NEW YORK — More than 100 million Americans are planning to drive over the holidays, and officials are warning that everyone —truckers included — need to be prepared for slowdowns and bottlenecks.
According to a news release, AAA said it expects to respond to as many as 917,000 calls for help over the next several days.
Transportation analytics firm INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts only marginal delays overall throughout the holiday week. However, major metro areas across the U.S. could see more than double the delays versus typical drive times, with drivers in New York City likely to experience more than three times the delays.
“With kids out of school and many Americans taking extended time off for the holidays, drivers will experience incremental delays throughout the week. Although congestion will be overall lighter than normal, knowing when and where major delays will likely happen will help save time and reduce stress this holiday season,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX.
Outside of the New York City metro area, which is expected to see a traffic volume increase of nearly 400%, Washington, D.C. is expected to see more than 270% above normal traffic volumes, with peak congestion occurring between 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Dec. 27 along Interstate 95 South and Interstate 395 to VA 123, according to INRIX and AAA.
Boston is expected to be the least congested of the major metropolitan areas with just 155% over normal traffic volume.
Areas to watch out for in Boston at Interstate 93 north and Quincy Market to MA-28, AAA and INRIX predict.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
