4th of July Could See Record Setting Travel in Massachusetts

Memorial Day has come and gone, and although it's not quite officially summer, the season is fully underway. That means folks across Massachusetts are prepping for one of the country's favorite holidays, we're talking about Independence Day, of course!

If you plan to travel for this year's 4th of July holiday, AAA advises that your trip may take longer than expected.

The travel experts are warning drivers to be prepared to sit in significant traffic during peak travel times.

New England interstates are going to be busy when 89% of the region’s 2.7 million travelers drive this July 4 holiday, says AAA Northeast.

In Massachusetts, about 1.2 million people are expected to hit the road, with the busiest days being Tuesday and Wednesday

For those venturing on Northeastern roadways, the afternoons of June 30 and July 1 are expected to be peak traffic times and days for drivers in major metro areas. For airline travelers, July 1 will be the busiest air travel day, with July 4 being the lightest.

Overall, nearly 48 million travelers – a nearly 4% increase over last year — will drive, fly, or cruise 50 miles or more this year.

• 42 million or 88% will drive
• 3.5 million or 7% will fly and
• 2.4 million or 5% will take some other mode of transportation, such as cruises or trains.

Currently, the national average for a gallon of self-serve regular is $3.13, which is significantly lower than last year at this time, when the average price was $3.49 per gallon.

Even though gas prices are declining,  historically they affect holiday travel volumes. The recent dip in prices is certainly welcome news for travelers, and just as we saw with Memorial Day, there continues to be a pent-up demand to travel this holiday

 Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman