Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
As COVID-19 cases decrease and vaccination rates rise, Philadelphia-area residents are going out again for trips.
AAA Mid-Atlantic officials said 450,000 people living in the Philadelphia five-county area are projected to be traveling for the holiday weekend. The estimate notes that 94 percent of travelers will do so by car.
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The level equals about 88 percent of those who traveled pre-pandemic in 2019.
The heaviest traffic congestion was expected to be leading into the weekend and for return trips on Monday, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said they expect 2.1 motorists to take to the limited-access highway system that crosses the state. The projection for this year is a million more motorists than were seen on Memorial Day weekend 2020.
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Officials urged travelers taking to the roads to be safe.
“While many of our customers are returning to the roadway after more than a year, we are seeing concerning trends showing that many who are driving now are forgetting their safe-driving behaviors,” said Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Motorists are driving at excessive speeds, as well as using their cellphones more frequently and for longer periods of time.”
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Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Holly Reber-Billings said drivers should be focused on the roadway.
“Since we do expect more traffic this holiday weekend, our troopers will be working hard to keep you safe. Please do your part to reduce traffic incidents by giving driving your full attention,” she said.
As of Friday, the Levittown-area’s gas prices ranged between $2.99 and $3.19 per gallon. The regional gas price average is the highest for a Memorial Day weekend since 2014.
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Gas buying app Gas Buddy reported this week that prices are high this summer for two main reasons: more demand for gas after limited demand in 2020 due to the pandemic and a more expensive-to-produce summer blend to lower volatility.
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