Thanksgiving travel numbers rising to near pre-pandemic levels

Nov. 22—WILKES-BARRE — Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, this week said Thanksgiving travel volume is expected to reach near pre-pandemic levels (2019) this year — an indicator that travel demand is rebounding as people flock to the roadways, airways and more to be with family and friends.

"As we approach some of the busiest travel days of the year, AAA urges travelers to plan ahead and pack patience for a safe and stress-free travel experience," Tidwell said.

AAA defines the Thanksgiving holiday as the five-day period from Wednesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday Nov. 28.

Tidwell said AAA is projecting that more than 62,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend — an increase of nearly 2% over last year — falling just shy of pre-pandemic Thanksgiving travelers in 2019.

As usual, Tidwell said the great majority of those travelers will be driving to their holiday destinations. AAA is projecting that more than 55,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents (nearly 90% of local travelers) will be hitting the road, relatively flat (+0.8%) over last year.

AAA projects nearly 5,900 Wilkes-Barre area residents (nearly 9% of local travelers) will travel to their Thanksgiving holiday destination by air, an increase of more than 8% over last year due to COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.

Tidwell said the dramatic bounce back in travel compared to last year is in other modes of travel — cruise ships, busses, and trains. AAA projects travel by these modes of transportation will increase over 21% for Thanksgiving travel.

Pennsylvania highlights

holiday travel safety

With the busy holiday driving period just around the corner, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission came together at the PennDOT Regional Traffic Management Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in Harrisburg to remind drivers to wear their seat belts, drive sober, and eliminate distractions behind the wheel as they prepare to take to the road for Thanksgiving.

Regional Traffic Management Centers throughout the commonwealth serve as hubs where PennDOT traffic control specialists monitor a network of 1,000 traffic cameras to help keep roads open and traffic flowing.

"We can all do our part to avoid crashes by always wearing a seat belt, designating a sober driver, and never driving distracted," said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. "We want everyone to arrive at their holiday destinations safely, but when crashes do happen, PennDOT and first responders will work quickly to help the motorists involved and keep traffic moving."

Operation Safe Holiday kicked off on Nov. 14, with the "Click It or Ticket" Thanksgiving enforcement mobilization running through Nov. 27. Aiming to keep Pennsylvania's youngest travelers safe on the road, PSP will hold child safety seat fitting clinics at several locations across the state.

"Child safety seats reduce crash deaths and injuries, yet troopers cited 1,200 drivers last year for not having children secured. That is unacceptable," said Lt. Col. Jeremy Richard, Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Pennsylvania State Police. "Parents and caregivers attending our clinics learn how to install and use car seats properly, and our trained child passenger safety technicians will check your seat for recalls, all at no cost to you."

Pennsylvania law requires any occupant younger than 18 to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.

Throughout Operation Safe Holiday, law enforcement will also conduct sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols, and regular traffic safety patrols beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, through the New Year's holiday to crack down on drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol.

According to PennDOT data, during the 2021 holiday travel period beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and running through Jan. 2, 2022, there were 1,276 crashes involving an impaired driver, resulting in 41 fatalities.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike expects Thanksgiving to be the busiest travel holiday of the year with 3.5 million motorists traveling during the six-day period starting on Tuesday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 27. Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week will be the heaviest travel days, so travelers should plan their trips accordingly.

"We want all travelers to stay safe this holiday season," said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. "Holiday activities can increase our levels of stress and fatigue, and this can contribute to distracted driving. Other activities that take drivers' attention off the road, including talking or texting on cellphones, eating, turning your head to talk with passengers, and adjusting vehicle controls are major safety threats. Avoid doing that while driving. And most importantly, if you are tired it is crucial that you ask someone else to drive or take a rest before getting behind the wheel."

The public can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles in Pennsylvania by visiting www.511PA.com.

AAA's national

travel projections

The return of Philadelphia-area residents to near pre-pandemic Thanksgiving travel mirrors national trends.

AAA predicts that nearly 55 million people will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 1.5% from 2021, with nearly 90% (48.7 million) taking to the roads and 4.5 million travelers flying to their Thanksgiving destination, up nearly 9% over last year.

Gas prices

The national gas price average today is $3.66, just 22 cents higher than this time last year and the highest gas prices have been at this time of year since 2013.

Historically, higher gas prices have not kept travelers home. Instead, they adjust their budgets to spend less on other expenses such as meals or lodging.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.