By Alice Seeley
Despite sky-high gas and plane ticket prices, Americans are not slowing down travel for the Fourth of July weekend, According to AAA Americans. This Independence Day weekend is projected to be the second busiest in 22 years, with AAA predicting 47.9 million people traveling over the holiday weekend.
If AAA is correct, this will be a 3.7% increase from last year. Surprisingly, AAA forecasted a new record high for car travel, with 42 million Americans road-tripping despite record-high gas prices. The increase in Americans driving is likely because plane tickets are 14% more expensive than in 2021.
AAA predicted 3.5 million people will fly over the holiday weekend, and another 2.42 million individuals will travel by train, bus, or boat.
The busiest days of travel will be Thursday (June 30 ) and Friday (July 1) in the evening as people leave work for the Holiday weekend. Transportation analyst at INRIX, Bob Pishue, said he expects nationwide travel times to increase nearly 50% compared to normal.
“Drivers around major metro areas must be prepared for significantly more delays,” Pishue warned.
“The volume of travelers we expect to see over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear. Earlier this year, we started seeing the demand for travel increase, and it’s not tapering off,” AAA Senior Vice President Paula Twindale said. “People are ready for a break, and despite things costing more, they are finding ways to still take that much-needed vacation.”
