Holiday travel in Ohio hits record high with nearly 5 million expected to travel

DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF) — A strong desire to travel has been driving holiday travel volumes all year, and the end of the year holiday travel season is no exception.

AAA projects 4.9 million Ohioans will travel over the 10-day year-end holiday travel period. A nearly 2.9% increase over last year, beating a pre-pandemic number and setting a new record.

“So it’s a slight increase, but we know up until the pandemic we were seeing this type of numbers,” said Kara Hitchens, manager, public and government affairs with AAA.

The previous record was 4.44 million set in 2019.

Hitchens spoke with Dayton 24/7 Now’s Jeffery Schrock on Thursday, and says most people prefer to drive to their destination.

“Driving gives a lot more people control over their trip when they leave or when they come back and stops along the way. If you’re flying, you’re on the airlines timetable as well if your taking a bus or a cruise or rail, you’re on their schedule,” Hitchens said.

AAA projects 7.85 million air travelers across the country this holiday season, surpassing 2023’s record of 7.5 million passengers.

In Ohio, that number is up also this year. More than 279,000 people will fly for the holiday, making it the busiest travel year since AAA began keeping track.

Hitchens says the national gas price average has been holding steady, hovering around at $3,03. In Ohio, price averages are close to the same, hovering around $3 a gallon. That typically doesn’t stop people from traveling, but may influence whether they drive or fly.

In the Dayton metro area, AAA says more than 403,000 people will be traveling.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says it works with contractors to remove as many work zones or open as many lanes in work zones, as possible. It encourages motorists to check ohgo.com or their app to plot out where those zones will impact your travels.

“You will still see work zones on I-75 through Dayton and Cincinnati, I-70/71 in downtown Columbus, I-70 on the east side of Columbus and in Zanesville, and we have a lot of work on I-76 and I-77 in Akron,” said Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary. “In addition to that, a reminder about the closure of southbound I-471 in Cincinnati that is diverting a lot of extra traffic onto other Ohio River crossings in Kentucky. We’re suggesting drivers looking to go through Cincinnati to instead consider using I-275 around the city.”

Law enforcement will also looking out to make travelers stay safe.

“Have a plan to get there and slow down are the two biggest things. There’s a lot other stuff that goes with that, bad weather, making sure your car has enough fuel in it in case you were to break down getting cold or stranded on the side of the road. Make sure people know where your going,” said Sgt. Gordon Cairns, Dayton Police Department Traffic Services Unit Supervisor.

AAA travel offers six tips to increase safety and reduce stress:

• Work with a Trusted Travel Advisor
• Book a Vehicle Checkup
• Expect Delays and Plan Accordingly
• Consider Travel Insurance
• Download the airline’s app.
• Map out your driving route.

AAA also reminds drivers that move over laws exist in all 50 states. AAA and other traffic safety advocates have been instrumental in the passage of laws to better protect tow truck drivers, road construction workers, and other first responders.

Ohio’s current move over law requires motorists to move over, and slow down when passing any vehicle displaying amber or yellow flashing signals/lights, including AAA tow operators.