If you’re not already on the road to grandma’s house, you just might want to ask yourself this question: Is it really worth making that Thanksgiving driving trip today?
Or, at the very least: Shouldn’t I wait a few hours?
Not to scare off anyone from visiting family or friends this holiday, but be forewarned that the DAF (Driver Aggravation Factor) starts to soar around lunchtime the day before Thanksgiving and continues well into the evening.
That’s when many of the 47 million Americans who travel on the road this weekend hit the highways, and they all seem to be going where you’re going.
"We expect the biggest delays to start around 2 p.m., but they could start as early as noon," cautions Mark Arum in the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
“Leave before noon or after 8 p.m.,” he advises, adding, “but as we all know, there are no guarantees in Atlanta traffic.”
The congestion eases on Thursday, Friday and Saturday before ramping up again on Sunday. But Thanksgiving eve can be abominable, even if one crowdsourcing traffic app says Atlanta is not among the worst cities for jams.
Brave motorists, however, can do some things to reduce their DAF. One is to heed the hot spots.
“The biggest delays are expected on the south side of town. Specifically, on I-75 both north and southbound through Henry and Clayton counties,” Arum said. “Historically, we see the biggest delays there.”
But, he notes, “I also anticipate extra delays through downtown on I-75/I-85 in both directions.”
At about 3:30 p.m., Arum’s traffic center colleague, Mark McKay, said congestion on both of those routes was already building.
“It’s pretty heavy,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s reached peak, but it’s pretty solid in a lot of directions moving into and through the city.”
In our favor is the weather. It looks mostly clear, far as the forecasters can see.
Also, the Georgia Department of Transportation has suspended construction-related lane closures through 10 p.m. Sunday.
The main factor affecting traffic flow, however, is out-of-towners.
“The biggest factor is the huge number of out-of-town drivers that drive through Atlanta heading somewhere else - the I-75 corridor, especially, as people head to or from Florida,” Arum said.
While the roads are the main concern of motorists, many holiday travelers will be taking to the skies. That's where the situation atHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport comes in.
An estimated 77,500 people are expected to stream through security checkpoints at the airport on Wednesday, the second-busiest day of the Thanksgiving travel period at the world’s busiest airport.
Arum’s tip for fliers?
“Plan ahead where you are going to park your car, or take MARTA to save time,” he said. “Scout out which security line is the shortest. Oftentimes one line is a lot less crowded than the others.”
With a little luck, Thanksgiving travelers might boost their DRF (Driver Relaxation Factor).
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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