Memorial Day Traffic Will Be Worst In More Than Decade, AAA Says

The Memorial Day Weekend is expected to be the busiest in more than a decade for travelers in the Hudson Valley and around the nation.

AAA New York expects that Westchester County may see a busy travel weekend over Memorial Day.
Photo Credit: *Courtesy of Flickr user Sara Jay*

Zak Failla

05/26/2017 9:00 a.m.

Considered the unofficial start of the summer, this year’s holiday weekend should see nearly 40 million Americans traveling more than 50 miles away from home to celebrate, according to AAA officials. The projected 39.3 million travelers would be a million more than a year ago.

If projections hold true, this would be the busiest Memorial Day Weekend for traveling since 2005. It marks the third consecutive year of growth, despite gas prices continuing to rise. As of Thursday, the average price per gallon in New York was at $2.52, with a national average of $2.37, up 14 cents from a year ago.

According to AAA Senior Vice President Bill Sutherland, the expected uptick in travelers is representative of the industry continuing its positive growth.

“The expected spike in Memorial Day travel mirror the positive growth seen throughout the travel industry this year,” he said. “Higher confidence has led to more consumer spending, and many Americans are choosing to allocate their extra money on travel this Memorial Day.”

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