Memorial Day Traffic Expected As Diamond Bar Hits The Road

DIAMOND BAR, CA — If you're headed out of Southern California this Memorial day -- from Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29 -- expect to sit in a lot of traffic, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The amount of cars on the road is expected to increase this year, with 3.03 million people in the Southland expected to travel at least 50 miles and 4.89 million people expected to do so statewide, AAA said.

SoCal residents tend to stay closer to home, according to an informal Facebook poll.

Of the 100 people asked, more than 75-percent stated they would be staying home this Memorial Day Weekend, particularly if the weather cooperates.

"We live where other people go to vacation," was the number-one polled answer.

That is true, when you consider beach cities like Santa Monica, Malibu, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach are all gearing up to support the influx of visitors.

Trolley services in San Clemente and Laguna Beach will be up and running to ferry visitors from parking areas into the city centers and beach locations. Visitors are advised to utilize those free transportation options to keep roadways clear. Bicycle and pedestrian safety in local beach towns will also be of primary concern.

It's the sixth consecutive year that the number of Memorial Day travelers has grown compared to the previous year, the Auto club said in a statement, adding that this year will see the largest number since the all-time record of 3.2 million in southern California and 5.18 million statewide, which was set in 2005.

The Auto Club said local gas prices are expected to hold steady near $3 a gallon on average -- the second cheapest price averages for this time of year since 2009.

Among Southern California travelers, 2.52 million are expected to travel by car -- a 2.9 percent increase from last year's 2.45 million going by motor vehicle and a number representing about 84 percent of all travelers, according to the AAA.

Another 300,000 southern California residents are expected to go by plane, which is a 6.2 percent increase over the 2016 holiday's 282,000 air travelers.

197,000 local travelers are expected will take a recreational vehicle, cruise ship, bus, train, or other mode of travel -- a 4.9 percent increase from the 188,000 who traveled by other means in 2016, AAA said.

The top five Memorial Day destinations for Southern California travelers this year are:

• Las Vegas
• San Diego
• the Grand Canyon
• San Francisco
• Yosemite

"One significant trend we are seeing this year is solid growth in the number of air travelers, which also tends to signify longer vacations that are a greater distance away from home," said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club's vice president for travel.

Statewide, about 84 percent of travelers, or 4.08 million, are expected to go by car, a 2.9 percent increase over 2016. About 485,000 statewide are projected to fly, a 6.2 percent increase from last year, and 456,000 will go by other means, a 4.9 percent increase from 2016, the AAA said.

Nationally, travel is expected to increase by 2.7 percent compared to last year's Memorial Day holiday, with 39.29 million travelers expected compared to 38.27 million in 2015. Car travel is expected to rise by 2.4 percent to 34.6 million, while air travel is expected to rise 5.5 percent this year to 2.9 million, and other modes of travel will increase by 2.9 percent to 1.75 million.

Pixabay image