Memorial Day Weekend travelers hit the road in New York and New Jersey, airports busy

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Memorial Day Weekend travel is officially underway out on the roads, the rails, and also at New York-area airports.

The Port Authority expects 4.2 million people at its bridges and tunnels this holiday weekend, and 2.2 million people at its airports.

That accounts for flying and driving into and out of the New York area during the six-day travel peak, which began Thursday and lasts through Tuesday.

Overall some 38.4 million people are expected to travel on the nation’s highways and roads.

This is the first time travel on the road is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels.

The Port Authority held a news conference Wednesday ahead of the holiday weekend.

“We have stopped all non-emergency construction at all of our Hudson River crossings. We will be providing enhanced staff at all of our facilities, from path stations to the crossings to the airports,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Director, Port Authority.

If you are driving, the worst time with the most congestion on Friday is between noon and 7 p.m.

The best time to leave is before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

Gas prices are still up, although they have gone down a bit from a few weeks ago.

The national gas price average is $3.61/gallon.

New York is a bit higher than that at $3.68, New Jersey is $3.51, and Connecticut $3.67.

If you are flying, though, the Port Authority is urging people to take public transportation if you have the option to do so, pre-book your parking, and arrive a little bit earlier than you may for a typical weekend trip.

ALSO READ | Gov. Murphy calls Amtrak, NJ Transit suspensions ‘an unmitigated disaster’ in blistering letter

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