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PHILADELPHIA, PA – Nearly 650,000 residents of the Philadelphia area are expected to embark on the roads and the skies on Thanksgiving Day – a record since 2005.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the number of people in the five Philadelphia counties traveling more than 50 kilometers for vacation will increase by about 5% from 2017. The holiday travel period runs from Wednesday, Nov. 21 to Sunday. November 25.
"Since Thanksgiving, we will see most Americans waste time visiting family and friends since 2005," said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Jana L. Tidwell. "A strong economy and a strong job market generate higher wages and more disposable income, allowing more confident consumers to spend on vacation trips this holiday season."
The vast majority of these Philly travelers, 89%, will be on the road – an increase of 5.1% over last year.
The increase in the number of travelers from eastern Pennsylvania is comparable to that seen throughout the country on the occasion of Turkey Day.
Nationally, AAA projects predict that 54.3 million Americans will drive 50 km or more, an increase of 4.8% over last year.
AAA and INRIX, a global transportation analysis company, predict that travel times in the most congested cities in the United States during the holiday week could be up to four times longer than the optimal commute.
The worst places to travel
According to AAA, the worst times to travel this week will be the evening commute times. It is then that the people who are still working will start to mingle with the travelers who take the road for Thanksgiving.
And, as local drivers know, some areas become rougher than others. Here are the 10 hotspots of Thanksgiving traffic in the Philadelphia area, according to AAA:
- I-295 S @ I-76 / Exit 26 (Camden County, NJ)
- I-76 E @ Belmont Avenue / Exit 338 (Montgomery County)
- I-76 W @ PA-320.Gulph Road / Exit 330 (Montgomery County)
- I-76 W @ Montgomery Drive / Exit 341 (Philadelphia County)
- I-95 S @ US-322 / Exit 2 / Exit 3 (Delaware County)
- I-476 N @ US-1 / Exit 5 (Delaware County)
- PA-309 S @ Stump Road (Montgomery County)
- US-202 N @ US-1 / Baltimore Pike (Delaware County)
- I-95 N @ Aramingo Avenue / Richmond Street (Philadelphia County)
- I-476 S @ I-95 (Delaware County)
"Operation Safe Holiday"
With roads overcrowded, the state of Pennsylvania prepares to ensure the safety of drivers and their passengers.
"Operation Safe Holiday" targets impaired driving and other security risks.
PennDOT data shows that the winter holiday season leads to an increase in traffic accidents. In 2017, there were 1,615 accidents and 13 deaths in the Philadelphia area during the travel periods for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.
According to PennDOT, 184 of these collisions and 9 deaths involved drunk or impaired drivers.
"We want to encourage everyone to drive safely and sober this holiday season," said Kenneth M. McClain, senior executive of District 6 of PennDOT. "It's the time of year to keep good memories, no time to be jailed, injured or even killed because you have decided to drive drunk."
PennDOT offers the following tips for vacation trips:
- If you decide to drink, make sure you have a non-drinker friend as a designated driver or arrange another means of transportation.
- Decide that you are a designated driver who does not drink alcohol and do not let your friends drive while impaired.
- If you have drunk and you do not have a designated driver, call a taxi, use a carpool service or public transit.
- If you are organizing a party, never allow your guests to leave unless they return home with a sober driver.
- Always wear your seatbelt, whether you are a passenger or designated driver who is not drinking.
The Pennsylvania State Police and hundreds of municipal police departments will be present to try to maintain safe roads, PennDOT said.
For more information on Operation Safe Holiday and PennDOT's other security initiatives, visit PennDOT's security website.
Photo via Shutterstock
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