November 14th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
AAA Mid-Atlantic projects over 1.1 million Marylanders will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, a 4.6 percent increase from last year and the fourth consecutive year travel volume for the holiday has exceeded one million. This year’s forecast represents the highest travel volume since the 2005 Thanksgiving holiday.
The Thanksgiving holiday period is defined as Wednesday, November 21 to Sunday, November 25.
“As the economy continues to grow, along with wages, disposable income, and household wealth, many Marylanders are feeling enough confidence to not hold back on spending, which is evident by this year’s robust holiday travel forecast,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, Manager of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic.
2018 Projected Thanksgiving Holiday Travel – Maryland
|
Travel Mode |
Estimated # of Marylanders Traveling |
Percentage of Travelers |
Increase/Decrease Compared to 2017 |
|
Auto |
1,033,200 |
91% |
+4.7% |
|
Air |
82,100 |
7% |
+4.5% |
|
Other Modes |
21,900 |
2% |
+0.9% |
|
Total |
1,137,200 |
– |
+4.6% |
Record Volume Expected for Automobile Travel/ Best Times To Travel
Over one million Marylanders are expected to drive to their destination, a record number that also has exceeded the one million mark for Thanksgiving auto travel for the second time since AAA began tracking holiday travel back in 2001.
Based on historical and recent travel trends, INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with travel times starting to increase on Monday.
The best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday, as most holiday travelers will be making their way home after the long weekend.
INRIX identified 15 hotspots around the Baltimore Metro Area where drivers can expect to find the worst congestion during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period:
Baltimore
|
Rank |
Hotspot |
Direction |
|
1 |
MD-295 N @ I-195 |
Northbound |
|
2 |
MD-295 N @ MD-100 |
Northbound |
|
3 |
I-95 N @ MD-100/Exit 43 |
Northbound |
|
4 |
I-695 CCW @ Edmondson Ave/Exit 14 |
Counterclockwise |
|
5 |
I-95 N @ Boston St/Exit 57 |
Northbound |
|
6 |
I-695 CW @ MD-26/Exit 18 |
Clockwise |
|
7 |
MD-295 S @ MD-193 |
Southbound |
|
8 |
I-695 CW @ MD-41/Perring Pkwy/Exit 30 |
Clockwise |
|
9 |
I-695 CCE @ Greenspring Ave/Exit 22 |
Counterclockwise |
|
10 |
I-95 S @ MD-175/Exit 41 |
Southbound |
|
11 |
MD-3 N @ MD-175/Millersville Rd/Annapolis Rd |
Northbound |
|
12 |
I-895 N @ Harbor Tunnel Thwy (North) |
Northbound |
|
13 |
MD-295 S @ MD-450 |
Southbound |
|
14 |
I-95 N @ MD-22/Exit 85 |
Northbound |
|
15 |
I-695 CCW @ MD-45/York Rd/Exit 26 |
Counterclockwise |
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