Politics & Government

The Busiest Travel Day of the Year

An increase in holiday travelers this year could mean a longer journey on Christmas Eve.

Whether you're traveling by plane, train or automobile, Christmas Eve is likely the busiest travel day of the year.

According to a recent AAA holiday survey, the number of people traveling for the holidays will increase by  nearly four percent this year compared to 2008.  The company projects that close to 88 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles to get to their Christmas destination.

Nearly 90 percent of these people will travel by car, while five percent will fly.

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The state and city of New York offer travelers many resources to inform them of delays or help them avoid delays altogether. 

511NY.org, the state's official site for traffic and transit info, allows travelers to view real time alerts of traffic incidents, closures and construction.

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As of this morning, the site is reporting a left lane closure on I-87 from southbound on the New York State Thruway to just before the Woodbury Toll. Both I-95 North and South have no delays or incidents reported so far this morning.

For anyone traveling into New York City either to visit family or to travel to JFK or Laguardia, the state's Department of Transportation has tons of information on its Web site. The city has established a holiday travel mitigation plan that  places an embargo on unnecessary construction until January 2.

It has also issued a gridlock alert calendar to alert drivers of road congestion. The DOT's site also has a list  of online resources with contact information for various transportation companies  and links to traffic and trip planning Web sites.

Grand Central Terminal's holiday schedule is in effect today. There will be normal morning service, and extra outbound service between noon and 4 p.m. today.  Service will be reduced after 5 p.m, so it's best to travel early.

Westchester County Airport, JFK and LaGuardia are all reporting arrival and departure delays of 15 minutes or less, but don't forget to check with your airline for your flight's status.

 


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