AAA: Thanksgiving Travel to Rise to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels
Nearly 55 million Americans are projected to travel during the long holiday weekend

AAA predicts 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving. This is a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes. This year is projected to be the third busiest for Thanksgiving travel since AAA started tracking in 2000*. For purposes of this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, November 23 to Sunday, November 27.

“People are eager to get back to creating memories with their families and friends this Thanksgiving,” says Bevi Powell, senior vice president, AAA East Central. “The nearly pre-pandemic levels of travelers will result in heavy traffic congestion and busy airports. Motorists should strategically plan their journey, packing plenty of patience for the drive or flight,” she added.

Most travelers (nearly 49 million people) are expected to travel by car. While Thanksgiving road trips have slightly risen 0.4% from 2021, car travel remains 2.5% below 2019 levels.

Air travel is up nearly 8% over 2021, with 4.5 million Americans flying to their Thanksgiving destinations this year. That’s an increase of more than 330,000 travelers and nearly 99% of the 2019 volume. Americans are also ramping up travel by other modes of transportation. More than 1.4 million travelers are going out of town for Thanksgiving by bus, train, or cruise ship. That’s an increase of 23% from 2021 and 96% of the 2019 volume.

*2005 and 2019 have been the busiest years for Thanksgiving travel, respectively, since AAA started tracking in 2000. 

Mid-Atlantic region Memorial Day Forecast Highlights:
*Region includes New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Best and Worst Times to Travel
INRIX expects severe congestion in several U.S. metro areas, with some drivers experiencing more than double normal delays. Highways in and around Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles will be the busiest. To avoid the most hectic times, INRIX recommends traveling early in the morning on Wednesday or before 11am on Thanksgiving Day and avoiding travel between 4pm-8pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Best & Worst Times to Travel (by car)

AAA to rescue more than 411,000
Roughly 411,500 motorists are expected to call AAA nationwide for roadside assistance this Thanksgiving holiday, with dead batteries, tows, flat tires and lockouts as the leading calls. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. And remember to slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles at the roadside.

Top Destinations

AAA has compiled a list of the top domestic destinations based on flight, hotel, and rental car bookings for Thanksgiving week. Orlando and Anaheim top the list again, as they did in 2021 and 2019, while two new additions round out the top 10 this year: Chicago and Charlotte.

*AAA hotel data reflects average booking prices for entire stays during Thanksgiving week, which vary in length. These are not nightly rates.

Travel Forecast 

In cooperation with AAA, S&P Global Market Intelligence developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from S&P Global Market Intelligence’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices, including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism, including gasoline prices, airline travel, and hotel stays. AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence have quantified holiday travel volumes going back to 2000.

Historical travel volume estimates come from DK SHIFFLET’s TRAVEL PERFORMANCE/Monitorsm. The PERFORMANCE/Monitorsm is a comprehensive study measuring the travel behavior of U.S. residents. DK SHIFFLET contacts over 50,000 U.S. households each month to obtain detailed travel data, resulting in the unique ability to estimate visitor volume and spending, identify trends and forecast U.S. travel behavior—all after the trips have been taken.

The travel forecast is reported in person-trips. In particular, AAA and S&P Global Market Intelligence forecast the total U.S. holiday travel volume and expected mode of transportation. The travel forecast presented in this report was prepared the week of October 10, 2022.

About S&P Global Market Intelligence

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we understand the importance of accurate, deep and insightful information. Our team of experts delivers unrivaled insights and leading data and technology solutions, partnering with customers to expand their perspective, operate with confidence, and make decisions with conviction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world’s foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world’s leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

About DKSA 

DK SHIFFLET boasts the industry’s most complete database on U.S. resident travel both in the U.S. and worldwide. Data is collected monthly from a U.S. representative sample, adding over 60,000 traveling households annually, and is used daily by leading travel organizations and their strategic planning groups. DK SHIFFLET is an MMGY Global company.

About INRIX  

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered intelligent mobility solutions by transforming big data from connected devices and vehicles into mobility insights. This revolutionary approach enabled INRIX to become one of the leading providers of data and analytics into how people move. By empowering cities, businesses, and people with valuable insights, INRIX is helping to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With partners and solutions spanning across the entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology and transportation – whether it’s keeping road users safe, improving traffic signal timing to reduce delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing last mile delivery, or helping uncover market insights. Learn more at INRIX.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 70 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo and story by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio)

(North Sewickley Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) North Sewickley Township Police are investigating after someone vandalized a popular annual holiday light display over night Friday.

North Sewickley Police Chief, Jeff Becze posted on his Facebook page that someone snuck into the yard and cut the electric cords running to several of the lights and figures.

Home owner Emmett Santillo puts up the display each year at his home on Route 65, Mercer Road, near Stop and Sock. He also raises money through donations from people who stop to look at the display for the Women’s Center of Beaver County.

Chief Becze us asking for the communities help in locating the individual Grinch’s who are responsible for the vandalism. They are hoping someone nearby might have a video camera or doorbell camera that caught something that can help them. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the North Sewickley Police Department at 724-843-8118.

Sharon Rombold  started a GoFundMe to help assist in repairing the damage that the vandals have done. Early Monday afternoon $7,220 of the $8,500 goal had been reached.

You can donate if you would like to by going to the link below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-emmett-fix-all-the-damage?qid=58529113d9aea996affe4264e888a0b6

(File Photo)

(Franklin Park, Pa.) 34-year-old Derwin Raheem Milligan of Wexford was killed in a one vehicle crash along I-279 early Sunday morning.
State Police are reporting that the BMW Milligan was driving was heading north just before 1 a.m. when it went off the roadway in Franklin Park, hit a pole and rolled over multiple times.
There is no word on what caused the accident as Troopers are continuing to investigate.

(Photo of apartment building in Koppel that caught on Fire early Sunday morning. Photo and Story by Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio)

(Koppel, Beaver County, Pa.) Fire Crews from Koppel and the surrounding area were called to the scene of a fire that broke out at an apartment building located at Mount Street and 3rd Avenue in Koppel early Sunday morning.
Pictures from the scene show almost every window of the building was broken out and black soot from the fire could be seen on the outside of the building.
There were no injuries reported and there is no word on how the fire started as officials continue to investigate.

(File Photo)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Speaker of the Pa House Bryan Cutler has named a committee of managers in the impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
House Resolution 240 officially impeached Krasner, and it will now proceed to the Pennsylvania Senate for an impeachment trial which could result in his removal from office.
The requirements are that the speaker must appoint two members of the majority party and one from the minorty to exhibit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, and manage the trial on behalf of the House. Those memebers are: Rep. Craig Williams, Rep. Tim Bonner, and Rep. Jared Solomon.
Removal from office requires a two-thirds majority vote of the state Senate.

(File Photo)

(South Heights, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that someone stole two tires valued at $200.00 from a South Heights man.
Troopers said in a release that someone stole the tires sometime between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday November 5, 2022 from a location along Jordan Street in South Heights. Police are asking anyone with information to notify them at the State Police Barracks in Beaver.

(File Photo of Pa. State Rep. Rob Matzie during a recent appearance at Beaver County Radio)

(AMBRIDGE, PA.) Major infrastructure and housing projects in Hopewell and Aliquippa are getting new infusions of funding, thanks to additional grants totaling $434,350 from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, D-Beaver, said the funding includes an additional $250,000 to G&B Development Hopewell LLC for major public improvements to the Hopewell Business Park (bringing total funding for the project to $2 million this year) and an additional $184,350 to the Beaver County Industrial Development Authority for The Bricks affordable housing project (bringing total project funding to $934,350 this year).

“Securing additional funds for The Bricks Project maintains my commitment to the city of Aliquippa and Mayor Dwan Walker to partner on projects important to their community,” Matzie said. “The Hopewell Business Park has been a workplace destination since its construction decades ago, and this project will allow the business park to grow to meet the demands of the airport corridor.”

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is administered by the Office of the Budget for acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.

(File photo of Senator Elder Vogel during an appearance at Beaver County Radio)

(Harrisburg, Pa.) Pennsylvania State Senator Elder Vogel announced late Friday that six Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants, with a combined total of more than $6.79 million, have been awarded to projects in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

The three Bever County projects are a

• A $2,480,400 grant awarded to the Beaver Area School District for the replacement of its high school-middle school natatorium with a new six-lane pool.
• A $1.5 million grant awarded to Midland LP for the continued redevelopment of an existing 50,000-square-foot warehouse left over from prior industry in Midland Borough to bring the structure up to code and make it a marketable property.
• A $495,000 grant awarded to Heritage Valley Health System, Inc. for the facility’s Nuclear Radiology Hot Lab project, which will prepare space within the Nuclear Department in radiology by doing such things as installing new lead-lined walls, creating new storage and staff workspace, and enlarging the scanning room.

Grants were awarded to the following two Butler County projects:

• A $1 million grant to The Buncher Company for Phase 1A of its Jacksons Pointe project, which will include the installation of necessary infrastructure that will ultimately allow the company to expand its presence in Jackson Township.
• A $811,250 grant for the Community Development Corporation of Butler County to do Phase 2 of its Harmony Fire District Construction project, which will create and outfit a new fire station in Zelienople Borough.

And in Lawrence County, a $500,000 grant has been awarded to construct flex space in an industrial building located in New Beaver Borough’s Stonecrest Business Park.

RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. RACP projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act. They must have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity.