Long Island Rail Road passengers board their train from the...

Long Island Rail Road passengers board their train from the platform of the Huntington Train Station on the afternoon of April 27, 2015. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara

For travelers looking to get an early start on the Memorial Day weekend, the Long Island Rail Road has added 10 eastbound trains from Penn Station to its Friday schedule.

The rail service said the extra getaway Friday trains run between 1:40 p.m. and 3:48 p.m., with four on Babylon branch, three on the Port Jefferson branch and one each on the Port Washington, Far Rockaway and Ronkonkoma branches.

Travelers getting an early start to the extended weekend found mostly favorable conditions on roads and rails Friday morning.

Traffic on major roadways during the morning rush hour was mostly hectic-free, according to the state Department of Transportation website, informny.com.

Plus, the LIRR reported good service at its site, mta.info/lirr, through midmorning.

Weather conditions for Friday and through the extended weekend are expected to be mostly dry and slightly cool, the National Weather Service said.

Daily highs Friday across Nassau and Suffolk counties should range in the low to mid 70s, with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon.

It will be a slightly breezy start to the weekend, with northwest winds increasing from 5 to 10 mph to between 12 to 17 mph.

The best day for outdoor plans is probably Sunday, when sunny skies and daily highs in the mid to upper 70s are likely, the service said.

An estimated 37.2 million Americans plan a trip of at least 50 miles this weekend, the highest volume for this holiday in a decade, according to a survey by AAA, the auto club.

Travelers may be motivated by lower gas prices and a tough winter, or might be among the increasing number of people who have been buying new cars recently and want to give them a holiday test drive, according to AAA New York spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr.

"AAA is expecting more travelers this year than anytime the past 10 years, with 89 percent driving," Sinclair said.

The price of a gallon of gasoline on Long Island ranges from $2.69 to $3.05, according to several websites that track prices. That's about $1 per gallon less than a year ago.

With William Murphy

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