‘Absolutely booming’: Record travel expected during Fourth of July holiday week

The Great American road trip is back.

With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, people are expected to be traveling by car and plane this Fourth of July holiday week at a record pace, far exceeding what was seen before 2020.

The American Automobile Association expects nearly 71 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles from home – up more than 5% from last year and nearly 9% higher compared to 2019 – through the nine-day period that runs from Saturday until July 7.

“It is absolutely booming,” said Tiffany Stanley, a spokesperson for AAA East Central in Pittsburgh. “We are seeing this is going to be a longer travel period. The first reason is because the (July 4) holiday lands on a Thursday. There’s such high demand for travel this year, so (AAA) decided to make it a nine-day forecast, which includes two weekends.”

Stanley said AAA expects 2.6 million Pennsylvanians to be traveling this holiday week – up 6% from last year – which includes about 2 million by car and another 235,000 through the air. The busiest travel days will be Wednesday for people leaving on vacation and July 7 when most people will be returning home, Stanley said. That view was also echoed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which announced Thursday it expects 5.62 million motorists to use the toll road over a 10-day period that began Friday.

“We are well past pandemic times. Travel is in full swing,” Stanley said. “We saw that in Memorial Day this year, with (travel) figures increasing year after year after year.”

AAA is also forecasting a busy Independence Day holiday week for people traveling by air, with 5.74 million Americans expected to fly, which would be a 12% increase over 2019.

“Another record we’re going to be breaking is the number of people traveling by air,” she said.

Air travel has been steadily increasing since bottoming out during the pandemic, which has led to longer security lines at Pittsburgh International Airport this year. To combat that problem and shorten the wait for travelers, the airport and U.S. Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday they are moving the TSA Precheck area to the alternate checkpoint each day from 4 to 7 a.m. beginning July 8.

“This busy summer travel season has resulted in longer TSA security lines nationwide, including at PIT. As a result, the TSA is making some changes to the checkpoint’s operation locally during the early morning rush hours,” the airport said in a statement posted on Twitter/X.

The change will open more security lines for passengers in the general public who do not have pre-check clearances or first-class accommodations.

“The TSA believes this will streamline and speed up the passenger experience,” the airport said in its statement.

Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration sent out a wide-ranging press release from numerous state departments urging people to be safe on the roads, at state parks or while boating on area waterways.

The state Department of Transportation provided statistics showing there were 38 alcohol-related crashes on July 4 and 5 last year that left two people dead and injured 23 others. There were another 10 drug-related crashes, resulting in one death and eight injuries.

“Whether your plans this summer include hiking, biking, boating, or a backyard barbecue, PennDOT urges motorists to always plan ahead and designate a sober driver or arrange for alternate transportation,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a written statement.

State police and local law enforcement will also be conducting various sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols through their “Fourth of July Impaired Driving Campaign.”

“State troopers and municipal law enforcement officers remain vigilant for impaired driving behaviors and take a zero-tolerance approach toward motorists found under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances,” state police Commissioner Christopher Paris said. “Celebrate the holiday safely by staying sober on the roads.”