More trains -- and cars -- on getaway day
LIRR conductor Tim Denehy makes an announcement to passengers in this file photo. (Dec. 5, 2011) Credit: Steven Sunshine
Long Islanders traveling this Christmas weekend have more train options and, compared to last year, should expect a few more cars on the highways but slightly smaller crowds at the airports.
Driving is expected to be up in the region for the period starting this Friday through Monday, Jan. 2, according to AAA. Car travel is projected to increase 1.8 percent this year over last, and airplane travel is expected to decline by 8.4 percent in the Middle Atlantic region, which includes New York, according to research done for AAA.
That drop in air travel can be linked to higher airfares that many aren't willing to pay, says the motoring and leisure travel organization.
About one quarter of the Middle Atlantic region's population is expected to be on the move this holiday season, says Robert Sinclair Jr., media relations manger for AAA in New York. He says that the most popular driving destinations, based on a check of area members' map requests, include Savannah, Ga., Boca Raton, Fla, and Orlando, Fla.
As for the weather, commuters and shoppers are advised to carry umbrellas on Friday, as rain is expected in the morning, tapering off around midday, says Dan Hofmann, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, based at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Look for a mix of sun and clouds on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures in the 30s and low 40s. And for those still hoping for a white Christmas, there's about a 20 percent chance of snow flurries Sunday afternoon and evening, he says.
From toxic dump to condos? ... Apartment rental scams ... Picture This: Montauk Monster ... What's up on LI
From toxic dump to condos? ... Apartment rental scams ... Picture This: Montauk Monster ... What's up on LI
