MA Holiday Travel Guide: AAA Predicts Record Number Of Travelers

WOBURN, MA -- Traffic forecasters at AAA have some advice for the one-in-three Americans who will travel this holiday season: don't leave on Thursday.

That is expected to be the worst pre-Christmas travel day heading into what will be a four-day Christmas weekend. AAA expects a total of 112.5 million people to travel this holiday season, up 4.4 percent from last year and more people than anytime since the automobile club began forecasting and tracking holiday travelers.

And it will be worst for drivers: of those 112.5 million travelers, 102 million will be making trips in cars. INRIX, the analytics firm which develops forecasts for AAA, said some trips could take four times as long as usual, depending on where you're going and when you leave.

"'Tis the season for holiday travel, and more Americans than ever will journey to spend time with friends and family or choose to take a vacation," said Bryan Shilling, managing director, AAA Travel products and services. "Strong economic growth fueled by robust consumer spending continues to drive strong demand for seasonal travel. With a record-breaking one-third of the country choosing to travel this holiday, roadways and airports are sure to be busy."

Fortunately, Patch has you covered. We'll update this story with the latest traffic news from now until you are safely tucked in wherever it is you are heading.

Live Traffic Map, Travel Alerts and Updates

Of the 2.45 million people in Massachusetts AAA expects to travel this holiday season, 2.1 million will do so by car. The map below shows real-time traffic condition courtesy of Waze. You can use the search box at the bottom of the map to customize it to your travel plans. We'll also update this section with news of major backups as we hear about them:

Other things to take note of before you hit the roads:

• Once you're on the road, you can dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions.
• MassDOT will suspecd roadwork between 12 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21, and the start of business on Wednesday, Dec, 26, as well as between 5 a.m., Friday, Dec. 28, and the start of business on Wednesday, Jan. 2.
• RMV customer service locations will be closed on the state holiday of Tuesday, December 25, and Tuesday, January 1, 2019.
• Free coffee will be served at more than a dozen service plazas along state highways from 10 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 25, through 5 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 26, and from 10 p.m., Monday, Dec. 31, through 5 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 1. These locations include service plazas along I-90 plus plazas along Route 3 in Plymouth, Route 128 in Beverly, Route 128/I-95 in Newton and Lexington, Route 6 in Barnstable, and the Route 24 northbound and southbound plazas.

I-93 HOV Lane

The I-93 HOV lane will operate on an adjusted schedule between Thursday, December 20 and Tuesday, January 1.

• On the Thursdays of December 20 and 27, the afternoon HOV lane will open one hour early at 2 p.m. and remain open until 8 p.m., with the morning HOV lane operating on a regular 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. schedule.
• On the Fridays of December 21 and 30, the afternoon HOV lane will open two hours early at 1 p.m. and remain open until 8 p.m. with the morning HOV lane operating on a regular schedule. On December 24, 25, and 31, the HOV lane will be closed.
• On Wednesday, December 26, the HOV lane will operate on a regular schedule. The HOV lane will resume normal operations on January 1.

Sumner Tunnel Swing Lane

The Sumner Tunnel Swing Lane will operate on an adjusted schedule between December 20, 2018, through January 2, 2019.

• The swing lane will open one hour early, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, and remain open until 8 p.m.
• On Friday, Dec. 21, the swing lane will open at 1 p.m. and stay open through the weekend and holiday until 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26.
• On Thursday, Dec. 27, the swing lane will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• On Friday, Dec. 28, the swing lane will open at 1 p.m. and remain open until 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2. The swing lane will then resume normal operations on Jan. 2.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Think you're smart because you booked a flight to avoid the highways? You might be in for even bigger crowds. AAA predicts 6.7 million are flying for the holidays, up 4.2 percent from last year and the most in 15 years. Another 3.7 million are traveling by bus, train or cruise ship, up 4 percent from a year

Here are some resources for air travelers coming to and leaving from Boston's Logan International Airport:

• Monitor www.massport.com for updated airline and airport information and Transportation Security Administration carry-on luggage regulations. The Massport website allows travelers to check flight status, parking conditions and public transportation options from their smartphone or tablet. Massport also encourages travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport for the most updated flight status and travel information

The MBTA will operate a normal, weekday schedule on Monday, Christmas Eve. The agency will operate on a Sunday schedule on Tuesday, Christmas Day, and run a normal, weekday service the remainder of the week. The one exception will be ferry service; see the MBTA holiday schedule for details.

Best Times To Leave

While Thursday is going to be the worst travel day nationally, locally, AAA says Wednesday will be the worst day. And the worst time to leave will be between 3:30 and 4:30 PM. You can expect trip times of up to 3.5 times longer than usual

"With a record-level number of travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in major metro areas," says Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. "Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours. If schedules allow, leave bright and early, or after the morning commute."

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).