RIDGEFIELD, NJ — Millions of people travel this Memorial Day weekend.
Roads and highways in the Tri-State Area were bumper to bumper as drivers made their way to their destinations.
CBS2 addressed people on the roads and airports on Friday night.
The unofficial start of summer has arrived and Vietnam veteran Delores Hampton has made it her business to fly over to spend time with her older sister.
“We’re just thankful to be here and thankful to see each other when we can,” said Atlanta’s Hampton.
At bustling Newark Liberty Airport, flights flowed in and out steadily. Air travel across the country this weekend will be one of the busiest in years, with a post-pandemic record of nearly 3.4 million passengers. A couple from Nebraska was close by, but still made their flight here without any problems.
“I think we got to the airport 30 minutes before our flight took off, so we got through security, no problem at all from Omaha,” said Mark Faubion.
Outside, tires hit the sidewalk. Al Williams did not find much traffic leaving New Hampshire. He quickly stopped at the Vince Lombardi Service Area to load up on snacks.
“Now I’m hopping on the highway to go to Virginia to pick up the wife, then to Charlotte, Virginia for a Memorial Day wedding,” said Williams, who is from Springfield, Massachusetts.
With an estimated 37 million people driving this weekend, others weren’t so lucky.
“This weekend is always crazy to get out of town,” said Elin Waring of the Bronx.
“It was bad. There was a lot of traffic,” added Luisa Ceballos of Connecticut.
Ceballos and her daughter’s soccer team were on their way to a tournament in Philadelphia.
“They were all prepped and ready. They sang the whole ride,” said Ceballos.
Some headed to Montauk for the weekend packed into Long Island Rail Road trains. Additional trains have been added to the schedule to accommodate holiday travel and beach traffic.
“It’s the best way to go east. You don’t have to get stuck in traffic. Have fun, have a great weekend, all weekend,” said Catherine Rinaldi of the MTA.
The motorists said they will try to avoid traffic for their return journey.
Even with so many people leaving the city, police will be on high alert through Tuesday. Officers monitor motorists who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Alecia Reid
