 3:30 to 5:30 on Dec. 20, which will have three times the usual traffic.
Los Angeles from 3:30 to 6 on Dec.
20, which will have two-and-a-half times the usual.
Washington from 3 to 6 on Dec. 21, which will have two-and-a-half times the usual.
San Francisco from 3 to 5:30 Dec.
20, which will have twice the usual. Chicago from 4 to 6 on Dec. 21, which will have twice the usual.
“With record-level travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in major metros,” said Graham Cookson, chief economist and head of research at Inrix. “Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak times altogether or consider alternative routes.”
Nationwide, the worst time generally to drive will be Dec. 22 from 3 to 5 p.m., according to Waze, the communitybased navigation app, based on a review of driver insights from last year.
Trips to grocery stores spike 61% for last-minute shopping around the holidays, compared with average traffic during the previous four weeks, according to Waze.
Requests for help reaching movie theaters spike 130% on Christmas day, Waze said. But Dec. 25 traditionally has the least traffic from Dec. 22 through Jan. 4, according to the app.
Airlines projected a record 51 million travelers during a broader holiday season (Dec. 15 through Jan. 4) than AAA’s projection.
The busiest flying days, with about
2.7 million passengers each, will be Dec.
21, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26, according to Airlines for America, a trade group that represents most of the largest carriers.
The lightest days, with about 2.25 million passengers each, are projected to be Dec. 16, Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, according to the group.
The Transportation Security Administration offered travel tips with packing reminders for the holidays.
Wrapped gifts aren’t prohibited, but officers may need to look inside a box that contains a suspicious item. Packing wrapped presents along with containers of liquids larger than a snow globe in checked luggage will avoid slowing down checkpoint lines.
Toys that resemble weapons in an Xray such as toy guns or swords can lead to evacuations, so TSA recommends packing them in checked luggage, too.
Holiday treats can be tricky. Solid items such as turkey, cake, pie or cookies are allowed in carry-on bags. But pourable or spreadable items larger than 3.4 ounces fall under restrictions against larger containers of liquids, which must be checked.
Travelers can ask questions through Twitter at @AskTSA or Facebook Messenger from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays.