Results tagged “thanksgivingtravel”

The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for travel, with roads and airports clogged with those heading for turkey, family, friends and relaxation. However, the economy has made some people rethink their travel plans. According to WCBS 2, "Thanksgiving travel plummeted a staggering 25 percent between 2007 and 2008, and many of those habits seem to be sticking this year. The number of people traveling is likely to stay about the same, inching up only by about 1.4 percent, according to an AAA prediction."

Today is considered the busiest travel day of the year, as people are flocking home and away for the Thanksgiving holiday. The AAA says that the number of travelers going at least 50 miles from home will be about 41 million, a 1.4% decline from last year and the "first decline in travelers since 2002." AAA spokeswoman Christie Hydge explained, "I think with the economy going downward, people are holding off on traveling." Still, NYC is preparing for the crush: The Port Authority is expecting 1.35 million passengers at the three airports this year, the MTA has its extra eastbound LIRR trains today, and the city's Department of Transportation has named this a holiday gridlock alert day and urges people to take public transit. In the immortal words of Frank Costanza, "Serenity now!"

The Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Day Eve have emerged as some of the busiest travel days of the year. While the media shows shots of crowded airports and train stations on the Wednesdays before Thanksgiving (like today), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that when personal vehicle travel is included into calculations, "Thanksgiving Day is actually a heavier long-distance travel day [to and from a destination more than 50 or more miles away] than...