One of the busiest travel days of the year is just getting started.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — It’s the most wonderful time of the year, once you get to your destination.
Whether that be by plane, train or automobile, expect it to be busy.
New construction has certain terminals at LaGuardia Airport shut down and traffic detoured, which is adding to the madness of traveling.
So the smart ones are giving themselves plenty of extra time, while others are making a mad dash to their planes hoping to catch their flight.
“We changed our car service to come an hour earlier because we heard horror stories on the news,” one traveler said.
Friday is the busiest day to fly so the TSA recommends travelers give themselves at least two hours for domestic flights to get the car parked and get through security.
On the roads, motorists can expect to pay more to fill their tanks. According to AAA, gas prices are the highest they’ve been in five years.
AAA predicts 90 percent of travelers will drive to their destinations so your best bet may be mass transit. NJ TRANSIT and the MTA are offering additional services starting Friday afternoon.
Holiday travelers at Penn Station who opted to choose the rails said the train is the only way to go.
“We personally chose the rail, because it’s easier for us. It’s just faster,” said Molly Robertson, who was traveling with her husband and dog by train to Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, motorists on New York state highways may notice smoother travel this holiday season thanks to the lack of construction-related lane closures.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that all non-essential lane closures will be suspended beginning Friday and running through Tuesday, and then again in the days leading up to the New Year’s holiday.
He says the idea is to make holiday travel as painless as possible for the many Americans taking to the roads to visit family and friends. The final two weeks of December are regularly one of the busiest travel periods of the year both in New York and across the nation.
Cuomo also is reminding New Yorkers to celebrate responsibly and drive safely.
