Here's When You'll Hit Most Traffic In NYC This Memorial Day

NEW YORK, NY – This is going to make the regular rush hour New York City gridlock look like a walk in the park.

Memorial Day weekend is expected to put 36 million drivers on America's roads. With New York City predicted to be one of the nation's top tourist draws, many of them will be heading onto our streets.

Combine that influx with the hundreds of thousands of motorists trying to flee the city for the three day stretch, along with the usual commuters, and the streets are predicted to be hellish.

According to AAA, the absolute worst time to be behind the wheel in New York City over Memorial Day will be between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, when you can expect your trip to take 2.7 times longer than normal. AAA used data from INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, to reach that conclusion.

And high prices at the pump, usually a deterrent for potential drivers, aren’t expected to have much effect this year.

“The highest gas prices since 2014 won’t keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president of AAA Travel and Publishing. “A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.”

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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