The unofficial start of summer is upon us, and many of us want to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend.
Compounding matters is that this edition of Memorial Day comes on the heels of a year-plus of unprecedented lockdowns, so the mad rush may be even madder. But take a breath, mask on or off, and make sure you hit the road at the right time.
Given that vaccine excitement is in the air, the usual holiday travel is expected to be much busier than last year. According to USA Today, AAA reported that, despite lingering pandemic concerns and the recent uptick in gas prices, more than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home between this Thursday and Monday. While it’s a 60% jump compared to last year, it is still six million people fewer than the pre-pandemic Memorial Day weekend in 2019.
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So yeah, it’s not going to be pre-pandemic crazy, but still, it’s best to plan the best times to hit the highway.
Best Memorial Day weekend commute window
According to global mobility analytics company INRIX, the busiest times to drive out of town on Thursday and Friday will be between 2 - 6:30 p.mm, as that is the unsweet spot where the holiday commute meets regular rush hour traffic. The levels then will purportedly be near pre-pandemic. So if possible, plan to leave early in the day, and of course look for alternate routes that might be less packed.
INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue concludes that delays will even begin late on Wednesday as people try to get a jump on the holiday, and that those delays will continue through the weekend. Monday’s traffic shouldn’t offer as many slow-downs since most Americans have the day off, so the usual work congestion won’t be there.
“As more people get the COVID-19 vaccine and consumer confidence grows, Americans are demonstrating a strong desire to travel this Memorial Day,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.
Also the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing have apparently led to an increased desire to get out there and kick in the summer.
"Last year during this time,” said Pishue, “a lot of national parks, state parks, and other places ... had restrictions and limits to gatherings. In most areas, those things have either been lightened or removed completely."
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Worst time to travel in major cities:
As expected, the major metropolitan areas, like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc., will experience the worst delays. Below is a list of the most troublesome traffic areas including three cities within six hours of Philadelphia, and their expected delay times.
Atlanta:
Worst corridor: I-85 Clockwise; Highway 81 to Augusta Road
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 3 times a normal trip
Boston:
Worst corridor: I-95 South; MA-9 to Coney St
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 3-5 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 1.2 times a normal trip
Chicago:
Worst corridor: I-290 West; Morgan Street to Wolf Road
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 2:45–4:45 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 1.2 times a normal trip
Detroit:
Worst corridor: I-696 West; M-10 to US-94
Worst day: Friday, May 28
Worst time: 2-4 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 1.5 times a normal trip
Houston:
Worst corridor: I-69 East; I-610 to I-10
Worst day: Friday, May 28
Worst time: 3:15–5:15 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 3 times a normal trip
Los Angeles:
Worst corridor: I-5 South; Colorado Street to Florence Avenue
Worst day: Friday, May 28
Worst time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 2 times a normal trip
New York:
Worst corridor: I-95 West; US-130 to George Washington Bridge
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 1-3 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 5.4 times a normal trip
San Francisco:
Worst corridor: US-101 North; Golden Gate Bridge to I-580
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 5:45–7:45 PM
Delay multiplier: 1.8 times a normal trip
Seattle:
Worst corridor: I-5 South; WA-18 to WA-7
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 1.6 times a normal trip
Washington, D.C.:
Worst corridor: I-95 South; I-395 to VA-123
Worst day: Thursday, May 27
Worst time: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Delay multiplier: 1.1 times a normal trip
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