Worst Time To Leave Town: PA Labor Day 2019 Travel Guide

PENNSYLVANIA — Millions of drivers are expected to hit the roads this Labor Day Weekend across Pennsylvania and the greater Philadelphia area. The number of drivers on the road from Friday, Aug. 30 through Tuesday, Sept. 3 is expected to be a good bit higher this year than last year, according to multiple agencies.

When is the worst time to travel? The answer is, pretty much any time on Friday, Aug. 30, when an estimated 760,000 vehicles are expected to be on the Pennsylvania Turnpike alone. If you must travel Friday, Friday afternoon will be the worst time; traveling later could save you a measure of frustration.

To dive into this even deeper, PennDOT has launched a Labor Day travel tool that allows motorists to look at historic traffic patterns to determine the best time to leave. The tool brings up a video that shows a map of your area of travel, displaying how the severity of traffic has changed with time of day, historically.

To access the tool, see here.

“Our goal is to help motorists plan ahead by providing them with as much information as possible,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said in a statement. “By combining historical travel data with real-time, traffic speed information, drivers can be aware of traffic conditions and choose the route that best works for them.”

A total of 3.6 million vehicles are expected to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike throughout the weekend. That marks a 1.6 percent increase over last year. In order to help alleviate traffic, PennDOT, as well as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is suspending all maintenance work, and will have all available lanes open on main raods from 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29 through 11 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2.

Gas

Meanwhile, gas prices are dropping just in time for Labor Day. Prices have dropped about 25 cents from the high point this year in April, according to statistics released by AAA.

Prices were at $2.98 across Pennsylvania on Memorial Day, and are now down to $2.73 just before Labor Day. The difference is the five-county greater Philadelphia area is $3.01 to $2.77.

That marks the cheapest rate of the last three years, AAA said, and more than 25 cents cheaper than 2018.

However, it also means it's yet another reason that more drivers will likely be on the roads this year than last year.

SEPTA

SEPTA will be operating under a special schedule for the Made in America festival, offering special late night regional rail service. For details and a full schedule, see SEPTA online.

Additionally, on Labor Day, all buses, trains, and trolleys will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Weather

The weather for the greater Philadelphia area looks good. There is a slight chance of showers late Sunday and there could be rain Monday, but temperatures will be mild with clear skies for most of the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

>>Coolest Stretch In Months Hits Philly Area Ahead Of Labor Day

Here is the NWS forecast:

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Southwest wind around 11 mph.

Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 7 mph.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Light northeast wind.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. East wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Labor Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

If you're flying

Those using the roads over the holiday weekend include those headed to airports, and a report by Airlines for America (A4A) projects U.S. airlines to carry an average of 2.51 million passengers per day during the week-long travel period, with Friday, Aug. 30, expected to be the busiest day of the period, (2.98 million passengers flying aboard U.S. carriers), followed by Thursday, Aug. 29, with 2.82 million passengers. On Labor Day itself, 2.71 million passengers are expected on U.S. carriers.

The A4A report also said it expects a record 17.5 million passengers to travel on U.S. airlines worldwide during the week-long Labor Day travel period, from Aug. 28 through Sept. 3. That represents a 4 percent increase from the 16.9 million passengers estimated to have flown during the same holiday period last year.

"With fares at historic lows and customer satisfaction at historic highs, travelers continue to take to the skies in record numbers," A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich said, in a report.

Even as U.S. airlines cope with the reduction of more than 300 daily flights due to the grounding of the 737 MAX, they are adding 109,000 seats per day to their schedules to accommodate the additional 95,000 daily passengers expected during the Labor Day travel period.

What's open, closed

Schools, government buildings, shipping services and banks will be closed Monday, Sept. 2, among other select businesses and services. Several restaurants and other spots will be open, so make sure to check hours before heading out.

DUI Patrols

DUI patrols and crackdowns are planned throughout the region, including publicly announced patrols in Bucks County and parts of Montgomery.

>>Roving DUI Patrols Set In Bucks Co. For Labor Day Weekend

Safety

State police are urging drivers to use caution, and to plan their travel ahead of time to avoid distracted or drowsy driving.

In addition, authorities remind the public to keep an eye out for emergency workers responding to help other motorists.

“We have seen a very active summer travel season and will have additional patrols on the roadway this weekend to assist motorists and keep travelers safe,” Corporal Holly Reber-Billings, PA State Police, Troop T, said in a statement. "Please remember to move over and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and tow trucks stopped along the roadway providing assistance to motorists. It is the law and it protects those who are working close to traffic."

If you're involved in an accident, authorities offer the following tips:

• Pull as far out of the active lanes of traffic as possible.
• Stay in your vehicle. If on the Turnpike, call *11 on a cell phone to alert the PA Turnpike Operations Center to your location and need for assistance. Call 911 otherwise.
• Green mile markers are located every .1 miles in the median of the PA Turnpike, pay attention to your location at all times so you can tell the dispatcher where you are in an emergency.
• Under no circumstance should you exit your vehicle on a major highway when close to or in active lanes of traffic.

With additional reporting from Patch correspondent Rebecca Bream