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Thanksgiving Travel is one American tradition the economy may slow down, but will not stop Date published: 11/25/2008
BY KELLY HANNON
More Virginians are celebrating Thanksgiving at home this year. Just over 1 million Virginians will travel farther than 50 miles this week, or 14.2 percent of residents, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Travel in Virginia is 3 percent lower than last Thanksgiving, and it is the first decline in November travel since 2002, AAA reported. Driving is the mode of choice. Nearly 900,000 of the 1 million travelers in Virginia will drive to their destination, perhaps taking advantage of dramatically lower gas prices. Remaining travelers will fly, or take a train or bus. HITTING THE ROAD?If you can, get on the road before noon tomorrow. The heaviest traffic on Virginia's interstates will appear from noon to 8 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving. The Virginia Department of Transportation can predict this with confidence based on Thanksgiving week traffic dating back to 2003. It analyzed vehicle volumes captured by sensors in the pavement along state highways. Interstate 95 between Richmond and the Springfield Interchange is highlighted as one of VDOT's "heavy congestion" zones. Other zones: the intersection of I-64 and I-95 in Richmond, I-66 eastbound and westbound in Northern Virginia, and I-81 from Lexington to south of Roanoke. AIRPORTS: NOT SO BADAirports could be less crowded this Thanksgiving. Nearly nine in 10 Virginians who are traveling this year will be driving. Nonetheless, Washington-area airports are telling flyers to arrive early. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees Reagan National and Dulles, urges the public to arrive 1 hours before a domestic flight and 2 hours before an international flight. "Busy times" will be early mornings and afternoons throughout the week, and the entire weekend following Thanksgiving, according to the Airport Authority. Travelers should call their airline's 800 phone number before departing to confirm schedules. GAS PRICES: DOWNExpect to pay around $1.81 a gallon this week at the pumps. That was the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in Virginia yesterday. Gas may be more expensive if you drive north--the average was $2.15 a gallon in the greater Washington area. It could be cheaper to the south. The average price Monday was $1.76 a gallon in Richmond. According to AAA, the last time the average price of gas cost less than $1.81 a gallon in Virginia was Dec. 8, 2004.
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