Whether it’s the economy or a growing preference for the Turkey Bowl over mom’s home cooking, more people in our area will be staying closer to home this Thanksgiving.
“My mother lives down in Virginia but I’m not going to drive all the way down there,” said Matt Carcanague of Burlington Township. “I’m just going to go to my brother’s house.”
According to the AAA Mid-Atlantic, more people will be sticking close to home this Thanksgiving than last.
274,000 Mid-Atlantic residents plan to travel 50 or more miles this year, 4.8 percent fewer than in 2008. However, at a national level there’s a 1.4 percent increase.
“We’re still seeing 274,000 area residents hitting the road, the rails and the skies so there’s still a chunk of people traveling,” said Eva Voluck of AAA Mid-Atlantic. “It’s just a little bit fewer than last year.”
The numbers don’t account for people coming to the area for the holiday or for traffic generated by people traveling under 50 miles round-trip.
And for those dreading the overcrowded roads, buses, or trains on Wednesday, fear not. The AAA also claims that those who are traveling short distances will likely travel on Thanksgiving morning.
“Wednesday’s not the scary, busy day anymore,” said Voluck. “It will be busy, but it is not the busiest travel day of the year.”
Whether you're going around the corner, across the river or across the country, get the latest weather and traffic conditions before your head out. Visit the NBCPhiladelphia.com Weather Center for a look at the skies and head over to the Traffic Center for the latest check of the roads.
