Millions projected to hit the roads for the holiday

<p>According to AAA, about 90 percent of travelers or 97.4 million will drive to their holiday destinations.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 22, 2017, 10:49 AM

Updated 2,486 days ago

Share:

Many Long Islanders are heading out today ahead of the long Christmas weekend, and travelers are expected to pack the roads, rails and runways.
AAA is projecting a record 107.3 million Americans will travel between Saturday and New Year’s Day.
About 90 percent of travelers, or 97.4 million people, will drive to their holiday destinations, despite the fact that year-end gas prices are the most expensive they’ve been since 2014.
Keith Randolph, of Amityville, says he's looking forward to seeing his family in New Jersey -- but not dealing with the extra cars on the road. 
"Leaving earlier is the best chance of getting out there because traffic is going to be crazy," says Randolph.
Officials say about 3.6 million travelers will take another form of transportation like a train or a bus, and another 6.4 million people are expected to fly.
AAA says holiday airfares are nearly 20 percent cheaper than last year.
To handle the holiday rush on Long Island, the LIRR added 13 additional eastbound trains for Friday afternoon.
If you are heading to LaGuardia Airport for a flight out of town, the airport has new traffic patterns due to renovations.