This file photo shows holiday traffic traveling on Interstate 79.
The Great American Road Trip is back.
With the pandemic now a thing of the past, people are expected to travel by car and air at a record pace during the Fourth of July holiday week, far exceeding pre-2020 levels.
The American Automobile Association expects about 71 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home over the nine days from Saturday through July 7. That's more than 5% more than last year and about 9% more than in 2019.
“It's really booming,” said Tiffany Stanley, spokeswoman for AAA East Central in Pittsburgh. “The travel period is going to be longer this year, primarily because the (Fourth of July) holiday falls on a Thursday. Travel demand is so high this year that (AAA) decided to go with a nine-day forecast that includes two weekends.”
Stanley said AAA expects 2.6 million Pennsylvanians to travel over this holiday week, up 6 percent from last year, with about 2 million of those traveling by car and another 235,000 by plane. The busiest days will be Wednesday, when people leave for the holiday, and July 7, when most people return home, Stanley said. That view is supported by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which said Thursday it expects 5.62 million drivers to use the toll roads over the 10-day period starting Friday.
“The pandemic era is long gone and travel is at its peak,” Stanley said. “We saw that this Memorial Day, and we're seeing increases year over year.”
AAA also predicts the Independence Day holiday week will be a busy one for air travelers, with 5.74 million Americans expected to fly, which would be a 12% increase over 2019.
“Another record we're trying to break is the number of people traveling by air,” she said.
Air travel has been steadily increasing since hitting rock bottom during the pandemic, leading to longer wait times at security checkpoints at Pittsburgh International Airport this year. To address the issue and reduce wait times for travelers, the airport and the Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday that they will move the TSA PreCheck area to an alternate checkpoint from 4 to 7 a.m. daily, starting July 8.
“This summer's busy travel season has resulted in long lines at TSA security checkpoints nationwide, including at Pittsburgh International Airport. As a result, TSA is making some changes to local checkpoint operations during the early morning rush hour,” the airport said in a statement posted to Twitter/X.
The changes will result in more security lines being opened for general passengers who do not have Pre-Check authorization or first-class accommodations.
“TSA believes this will streamline and speed up the passenger experience,” the airport said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration issued widespread press releases from numerous state agencies urging people to stay safe on roads, in state parks or while boating on area waterways.
According to statistics released by the state Department of Transportation, there were 38 alcohol-related crashes on July 4 and 5 last year, resulting in two deaths and 23 injuries, and 10 drug-related crashes, resulting in one death and eight injuries.
“Whether your plans this summer include hiking, biking, boating or having a backyard barbecue, PA Transportation urges drivers to always plan ahead and designate a sober driver or arrange for alternate transportation,” Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said in a written statement.
State and local police will also be conducting various sobriety checkpoints and road patrols as part of the Independence Day Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign.
“State and city police remain vigilant against drunk driving and have a zero-tolerance approach to drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances,” said State Police Superintendent Christopher Parris. “Please stay sober on the roads and celebrate the holidays safely.”
