Traveling for the July 4th holiday? Here's what to expect

Looking to travel for Independence Day weekend? So is the rest of the country.

The AAA travel agency estimates a record 72.2 million Americans plan on traveling for the holiday, with 9.9 million travelers in the Mid-Atlantic region (including Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey) alone.

Jim Garrity, AAA’s director of public affairs, thinks this peak can be attributed to the fact “people are ready to get out and maybe see people they haven’t seen in a while.”

Garrity said the top travel destination for Pittsburgh residents this year is Orlando, Fla. He said the city’s multiple theme parks and easy access to beaches make for an ideal vacation spot. Other popular destinations are Alaska, Hawaii and Italy.

AAA projects an overwhelming majority of American travelers, 61.1 million, plan on driving to their destinations.

To prepare, AAA suggests drivers take care of any vehicle maintenance beforehand and pack an emergency kit. During last year’s Fourth of July weekend, “AAA responded to nearly 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls for issues like dead batteries and flat tires, plus people locking themselves out of their car or running out of gas.”

Drivers should stay alert and be on their best behavior as, according to Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the state police will have extra patrols on duty.

Turnpike roadwork has been heavy lately, but the turnpike commission says all roadway construction and maintenance projects will be suspended beginning Friday, 5 a.m. until Sunday at 11 p.m.

Other modes of travel also are hitting peaks this year.

AAA predicts 5.84 million people will fly, which would be a 1.4% increase from last year’s 5.76 million. Vacation cruises have gained popularity, which is why Garrity thinks Alaska is such a popular destination for the Fourth.

Gas prices

Matt Mcclain, a petroleum gas analyst for GasBuddy, said drivers are in for a bit of a treat this holiday travel season.

Mcclain said, due to the recent ceasefire called for the war between Iran and Israel, gas prices are projected to drop as early as this weekend.

“It kind of came as a surprise,” he said. Just last Monday, GasBuddy released a statement about prices increasing.

AAA’s Garrity said fluctuating gas prices are constantly evolving. He said Wednesday’s average gas price was $3.39, compared with $3.63 this time last year, and that prices depend on world events.

“If something else happened this weekend, oil (and gas) could go up again,” said Garrity, though he doesn’t believe that should stop people from traveling.

He said, “No matter what your budget is, there is a vacation for you.”