July 4th Traffic: When's The Best Time To Escape NYC?

NEW YORK CITY — You probably won't have to ram a station wagon through a barricade of busted cars or outrun a tidal wave (thank goodness the midtown library was built to last), but there is a reason they make action movies about leaving this city.

It ain't easy. And national holidays, shocker, don't help matters.

Millions of Americans plan to travel for the 4th of July this year, which AAA predicts will mean record-breaking Independence Day weekend travel.

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.

The New York City escape route predicted to see the biggest peak in traffic is the Garden State Parkway with a 64 percent bump about 5 p.m. Friday, according to AAA.

It's also worth noting the NYPD has a slew of street closures planned for the weekend, among them the Murray Hill Merchandise Fair, which will shutter Lexington Avenue between 42nd Street and 34th streets on Saturday.

If you’re driving, avoid Friday if you can. AAA says June 30 will be the busiest day on the roads, with travel times up nearly 30 percent in the most congested areas.

If you must travel Friday, try to get on the road in the morning 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.