BOSTON (WHDH) - State leaders addressed potential travel trouble for Thanksgiving weekend.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation told drivers planning on traveling during the Thanksgiving period to consider travelling during off-peak hours such as early morning or late evenings.
MassDOT warns that traffic is expected to worsen the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, along with the Saturday and Sunday after the holiday.
“The number of Thanksgiving travelers has continued to increase each year and we advise members of the public to plan their trips in advance to find the most appropriate mode, route, and time to travel and help decrease congestion and reach their destination in an efficient manner,” said Mass. Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack in a press release on Wednesday.
MassDOT said a record 28.5 million people will fly on US airlines between Nov. 17 and Nov. 28, according to Airlines for America. They said the busiest travel day in the air is expected to be Sunday, Nov. 26. Travelers should expect to see Logan Airport busier than normal beginning this week.
“We want to do everything we can to ease the travel experience for everyone flying this holiday season,’’ said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn in a press release.
“This week kicks off the busiest time of year at Logan and though we will have extra staff on hand to help out, we encourage everyone to plan ahead to help make their time travelling as smooth as possible,” he added.
Massport said they encourage travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport for updated flight status and information. They also encouraged people to utilize public transportation options for getting to the airport, as parking is expected to be around capacity.
The MBTA has added additional service on the Silver Line 1 during peak travel times through Monday Nov. 27, to accommodate customers traveling to and from Logan.
The MBTA will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. There will be no ferry service on Thanksgiving Day.
MBTA officials said they will be increasing the capacity of some of their key rush hour trains on Wednesday Nov. 22.
For more information on MBTA schedule’s, visit their website. For real-time traffic updates, visit 511 or the GoTime app. For updated information on parking at Logan Airport subscribe here.
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