1.2 Million MA Residents Expected to Travel for Independence Day
Sunday, June 24, 2018
GoLocalWorcester News Team
1.2 million MA residents expected to travel for Independence Day |
“This Independence Day will be one for the record books, as more Americans take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways than ever before. Confident consumers with additional disposable income will look to spend on travel this holiday, building on an already busy summer travel season,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Legislative Affairs.
Overall, AAA projects that 46.9 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles during the holiday, an increase of over 5% from last year.
By the Numbers: 2018 Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast
- Of the 49.9 million travelers, a record 1.25 million will come from Massachusetts.
- The vast majority of travelers – 39.7 million – will hit the road this Independence Day, 5.1 percent more than last year. For only the second time ever, travelers by car from Massachusetts will top the 1 million mark, approaching 1.1 million.
- A record-breaking 3.8 million people will travel by air, a 7.9 percent increase and the ninth consecutive year of air travel volume increases.
- A total of 3.5 million passengers will travel by trains, buses and cruise ships, up 5.8 percent over 2017.
Traffic
According to the global transportation analytics company, INRIX, drivers will experience the worst congestion over the holiday week on Tuesday, July 3 in the late afternoon – as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers.
In Boston, for example, estimates are that Tuesday between 3:30-6:30 pm, travel will be 1.8 times longer than usual.