MA Memorial Day 2018 Travel Guide: Gas Prices, Peak Traffic Times

MASSACHUSETTS – Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and this year Americans are expected to be traveling in near-record numbers. According to AAA, nearly 42 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years.

More good news: INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predicts delays on major roads of up to three times longer than normal, and gas prices are at their highest in four years. The busiest days for hitting the road are expected to be Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25.

About 1.9 million New Englanders are expected to travel this year, 1.7 million of them by car. Nationwide, there will likely be a 4.7 percent increase in drivers.

When to Leave

It's a mixed bag as far as weekend travel goes – you'll probably hit some traffic no matter what. But AAA says the worst day and time for travel will be Thursday, May 24 from 4:30-6:30 p.m., when delays are expected to be 1.8 times the norm.

Meanwhile Waze predicts the worst traffic will be Friday, May 25 from 2-4 p.m. and Saturday, May 26 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The company drew its conclusion based on 2017 traffic data from the Boston area, according to the Boston Globe.

Gas Prices

Gas prices are at their most expensive since 2014, according to AAA, due to expensive crude oil, record demand and a shrinking global supply. Prices averaged $2.72 in April, up 33 cents from last year.

Here's where to find the cheapest gas in Massachusetts, according to GasBuddy:

1. Prime Energy, Fitchburg: $2.67
2. Royal Fuel, Fitchburg: $2.68 (cash only)
3. Haffner's, Dutton St., Lowell: $2.69 (cash only)
4. Haffner's, Appleton St., Lowell: $2.69 (cash only)
5. Patriot, Fitchburg: $2.69
6. Royal Fuel, New Bedford: $2.72 (cash only)
7. Edwards Gas, Southbridge: $2.73 (cash only)
8. Best Quick Stop, Peabody: $2.73 (cash only)
9. East Coast Gas, Reading: $2.73 (cash only)
10. Exxcel Oil, Ashland: $2.74 (cash only)

Click here to look up gas prices in your area.

If You're Driving

MassDOT will be shutting down roadway construction at noon on Friday, May 25. Scheduled road work will resume after 11 p.m. on Monday, May 28.

The High Occupancy Vehicle Lane (HOV) will be open as follows:

• May 21-May 25, regular morning opening on I-93 northbound from Quincy to Boston from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m.
• May 24, the HOV lane opens on I-93 southbound from Boston to Quincy at 2 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m.
• May 25, the HOV lane opens on I-93 southbound from Boston to Quincy at 1 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m.
• On Monday, May 28, Memorial Day, the HOV lane will not be open.

Free coffee will be served at the 18 MassDOT service plazas on Memorial Day, May 28, from 10 p.m. Monday night through 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.

RMV offices will be closed Monday, May 28. Many transactions may be conducted online.

The MassDOT Highway Assistance Program, sponsored by MAPFRE Insurance, will have extra patrols on roads to assist motorists with minor mechanical problems, flat tires, providing gas and other tasks. Van drivers will be monitoring major roads, including those in Metro Boston, Worcester, Springfield and on Cape Cod.

For traffic and road conditions, drivers may use the following options to make decisions:

• Download MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.
• Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions on I-90 and other roads.
• Visit www.mass511.com, a website which provides real-time traffic and incident advisory information, and allows users to subscribe to text and email alerts for traffic conditions.
• Download Waze, the real-time traffic navigation app that provides motorists with real-time traffic conditions across Massachusetts.
• Follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT because motor vehicle incidents which impact traffic flow are generally mentioned in tweets if they occur on the state’s major highways.

Taking the Train

Entering its sixth year of service, the CapeFLYER will once again run trains from Boston to Cape Cod starting on Memorial Day weekend. Service will begin on Friday, May 25th and operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout until Labor Day.

During the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the CapeFLYER will provide free service for active service members and veterans in partnership with the 13th Annual Troops in the Spotlight event led by Cape Cod Cares for the Troops. The full schedule and more information is available at www.capeflyer.com.

The MBTA has also released the following information regarding travel on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28:

• All subway and commuter rail lines, busses, and trackless trolley will operate on a Sunday schedule.
• All ferries and boats will operate on a weekend schedule.
• The RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule.
• The CharlieCard store at Downtown Crossing in Boston will be closed.
• For full MBTA schedule details, please visit: http://www.mbta.com/events/.
• Additionally, several bus routes will be detoured due to Memorial Day festivities on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and detour information is posted on T-Alerts.

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