Traffic congestion on I-95 northbound near exit 2 in Greenwich, Conn.
File / Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut MediaFourth of July is approaching, and the American Automobile Association is predicting high travel volume. AAA’s 2022 Independence Day Travel Forecast predicts travel numbers just shy of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
AAA reports that around 49.7 million people in the U.S., including around 2.7 million New Englanders, are expected to travel 50 or more miles from their homes from June 30 – July 4. With an increase of over 1.4 million travelers this year, AAA anticipates this Fourth of July to be the second busiest since 2000.
“The volume of travelers we expect to see over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear,” Lloyd Albert, senior vice president of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast said in “Your AAA Magazine Today”.
Despite gas prices in CT averaging about $4.814 a gallon, AAA reports that car travel will set a new record, with an estimated 42 million travers on the road. Out of New England’s anticipated 2.7 million holiday travelers, 2.4 million will be traveling by car.
These record-high numbers for car travel are likely due to the increase in flight delays and cancellations resulting from short-staffed airlines, pilot protests as well as the increase in recent summer thunderstorms, causing many travelers to opt to drive rather than fly. As a result, the share of Independence Day travelers by air is the lowest it has been since 2011.
“Traveling by car does provide a level of comfort and flexibility that people may be looking for given the recent challenges with flying,” Albert said.