If you’re looking to get away for the Thanksgiving holiday, you’ve got plenty of company — record travel is expected.
Here’s how things look in the D.C. area on Wednesday.
Airports
At Reagan National Airport, WTOP’s Luke Lukert reported security lines were at their longest around 6 a.m. At the north security checkpoint, lines had stretched down the hall, nearly to the escalators. By 8 a.m., he said people were “speeding through security in around 10 minutes.”
According to Dulles International Airport’s arrivals and departures website, there are few, if any, delays there.
Lukert also spoke to some travelers about their destination and plans for the holiday. Rochelle Hamberger said her family is on the way to Florida’s Key West.
“We’re going to the Dry Tortugas, we’re going to the aquarium — just check out Key West. We’ve never been,” she said.
As for their Thanksgiving feast, the family will be headed to Hard Rock Cafe.
The Transportation Security Administration is expecting to screen about 2.9 million people Wednesday.
“They’ve only screened 3 million people once in a single day in over two decades. One way TSA tells me they are helping alleviate those long lines is bomb sniffing dogs,” Lukert reported. “When those canines are out, that means folks don’t have to take off their shoes when they get through security, which kind of speeds up those lines.”
The TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said it was like the agency’s version of the Super Bowl.
“We actually have several administrative types who have offered to come to the checkpoint and assist with the security lines … so people like, say, from my office, or a program analyst or an HR person could be here assisting,” she said.
It’s not only people and their luggage getting on planes — sometimes it’s their food, too.
“This is a foodie kind of holiday. People want to contribute to the Thanksgiving table, so they are going to be traveling with food,” Farbstein said. “That’s fine. That happens all year round, but it’s just magnified at Thanksgiving.”
She offered some travel tips in that vein.
“If you have a solid food item, yes, it can go through a checkpoint, but if it’s not solid, if it’s something you pour or (is) spreadable, then you need to pack that in your check bag. So the rule of thumb is, if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, and it’s a food item, you want to put that in your check bag so solid foods can go through a checkpoint.”
The roads
For the D.C. area, in Montgomery County, Maryland, there’s a partial closure on Interstate 270 at Middlebrook Road, near Exit 13. Officials said to expect delays and take an alternate route if possible.
If you’re still on the road, or getting ready to go, check out the latest traffic updates on the 8s at 103.5FM and online.
On Wednesday morning, WTOP’s John Domen was at a rest stop along I-95 near Laurel, Md., where he spoke to a handful of holiday travelers stretching their legs.
“We packed the night before and the dog was ready, the wife was not,” said Gary, who was thrilled to be making the time he was on his trip from South Carolina to the Philly suburbs.
Mallory, who was heading to northern New Jersey from Charlottesville said the traffic “was better than I thought” it would be.
“Maybe people are not going to work,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing my grandchildren.”
Traffic wise, the only complaint anyone really had was the same complaint you always hear about.
“People getting in the fast lane and driving slow, or driving the speed limit,” said Keifton, who was on his way to Long Island from the Richmond area. “Get in the right lane,” he said with a laugh.
VDOT apparently has the same message for travelers:
Some #WednesdayWisdom from us to you: Don’t be a #LeftLaneLoafer! pic.twitter.com/dgV9J6Ez2i
— VDOT (@VaDOT) November 27, 2024
All things considered, the roadways are looking decent throughout the D.C. area, according to WTOP Traffic. The same goes for Interstate 95 on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
There are no major problems on the Beltway in Maryland, either.
Get the latest traffic updates on the 8s at 103.5FM and online.
Gassing up
If you’re hitting the road this Thanksgiving, you might be wondering when the best time to fill up the tank is — near home or after you get down the road?
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein reported good news at the pump. As of Wednesday, the national average price of gas fell to just over $3.07 per gallon, according to AAA.
“Here in Prince William County, I’m doing even better,” Augenstein said.
“The pump reads $2.87, for regular. As you know, prices tend to get a bit cheaper when you get outside of the metropolitan area. Of course, then you’ve got to do the calculations of whether you have enough gas to get to the gas station.”
And if you’re driving an electric vehicle this year, make sure you map where you can find charging stations along the way.
WTOP’s Luke Lukert and Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
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