Record-Setting Travel Numbers Expected This July 4: Best Times To Get Out Of NJ Metros

NEW JERSEY — If you’re among millions of Americans who plan to travel somewhere else for the 4th of July, be prepared for disruption. If you’re driving, avoid peak traffic times in New Jersey to remove a layer of stress in what the AAA predicts will be record-breaking Independence Day weekend travel this year.

More than 1.3 New Jersey residents will travel 50 miles or more this Independence Day weekend, predicted AAA Mid-Atlantic in their travel forecast. This is an increase of 4.4 percent over last year, added the Mid-Atlantic office.

“The volume of travelers we expect to see over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50 percent higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand.”

The auto club predicts 50.7 million Americans, 2.1 million more than last year, will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend, surpassing the previous 4th of July weekend record of 49 million travelers set in 2019.

About 43.2 million people will travel by car, an increase of 2.4 percent over 2022 and 4 percent higher than in 2019, according to AAA. Air travel is expected to set a new record of 4.17 million people flying to their destinations, up 11.2 percent from 2022 and 6.6 from 2019, when the previous record was set.

If you can, avoid major highways during the peak congestion period on Thursday evening and most of the day Friday, according to INRIX, AAA’s data partner in the forecast.

AAA says June 30 will be the busiest day on the roads, with travel times up nearly 30 percent in the most congested areas, including major metros like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. The heaviest traffic from New York to the Jersey Shore via Garden State Parkway South is expected to be Friday at 5 p.m., where drivers could experience a 64 percent longer travel time.

If you must travel Friday, try to get on the road before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. In general, the best and worst travel times are:

• Thursday: Worst time, 4-6 p.m.; best time, before noon.
• Friday: Worst time, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; best time, before 10 a.m., after 6 p.m.
• Saturday: Worst time, 1 p.m.; best time, before noon.
• Sunday: Minimal traffic impact expected.
• Monday: Minimal traffic impact expected.
• Tuesday: Worst time, 12-3 p.m.; best time, before 11 a.m., after 6 p.m.
• Wednesday: Worst time, 3-6 p.m.; best time, before 2 p.m.

If you’re traveling by air, check the status of your flight on FlightAware.com, as airports brace for travel nearly equal to pre-pandemic levels.

The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday it has brought on additional staff to prevent security screening backups. On Friday alone, the TSA expects to conduct nearly 3 million screenings, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.

“TSA is staffed and ready for the increasing travel volumes during this holiday travel period with the technologies and resources for improved security effectiveness, efficiency and passenger experience at security checkpoints,” David Pekoske, the agency’s administrator, said in a news release.

The peak summer travel period is off to a rocky start. Thousands of air travelers saw their flights delayed or cancelled this weekend and Monday as thunderstorms rolled in across the Midwest and U.S. East Coast, and technology failures contributed to airline disruptions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA briefly paused operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports Sunday evening due to a problem with the communications system at a major air traffic control facility.

If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook it for free on the next available flight as long as it has seats, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

If you want to cancel the trip entirely, you’re entitled to a full refund, even if you bought non-refundable tickets. You’re also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras.

And although airlines aren’t required to put you on another airline’s flight, they can, and sometimes do. Also, although they are currently not required to do so, some airlines offer hotel rooms and other accommodations if passengers find themselves stranded for reasons that are within the airline’s control.

The DOT also has an online dashboard that allows travelers to compare cancellation and delay policies of major carriers.

Flight cancellations trended lower throughout the spring of 2023 than last year, according to data from the FAA. Last year, some 52,000 flights were canceled from June through August. Airlines have hired about 30,000 workers since then, including thousands of pilots, and they are using bigger planes to reduce flights but not the number of seats.

Still, officials warn of lingering staffing shortages, notably among key air traffic controllers. The agency resorted to nudging airlines to reduce flights in the New York City area this summer, and it opened 169 new flight paths over the East Coast to reduce bottlenecks.

The Associated Press and Patch’s national desk contributed reporting.