CLEVELAND — "It's very exciting for us to see travel is back, and clearly, travel is back."
Jim Garrity, director of Public Affairs of AAA East Central, says travelers should expect a busy few days ahead as people make plans to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
"This Independence Day, we at AAA are projecting, is going to be the busiest on record" Garrity declared, "the most amount of people that we've ever seen since AAA began tracking these numbers going back to 2000."
According to AAA, about 50.7 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home for the holiday, an increase from the numbers last year. Additionally, AAA believes 43.2 million people will drive and 4.17 million people will fly.
"In Ohio specifically, more than two million Americans [will travel]," Garrity said. "Of course, the majority of them driving, but at the airports across the country, we're expecting to see record-high amounts of people — about 11% more than this time last year."
Garrity says the high numbers can likely be attributed to a pent-up desire for travel, as well as lower gas prices. For example, in Cleveland, the average price of gas this week is $3.42, whereas at this time last year it was $4.86.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is also anticipating a large number of travelers. Spokesman John Goersmeyer says they are anticipating 3.4 million passengers to come through the airport in June, July, and August.
"Over the next seven days for us, we’re expecting to see roughly 208,000 people, beginning today going to next Thursday," Goersmeyer told 3News. "It’s up 19% from what it was in 2019."
Goersmeyer advised finding a ride to the airport or using a ride-sharing program, as parking can be busy during the summer months. He adds the off-site brown and temporary grey lots — accessible by shuttle — most frequently have availability, as compared to the on-site lots like the Smart Parking Garage as well as the red, blue, and orange lots.
Additionally, Goersmeyer noted that typically the Smart Garage has 4,000 spots, but due to a renovation project, parking now fluctuates between 1,000 and 2,000 spaces. He says the work on the garage is expected to be completed by the end of August, and that the temporary grey lot — located inside the Riveredge lot — is meant to help provide more parking spots.
Already, the week leading up to the fourth has been plagued with delays and cancellations nationwide, with NBC News attributing these challenges to weather and staffing shortages.
"For the weather-related incidents here, we're not seeing a lot of an impact here just yet," Goersmeyer said. "Flights are coming in and leaving. If anything, it's kind of similar to a low visibility-type weather event.
"You could see an instance where the weather does impact flights, it could impact — even if you're driving — the destination you’re going to, and you want to be well aware of not just the weather where you are, but the weather where you're going, and take whatever precautions — especially if they're medical — before going."
Both Goersmeyer and Garrity suggested checking in with your airline to stay up to date on the status of your flight in the days and hours leading up to your trip. Additionally, both men also suggested leaving extra time for your travels, arriving to the airport early, and budgeting more time for any car trips to avoid traffic.
Garrity said the busiest travel day will be Friday, as commuters mix with people hoping to get a jump on the holiday travel. At the airport, the busiest travel times are typically 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., according to Goersmeyer.
