Southern Californians can anticipate to see excessive wait instances on the airports and congested site visitors on the freeways through the holidays this yr.
And as a result of Christmas and New Year’s days each land in the course of the week, the weekends earlier than the vacations are anticipated to be the busiest instances to journey.
But the excellent news for highway warriors is that gasoline costs are down nationwide.
About 119.3 million folks will journey at the least 50 miles from residence between Saturday and Jan. 1 utilizing all modes of transportation, based on the American Automobile Assn. About 107 million vacationers — or 90%— are anticipated to be driving to their locations, which is 2.5 million greater than final yr.
This yr’s general journey projection breaks the final report journey set in pre-pandemic 2019 by 64,000 folks, based on AAA. The company expects 3 million extra vacationers this vacation season than final yr.
“This is the time of year when lifelong memories are made with loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” stated Stacey Barber, vp of AAA Travel. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday.”
Interstate 10 from Los Angeles to Palm Springs is predicted to take two hours and 53 minutes on Sunday if vacationers depart round 7:45 p.m. — an 81% improve from the standard drive time, based on a information launch from AAA .
The 113-mile trek from San Diego to Palm Springs may take greater than three hours on Friday if drivers depart round 6:15 p.m., based on AAA.
For the Bay Area, it may take as much as three hours to journey from San Francisco to Sacramento utilizing Interstate 80. From San Francisco to Napa, it’s anticipated to take practically two and a half hours for vacationers who depart Dec. 21, which is an 82% improve from the standard drive time.
“With a near record number of auto travelers expected this holiday season, drivers should expect delays in and around major metro areas, with Sunday, December 22 expected to be the nation’s worst day to travel,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, stated in a AAA information launch. “Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours during the week. If schedules allow, leave bright and early or after the evening commute.
Gas prices are expected to be lower this year compared with last year, when the national average was around $3.12, according to AAA. Demand for gas tends to decrease in December due to the frigid temperature, more remote work and the rise of online shopping. The national average as of Friday is $3.05 per gallon, according to the Auto Club. In Los Angeles, it is $4.36 per gallon, down from $4.70 a year ago.
Los Angeles is one of the cities with the highest rental demand for the holidays, with the busiest days for car pickup being Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, according to AAA car rental partner Hertz.
Northern California is expected to see a series of atmospheric river storms beginning over the weekend that could further complicate holiday travel.
“It’s going to be pretty messy, especially Monday and Tuesday if you’re trying to travel during those days,” National Weather Service meteorologist Dial Hoang stated. “In the North Bay especially, we expect pretty intense rain, increased flooding concerns and possibility for damaging wind gusts, mainly at the coasts and higher elevations.”
