‘Everybody’s getting back to it;’ Record travel expected Memorial Day weekend

A little more than a week from now, thousands of people from the Miami Valley will be on the roads for Memorial Day weekend.

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The holiday marks the beginning of the summer travel season.

News Center 7′s Nick Foley talked with people who have plans to get out of town.

He says the gas pumps will be working overtime with the summer travel season starting next weekend.

But Lynn Behnke of Oakwood says she has grown kids in the area and won’t be traveling.

“We have two (kids), high school and a college graduate this spring,” she told Foley. “So, for those reasons, and one’s pretty local, we’re not traveling.”

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But despite those staying home, AAA expects record travel for the Memorial Day holiday.

“Everybody’s getting back to it,” said Kara Hitchens, AAA spokesperson.

She says the recent trend in the state and country has been more travelers on the road and in the skies during the holidays. She expects more of the same this year.

“So, here in Ohio alone, we’re looking at 1.6 million people traveling, and of course, the vast majority of those folks will be driving,” Hitchens told Foley. “1.5 million people will be driving to their holiday destination and that’s talking about 50 miles or more away from home.”

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Lynn’s family won’t be taking that longer trip until later this summer.

“We always go away Fourth of July week and that’s probably not smart financially,” she said.

AAA is projecting this Memorial Day holiday to be the third busiest ever and most traveled since the pandemic.

If anyone is planning on hitting the road, AAA suggests making sure the car is ready for the trip.