AAA Projects Rise in Holiday Travel

AAA projects 48.7 million people are traveling this week, the most since 2007, and it’s no longer just for the weekend.

According to the American Automobile Association, upwards of 49 million people will be traveling at least 50 or more miles for Thanksgiving.

AAA says almost 1.1 million Hoosiers will hit the roads for Thanksgiving, up by more than 20,000 over 2015. The lowest prices were a year ago. As of November 23, the national average price for gasoline was $2.13 cents per gallon, only 8 cents more than the average price on Thanksgiving previous year ($2.05).

Moreno attributed the increase to improvements to the economy, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and increased consumer confidence.

Experts suggest starting your trek in the morning, when the roads will be less crowded.

– Amtrak expects more than 750,000 passengers will travel by train over the holiday, surpassing past year. NY ($2.37 per gallon) is not among those 12 states, but gas prices in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast continue to drop, AAA says.

Whether you’re planning to fly the friendly skies or take to the roads this Thanksgiving…

Mid-valley fuel prices did not top $2 per gallon until 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the southeast portion of the USA.

And some are learning the hard way that many travelers have the same idea.

Nationally – 3.69 million (7.6% of all travelers), a 1.6% increase from one year ago. So you want to make sure you travel early, don’t be in a rush.

Close to 50 million Americans are packing highways and airports this holiday weekend.

While officials say there will not be any temporary lane closures from Wednesday through Sunday, there will still be a high number of people traveling.

On Thursday and Friday, engineers expect heavier traffic on surface streets near shopping centers, he noted, which mean drivers should pay closer attention in those congested areas.