Record holiday travel excpected as people take to the sky, roads for July 4

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — It’s getaway day — or one of them anyway — and for a lot of people in the Philadelphia area, that means a road trip or maybe to the Jersey Shore or the Poconos.

The busiest travel days are expected to be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Travelers can try to avoid peak travel the next two days, which is likely between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. when the afternoon commute mixes with people getting out of town.

In Philadelphia’s five-county area, more than 972,000 residents are predicted to travel during this July 4 holiday period, which is up 5% from last year.

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Nearly 83% of those will be traveling by car. In Pennsylvania, gas prices are roughly the same as this time last year and nowhere near the highs from two summers ago.

Airports are also busy, with around 10% of area travelers taking to the sky to get out of town. AAA says Tuesday is considered one of the busiest days for flying this holiday week.

Thankfully, things at Philadelphia Internation Airport are looking better after days of issues and delays due to severe weather in the region.

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There are fewer than 10 delays, and just three cancelations so far on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.

With more people able to work remotely, the traditional travel period has changed a little.

“The change people are traveling different and we are catching up with the times. Schools out for the season and families have the flexibility of remote work, so people are not tied to their jobs. They can work from anywhere therefore extending holiday travel longer than they typically have,” said Jana Tidwell, with AAA.

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