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July 2, 2019

Record road, air travel expected for Independence Day weekend

Photo | Flickr via Jimmy Emerson
By Joe Cooper

A record 2.5 million New Englanders are expected to travel during the Independence Day weekend, according to AAA.

More than 85 percent of New England residents, or nearly 2.2 million people, will be traveling by car over the five-day span from Wednesday through Sunday, July 7, the national member association and service organization said. That would represent a 4.5 percent uptick compared to the same period in 2018.

AAA said roads will have the largest amount of congestion on Wednesday, as commuters will be attempting to get a jump on weekend travels.

The rise in traffic will be spurred by a strong economy and significantly lower gas prices vs. a year ago, said Amy Parmenter, spokesperson for AAA in Greater Hartford.

“People have more money in their pockets and they’ve decided to spend that money getting away,” Parmenter said.

HBJ Photo | Pablo Robles
A JetBlue airplane flies out of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.

Airports will also be crowded during Fourth of July celebrations this weekend, AAA said.

A record 191,000 people will be flying over the holiday weekend. AAA said the 6 percent increase over last year would result in the 10th consecutive year of increased air travel in the six-state region.

Buses, trains and cruise ships will also be busy. AAA estimates those transportation outlets will draw more than 154,000 New England travelers this weekend, showing a slight increase from last year.

AAA also expects its service trucks to be busy during the weekend.

The company is planning to respond to more than 4,000 calls for help over the holiday in Greater Hartford. 

In 2018, about half of calls required a tow, and hundreds were caused by dead batteries and tire issues. Another 500-plus calls came from members who locked themselves out of their vehicles.

AAA said its projections are based on economic forecasting and research by London-based business information provider IHS Markit. It’s forecast relied on measurements such as employment, output, household net worth, asset prices including interest rates, housing market indicators and other variables related to travel and tourism.

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