Worst Day On Roads, When To Avoid Holiday 2017 Gridlock

WHEATON, MD — Maryland and DC families will join a record number of Americans expected to travel during the year-end holiday period by car, air and train as they head to their destinations, the American Auto Association says. If you want to avoid "getaway gridlock," don't be on the roads Thursday, Dec. 21. Some 107 million Americans will travel as the year comes to a close, marking the highest year-end travel volume on record.

A total of nearly eight million people living in Maryland, Virginia and the Washington metro area will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday travel period. Of that number 7.2 million of those travelers will drive to their Christmas and New Year’s Eve holiday destinations.

“Forty-four percent of the Washington metro area’s 6,131,977 residents plan to take a trip for the Christmas/New Year’s holiday travel period with 91 percent of them traveling by vehicle. The busiest travel days will be December 20 and 21 during rush hour as holiday travelers and people going home from work converge on local highways," said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs, in a news release.

They will depart on some of the busiest routes in the entire nation. AAA, which partnered with transportation analytics company INRIX, predicts travel times during the holiday week could be as much as three times longer than the normal trip.

The greatest amount of travel delays in the greater Washington area are expected Thursday, Dec. 21, projections by INRIX and AAA show. Thursday, coincidentally, is also the busiest travel day for airline passengers during the holiday period.

The worst hours for absolute getaway gridlock –between 3 and 6 p.m. Thursday – are the same hours that regular commuters mix with holiday travelers on their getaway trips, AAA says in its news release. "Travel times on area arterials will elongate by two and a half times during those three hellish hours. Traffic delays will lengthen and frustrations will mount," AAA says.

Road Travel

Here's what AAA projects to be the worst travel times for major metro areas:

Washington, DC

Worst day and time for travel: Thursday, Dec. 21, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Travel time could be as much as two and a half times longer than the normal trip.

Air Travel

For those traveling by air, TSA is expecting to screen more than 40 million passengers and crew through Jan 2. Passengers should plan to be at the airport two hours prior for a domestic flight and three hours prior for an international flight.

The TSA is also reminding passengers of new screening procedures being introduced in all airports. The new procedures involve requiring passengers to place electronic devices larger than a cellphone in bins for X-Ray screening.

The TSA marks the holiday travel period as between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2. The busiest travel days for air are expected to be Dec. 21 and Dec. 22. The Tuesday through Friday after Christmas and the Tuesday after New Year's Eve are also expected to be busy.

Whether you're flying out of Dulles Airport or Reagan National Airport, officials have some tips to keep the hassles to a minimum. Airport authorities say they are prepared for a record holiday travel season that wraps up on New Year's Day. For those traveling to and through airports in the Washington, DC, region, the expected increase in air traffic means more congestion on airport roadways and inside airport terminals.

Passengers traveling with gifts are advised not to wrap the gifts because agents will need to unwrap them in case they trigger an alarm.

Minimize Your Wait

• Prepare for new screening procedures – The TSA is implementing new screening procedures which require passengers to remove electronic devices larger than a cell phone from carry-on baggage. The TSA also recommends placing food items in bins for easier screening. Pack your carry-ons accordingly by putting items like electronics, toiletries and food in easily accessible places.
• Enroll in a trusted traveler program – Trusted traveler programs like TSA Pre✓® and CLEARprovide passengers an easy alternative to standard screening procedures and speed-up the security screening process. If traveling abroad, consider enrolling in Global Entry or using Mobile Passport to expedite Customs processing upon your return.

General Airport Tips

• Re-confirm the status of your flight with your airline before arriving at the airport.
• Expect full flights and full luggage bins on board.
• Bring government-issued I.D. for all adult travelers and passports for all travelers on international trips.
• Keep valuables out of plain sight and pack them in carry-on luggage only. Remember to lock cars and take the key.
• Leave gifts unwrapped until after the flight.

Travel booking website KAYAK has a feature on its app (for both iOS and Android devices) that lets you check the estimated security line wait times, which is collected through real-time feedback from app users and the TSA website. For more travel tips, check out the TSA holiday travel blog.

Health Tips

Dr. David Barlas, an emergency room physician at NYU Langone, says the best trip is a safe trip. Barlas spoke with Patch and offered a few simple trip for a safer travel experience.

He says one of the most important things for travelers to have on hand is a photo of both their medical history and of any medications they may be taking. The best way to do this is to take a photo on a cellphone of both your medical history and of any pill bottles. He also recommends having your doctor's phone number on hand.

Travelers should also carry antihistamines for potential allergic reactions. Those traveling with children can carry liquid antihistamines but should check with their pediatricians about dosage, Barlas said. The plus side to liquid antihistamines is that adults can also take them.

Those prone to severe allergic reactions who have been prescribed an EpiPen should have the device on hand.
Carrying pain relievers like Tylenol and Advil is also a good idea.

Travelers with a history of heart problems or those over 50 should also carry a copy of an EKG with them, Barlas said. In emergency situations, it's useful to have one on hand to compare to a current EKG.

For emergency situations, Barlas says it's also useful to have a contact listed as ICE (in case of emergency) on one's phone as EMTs look for this information. Contacts listed as "mom" "dad" "wife" etc. are also useful for this purpose.

One of the final things Barlas recommends is carrying any medications in their original bottles, especially when traveling to a foreign country. Anyone with any unusual medications for things like chronic pain or seizures should carry a note from their doctor as the substances may be illegal in a foreign country.

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