Best and Worst Times To Leave NYC

AAA said on May 11 that 45 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 21, to Monday, May 25. The group said that would set a Memorial Day weekend record, with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million flying. For New York City drivers, the broad advice is simple: leave early and avoid late-afternoon departures. INRIX, the traffic-data company cited by AAA, said the heaviest congestion nationally is expected on Thursday and Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with Monday afternoon also busy. ### When is the worst time to leave New York City by car? INRIX said Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. are expected to be the most congested periods of the holiday weekend. Those hours line up with the usual commute and the start of long-weekend departures, which is why AAA advised drivers to get on the road early if they can. Monday afternoon is also expected to be crowded as travelers head home. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA did not publish a city-by-city New York schedule in the material reviewed here, but Patch’s New York-area Memorial Day travel guidance in prior coverage used the same INRIX framework: mornings are generally the best time to leave, while afternoon departure windows bring the longest delays. That makes an early-morning Thursday or Friday start the safest bet for drivers trying to beat traffic out of the city. (newsroom.aaa.com) This is an inference from AAA’s national INRIX guidance and Patch’s New York-area reporting pattern, not a separate AAA city forecast. ### What are the best times to get out of the city? Sunday is expected to be the lightest day for traffic, barring crashes, bad weather or other disruptions, according to INRIX data cited by AAA. For drivers who can leave on the weekend instead of late Thursday or Friday, that day offers the clearest window in the forecast. (newsroom.aaa.com) AAA’s guidance also points toward mornings on travel days as the lower-risk option. The organization said congestion will build as travelers move out of metro areas and mix with routine commuter traffic, making afternoon departures more vulnerable to backups. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### How big is Memorial Day road traffic this year? AAA said 39.1 million people are expected to travel by car over the five-day holiday period, making driving the dominant mode of travel and about 87% of all Memorial Day travelers. The organization said overall domestic travel is slightly above last year and would set a new holiday-weekend record. (newsroom.aaa.com) Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the release that “travel demand remains strong” despite higher fuel prices. AAA also said drivers are paying more at the pump than they were over Memorial Day last year, when the national average price for regular gasoline was $3.17. (newsroom.aaa.com) ### What else should New York drivers plan for before they leave? AAA said more cars on the road usually mean more roadside breakdowns and longer waits for help. The group said it responded to more than 350,000 roadside-assistance calls over last year’s Memorial Day weekend for problems including dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks. (newsroom.aaa.com) Thursday and Friday are also expected to be the busiest rental-car pickup days, according to Hertz data cited by AAA. That adds to pressure on roads around airports, rental lots and major outbound routes at the start of the weekend. ### What should drivers watch as the weekend begins? (newsroom.aaa.com) Thursday, May 21, is the start of AAA’s Memorial Day travel window, and the first major late-afternoon congestion period is expected the same day. Friday, May 22, is expected to bring another heavy 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. wave, while Monday, May 25, is the return leg that INRIX said could clog roads again in the afternoon. (newsroom.aaa.com) Drivers can track conditions through AAA travel updates and local traffic reports as those dates approach.