Historic Numbers Expected For Philly Area Memorial Day Traffic

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- More than 440,000 drivers are expected to hit the roads for significant travel around the Philadelphia area on Memorial Day weekend, according to the latest projections from AAA.

An estimated 442,142 Philadelphia drivers will travel 50 miles or more over the weekend, representing a significant increase of 1.7 percent from 2015, AAA said.

It would also mark the second highest travel volume in Philadelphia history.

“After weeks of see-saw temperatures and a long stretch of rainy weather, Philadelphia-area residents are looking forward to beginning the summer season,” Jana L. Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement. “Despite recent increases, lower gas prices have undoubtedly fueled the desire to travel. AAA estimates that Americans have saved more than $18 billion on gas so far this year compared to the same period in 2015, and it’s expected that most U.S. drivers will pay the lowest Memorial Day gas prices since 2005.”

The Philadelphia area is defined here by AAA as the five surrounding counties, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

Roughly 1.3 million of the citizens in those areas will travel this weekend, a total of about 10.8 percent of the population, AAA said.

AAA bases their projections on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight, a business information provider which routinely analyzes travel trends during major holidays.