As the most congested travel weekend of the year approaches, Americans are gearing up for a massive road trip. According to estimates by the American Automobile Association (AAA), a whopping 81.8 million Americans plan to hit the road between November 21 and Sunday, a staggering increase of 1.6 million from last year.
With nearly 90% of travelers opting to drive, highway crews are bracing for a long weekend of gridlock. INRIX, a transportation data firm, predicts that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will see the most congestion, while Thanksgiving Day will be relatively quiet, with Sunday being the busiest day after the holiday.
However, some regions are expected to be particularly plagued by traffic. The Philadelphia region is forecasted to reach critical levels of congestion at 2:15 pm on Sunday, when travel times on Interstate 95 South will increase by a whopping 85%. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is taking steps to mitigate the issue, suspending construction and maintenance work from Tuesday morning until 11 pm on Sunday.
Despite these efforts, some travelers are opting for alternative modes of transportation. With an estimated 6 million people predicted to take domestic flights this week, airlines may face a challenge in managing their schedules. The Philadelphia International Airport expects 1 million passengers between November 21 and December 2, with airport officials warning domestic travelers to arrive at the gate two hours before their scheduled departure time.
Interestingly, travel by other modes, such as buses, trains, and cruises, is up 8.5% this year, suggesting that some travelers are seeking alternatives to driving. As the country's roads become increasingly congested, it remains to be seen whether these alternative options will prove popular enough to alleviate the pressure on our nation's transportation system.
With nearly 90% of travelers opting to drive, highway crews are bracing for a long weekend of gridlock. INRIX, a transportation data firm, predicts that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will see the most congestion, while Thanksgiving Day will be relatively quiet, with Sunday being the busiest day after the holiday.
However, some regions are expected to be particularly plagued by traffic. The Philadelphia region is forecasted to reach critical levels of congestion at 2:15 pm on Sunday, when travel times on Interstate 95 South will increase by a whopping 85%. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is taking steps to mitigate the issue, suspending construction and maintenance work from Tuesday morning until 11 pm on Sunday.
Despite these efforts, some travelers are opting for alternative modes of transportation. With an estimated 6 million people predicted to take domestic flights this week, airlines may face a challenge in managing their schedules. The Philadelphia International Airport expects 1 million passengers between November 21 and December 2, with airport officials warning domestic travelers to arrive at the gate two hours before their scheduled departure time.
Interestingly, travel by other modes, such as buses, trains, and cruises, is up 8.5% this year, suggesting that some travelers are seeking alternatives to driving. As the country's roads become increasingly congested, it remains to be seen whether these alternative options will prove popular enough to alleviate the pressure on our nation's transportation system.
. seriously though, 81.8 million people hitting the road? that's a lot of cars on the road! and with most people driving, it's gonna be a long weekend of brake lights and honking horns 
. i feel for highway crews tho, they gotta deal with all this chaos 
.
. and airlines are like "help" because so many people are opting for flights instead of driving 
️. but hey at least some ppl r finding alternative modes of transport, buses, trains, cruises... let's hope they can help ease the pain a bit 
.
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that's like, half the population or somethin! i'm kinda worried about gridlock on the highways tho, especially in philly 
. but hey, at least some ppl r thinkin of alternative modes of transportation, like flights and buses... maybe it'll help take a bit off our roads 
. i remember when my fam used 2 take a road trip every summer and it was always such a blast... now i'd probably just take the bus or somethin 
, which is expected to cause some major traffic jams. I mean, 81.8 million Americans planning a road trip is crazy! 
it's just gonna be more traffic and parking issues ... and 6 mil people flyin at the same time? that's a recipe for disaster 
. But at the same time, I'm not sure if these alternatives will be enough to alleviate the traffic congestion.