Newton, MA – November 27: Traffic was beginning to bunch up on the Massachusetts Turnpike the day before Thanksgiving. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Whether you're traveling by plane, train or automobile this holiday season, top Massachusetts transportation officials gave an update Thursday on what to expect.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the MBTA, Massport and Massachusetts State Police held press conference at 8 a.m. to discuss holiday travel.
"I feel like it was just Thanksgiving, but we are here to talk about winter travel," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nut said. "Please put down your phones, please drive the speed limit and please do not drive impaired. This is beautiful weather for a holiday season so we want to make sure everyone is taking advantage of it."
MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said he actually expects traffic on the roadways to be "pretty light" over the next 10 days.
"This is a good scenario with Christmas falling on a Wednesday," he said. "It means that unlike Thanksgiving, you're not going to have a sharp peak travel day. You'll see some traffic today and tomorrow, but really for the most part, it's less traffic overall."
He said construction work will pause on Dec. 24 until Dec. 26, and again from Dec. 31 through Jan. 2, 2025. MassDOT will also be extending high occupancy vehicle hours on Interstate 93.
Gulliver said there is nothing in the forecast for the next 10 days calling for any severe winter weather, but the department will keep an eye on the weather and be ready just in case.
Massport CEO Rich Davey said this has been a record breaking year at Logan Airport, and he expects the holiday season to be no less busy. He urged people to arrive early -- especially this weekend. He said the weather looks good here, but weather elsewhere in the U.S. could impact flights into and out of Logan.
Ryan Coholan, the MBTA's COO, urged people to use public transportation during the holiday season. Especially for anyone looking to get to and from Logan Airport.
He said there will be unique schedules between Christmas and New Year's, and urged people to check mbta.com for details. Increased service will be offered on New Year's Eve, and the T will be fare free starting at 8 p.m.
AAA has said it expects travel records to be set this holiday season, with 119.3 million people traveling 50 miles or more from home between Dec. 21, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2025. That would narrowly surpass the previous record set in 2019. They are expecting an additional 3 million travelers this season compared to last year.
“This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday," said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel.
Nearly 90% of holiday travelers will be driving to their destinations, but AAA also expects air travel to set a new holiday record this season with 7.85 million passengers.
