BAKERAFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) AAA projects a record-breaking 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the Thanksgiving holiday period this year, marking an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last year.
Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for AAA, highlighted that “tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday afternoon will be the busiest on our roadways,” particularly between Los Angeles and Bakersfield.
Thanksgiving travel expected to hit record high with 81.8 million travelers (KBAK)
Shupe advised travelers to “leave as early in the day as you possibly can” to avoid peak congestion, which is expected to hit the L.A.–to–Bakersfield stretch Wednesday at about 7:45 p.m., with drive times on the 5 freeway stretching to as long as four hours and 10 minutes.
In Bakersfield, Anita Johnson shared her family’s travel experience, saying, “My son-in-law came from Madison, Wisconsin. They’re here for the week so they did do holiday travel.”
She added, “They flew, both of them flew into Phoenix, and had a very short layover. And I was like they’re not going to make their connection, but they did.”
Thanksgiving travel expected to hit record high with 81.8 million travelers (KBAK)
However, some travelers express concerns about the challenges of holiday travel.
Paula Orozco Montoya noted worries about “flights and traffic getting caught up into either traffic accidents or due to the airports right now being congested.”
Thanksgiving travel expected to hit record high with 81.8 million travelers (KBAK)
Despite these concerns, she mentioned plans to travel more next year, saying, “We try to get out as much as possible so probably next year we’ll be heading out.”