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Illinois braces for record Thanksgiving travel surge
The Thanksgiving travel rush is upon us, marking one of the busiest times of the year for trains, planes, and automobiles.
CHICAGO - The Thanksgiving travel rush is upon us, marking one of the busiest times of the year for trains, planes, and automobiles.
Nearly 82 million Americans are set to travel 50 miles or more this holiday, and Illinois is on track to see its busiest Thanksgiving yet.
What we know:
Between Nov. 25 and Dec.1, AAA predicts that a brand-new record will be set for Thanksgiving travel in Illinois.
The Auto Club Group projects more than 4.1 million residents will travel during that period — marking a 1.8% increase from last year.
Of all modes of transportation, more than 90 percent of travelers will get to their destinations by car.
"One important thing to have is that emergency kit," said Molly Hart, spokesperson with AAA — The Auto Club Group.
The kit should have an extra cellphone charger, a blanket, water, snacks, a flashlight, and flares or reflectors.
"Even if you get to your destination and you've got a little bit of downtime, go have your car checked out, so you know when you're coming home, you've had your tires looked at, the fluids topped off," Hart added.
On Wednesday, Chicagoland was under a wind advisory but this weekend, travelers should prepare for snow.
"We'll be out there ahead of time, pre-treating the areas where we can," said Maria Castaneda, spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Castaneda said salt trucks and plows are ready to roll.
"Now, the one thing to remember, these are big, heavy machineries. They probably weigh 12 to 13 times what your vehicle does. And also, they have a very limited sight view, which, in other words, means that they don't always see you even though you see them," Castaneda said.
Castaneda reminds drivers — do not crowd the plow.
She also asks travelers to be mindful of construction zones. While some barriers have been pulled for the holiday, others won't be.
"If you see workers out there dealing with an emergency repair to the road, or even just an emergency on the side of the road, move over if you can, give them room to work. At the end of the day, we all just want to get home," Castaneda said.
What's next:
Statewide, IDOT is preparing to deploy roughly 300 plows and salt trucks this weekend if necessary.
Meanwhile, gas prices are the lowest they've been for Thanksgiving since the pandemic. Drivers can pinpoint the lowest prices in their area here.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX 32's Kasey Chronis.