AAA says nearly 4 million Californians will travel over the Labor Day weekend.
“This is a 6 percent increase in overall travel from last year so it’s really…it’s actually surprising news.”
Surprising, says Cynthia Harris with the auto association, because holiday travel has been flat lately.
Harris says it’s not a record high but it is the biggest increase since late 2008. She says the resurgence in travel is partly because of improved consumer confidence.
“Normally Labor Day is probably the weakest travel day of the year – it’s when school starts, people stay at home mostly or travel very close to home.”
The AAA survey finds most of the Californians traveling 50 miles or more from their homes will be driving. More than 514,000 will be flying, up just over 4% from this time a year ago. Airfares and hotel rates are expected to be about 4% higher than last year.
Meanwhile, with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge scheduled to close tonight at 8 o’clock, Harris has this piece of advice:
“It’s very important that people avoid coming in and out of San Francisco unless they absolutely have to because you’re going to be contributing to the higher congestion and to delays on all of the other alternative bridges.”
The Bay Bridge – with its new East Span – is scheduled to reopen next Tuesday, September 3 at 5 AM.
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