Californians traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday will face frustrating crowds and congestion, whether they travel by car, plane, or train.
The worst spot in California on Wednesday night was for cars heading north on Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, with travel times expected to double to nearly four hours, according to traffic analysis firm INRIX. That’s what it means.
The Automobile Club of Southern California projects that 6.6 million Californians will travel 50 miles or more this holiday, an increase of 2.8% from the 2023 travel season and compared to pre-pandemic 2019. It is said to increase by 3.3%. INRIX expects Southern California traffic to spike Tuesday from 1 to 7 p.m., increasing travel times by an average of 38 percent, the auto club said in a release.
Roads are expected to be empty on Thanksgiving Day until travelers head out again after the holidays.
Nationally, approximately 80 million Americans are expected to travel between Tuesday and next Monday, setting a new record, AAA said in a release. AAA extended the typical holiday travel period to include the Tuesday before the holiday and the Monday after the holiday, breaking past holiday estimates that only covered Wednesday through Sunday.
Remnants of an atmospheric storm that hit the state brought rain to start the week, potentially making roads slick for motorists across Southern California on Monday and Tuesday. National Weather Service meteorologists said travelers can avoid the rain by leaving on Wednesday or Thursday morning when roads and skies are dry.
The California Department of Transportation advises drivers to check their vehicles for maintenance issues before setting off, avoid texting and other distractions, allow plenty of time to get to their destination, and drive safely. I suggested bringing a cell phone charger for use.
Amtrak also expects a surge in travelers at train stations before the holidays. More than 50,000 people used Los Angeles Union Station between November 18 and 26 last year, an increase of 35% from 2022, the statement said. Based on Amtrak’s 132,000 riders last year, the busiest day to ride the train would be Sunday. Amtrak did not anticipate the number of rail riders this weekend.
LAX expects more than 2.2 million passengers to use the airport from Thursday through Monday, with Sunday being the busiest day, airport officials said in a release. Passengers must arrive 2 hours before departure time, or 3 hours for international travel, and reserve parking in advance to secure a parking space on days when parking is expected to reach capacity. there is.
But for those who got an early start to their vacation, work at the nation’s second-busiest airport was busier than usual on Monday, with unionized workers who clean planes and handle baggage demanding a pay hike. We held a demonstration at LAX in search of this. A protest at the airport on Monday was followed by a food drive for workers who cannot afford quality groceries or holiday meals due to low wages. The Los Angeles City Council has postponed a decision on raises for hotel and airport workers until December over concerns that raising wages could hurt the city’s tourism industry.
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