Thanksgiving is only a week away, which means soon airports
and roads are going to be clogged with holiday traffic. And the AAA is
predicting that a record number of Americans are going to be traveling during for
the holiday. That means millions of people will be on the move, and if you’re
one of them, it’s time to come up with a plan.
While airports will be busy, the majority of American’s will
be driving to their destinations. If you’re one of them it may be too late to
avoid the drive, but we can help you avoid many of the crowds.
AAA has released a guideline of the worst times to travel,
as well as what cities are expected to have the most traffic, including
specific roads. This year Tuesday is looking to be the worst day for travel,
particularly around rush hour. Not only will people hit rush hour traffic, they
will hit holiday traffic as people get an early start to their weekends.
Traffic delays could be up 300% in some cities. Click here
for a detailed list. If you can get on the road sooner, do it, otherwise you
may be better off waiting until closer to Thanksgiving if you want to avoid
traffic.
Longer commutes are important for people traveling via
train, plane, or bus as well, as traffic delays can make you late. Give
yourself extra time for traffic, and because airports and stations are going to
be busier than usual.
And what about heading home? Getting an early morning start
on Black Friday is your best bet for avoiding the crowds. By Saturday afternoon
roads will again be crowded with people heading home. If you can stay an extra
day and head home Monday, you may have less traffic as your reward.
If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, accept that you are
going to run into worse traffic than usual. That is inevitable. Please drive
safe, and be kind to the others on the road with you.