Record high number of Americans plan to travel for the Fourth of July
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A record high number of Americans are planning to travel this year for the Fourth of July, according to a report from the AAA.
Nearly 47 million Americans, including over 1.32 million from New Jersey, plan to take a trip for the holiday, an increase of more than five percent compared with last year.
The AAA says it is the highest overall travel volume for Independence Day since it started tracking the statistics 18 years ago and the highest number of New Jersey travelers since 2007.
Travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be twice as long as the normal trip, with Tuesday being the busiest day, the organization said.
"More Americans will take to the nation's roads, skies, rails and waterways this year than ever before, making the 2018 Independence Day holiday one for the record books," said Robert Sinclair, Manager of Media Relations for AAA Northeast. "You also have consumers with disposable income that will be looking to spend on travel this holiday, adding to what's already been a busy summer travel season."
One factor in the expected increase in travelers this year is the Fourth of July falling on a Wednesday, giving travelers more flexibility to schedule a trip the weekend before or after the holiday.
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