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Over one million Michiganders are projected to travel during Memorial Day weekend

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Memorial Day travel is expected to be just under pre-pandemic levels.

1.2 million Michigan residents are expected to travel over Memorial Day weekend.

That's nearly a return to pre-pandemic travel statistics, according to the AAA travel forecast.

Adrienne Woodland is a spokesperson for AAA. She suggests avoiding driving during peak travel times in the mid-afternoon.

“We’re expecting it to be busier compared to last year. We're expecting more than 1.2 million Michiganders to travel this Memorial Day weekend; that’s up about 79,000 more people compared to this time last year. However, these numbers are still slightly behind the numbers that we saw pre-pandemic, the numbers in 2018 and 2019,” Woodland said.

She says gas prices are projected to remain lower than last year's average for the season.

Most of these travelers will be driving, leading to traffic congestion during peak travel times. At the most popular travel times, AAA predicts drivers could see up to a 30% increase in their travel times due to traffic.

“If you're planning to either drive, fly, or any other type of travel, definitely, you know, prepare for busier roadways, definitely plan to get to the airport at least two hours or more ahead of your flight,” Woodland said.

Nationally, more than three million Americans are projected to fly over Memorial Day weekend.

Taylor Bowie is a senior studying English Literature at the University of Michigan and an intern in the Michigan Radio newsroom. She is originally from Owosso, Michigan.
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