Marylanders are choosing to drive to their Memorial Day weekend destinations
BALTIMORE -- While some people got a head start on implementing their Memorial Day weekend plans days ago, Friday was the day that most people started to travel.
Maryland's roads were busy on Friday. BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport was busy, too.
At the airport, the holiday weekend rush started early in the morning. Lines began quickly filling up as soon as airlines opened up ticketing.
AAA expects airports to be particularly busy this weekend. In Maryland, it's not quite pre-pandemic levels just yet. But nationally, AAA is predicting a more than 10% increase from 2019.
WJZ reporter Dennis Valera talked to Trent and Terence Ingram about their experience before they boarded their flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"[Ticket] prices were pretty decent, we booked them about three months [ago] in February," Trent Ingram said.
But even if the ticket prices would have been a little pricey, the Ingram brothers still would've joined the estimated 71,000 Marylanders who are flying out for the long weekend.
"We like to get away, whether that's flying or drive," Terence Ingram said.
The foot traffic remained steady at BWI as the day went on. By noon, however, parking started to become a luxury.
The Long Term Parking A Lot had to be closed down, and as of 3:30 p.m., less than 15% of Long Term Parking B Lot was available.
The other garages at the airport were mostly full, too.
Of course, not everyone is driving to BWI. Around 753,000 Marylanders—nearly 90% expected to travel this weekend—are driving to their destination.
Many are aiming to avoid peak traffic times.
"I've been in bad traffic with a bad vehicle," Ron White said. "That's no fun. So, come early, leave late."
AAA is seeing a growing number of people taking other modes of transportation for the holiday weekend. More and more people are taking trains, buses, some even going on a cruise for the long weekend.
"In Maryland, more than 27,000 travelers are expected to take other modes [of transportation]," Ragina Ali, manager of public and governmental affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said. "That represents an increase of about 18%."
BWI officials said in recent months that foot traffic at the airport has been getting closer and closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Officials noted they had their second busiest day since March 2020 last Thursday, with more than 34,000 departing from the airport.