AAA says most will go by car.
Baltimore, Md. (KM) – The summer travel vacation season begins this weekend. AAA Mid-Atlantic says more than 814,000 Marylanders are expected to be traveling 50-miles or more during the Memorial Day Weekend which is Thursday, May 26th until Monday, May 30th.
“As is normally the case, the vast majority of those who will be traveling will be driving,” says Ragina Ali, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. She says this is despite the high cost of gasoline.
Ali says a lot of it is pent up demand as many people were not able to travel in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our travel bookings at AAA have been on the rise throughout the year; and certainly into the summer and toward the Memorial Day Holiday, that continue to be the case,”: she says.
But there will be those who will traveling by other modes of transportation, especially by air, due to high gas prices. . “We have seen that the numbers of people that either intend to fly, or take other modes be it a train, a bus or a cruise ship, those numbers are up considerably,”: Ali says.
AAA says 730,353 residents will be traveling by car; 64,776 will go by air; and 19,090 will be heading out by other modes of transportation such as trains, buses or cruise ships.
If you’re among the majority who are heading out by car, Ali says there are some thing you need to do before you leave. “We always remind motorists to make that their car is road ready,” she says. “Unfortunately, AAA will probably come to the rescue of more than 388,000 people nationwide over the holiday. We expect that number to be around 7,000 in the state of Maryland.”
Motorists are also urged to have a fully stocked emergency kit in their vehicle, which should include a fully charged cell phone, jumper cables, a first-aid kit, a flashlight with extra batteries, water, snacks and extra medications.
If possible, AAA says travel during off peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning.
By Kevin McManus