Record numbers of Americans traveling and record jams on the road: That’s AAA’s prediction for the coming Independence Day weekend.
AAA says the growth to a record 46.9 million travelers is propelled by fairly stable gas prices and airfares, along with the holiday falling on a Wednesday, which means that many travelers will take extra days to make an out-of-town trip worthwhile. The holiday period for this year is defined as Tuesday, July 3 to Sunday July 8.
The projected breakdown puts 39.7 million on the road, up 5.1%; 3.8 million air travelers, up 7.9% (and the ninth consecutive increase) and another 3.5 million traveling by trains, buses and boats, up 5.8%.
For those on the road, AAA has turned to transportation analytics company INRIX for estimates of the effect on traffic in major cities, identifying the worst times and how many times normal it will take to get where you’re going.
