Labor Day Weekend travel rush begins around NYC area

NEW YORK — Labor Day Weekend is almost here, and New York City area airports and roadways are expected to see millions of travelers over the next few days. 
Experts say it’s best to leave early and be prepared for large crowds. 
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is preparing to screen more than 17 million people across the country during this record-breaking travel period, which runs from now through Sept. 4.
The federal agency believes around 2.5 million passengers will travel through John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Stewart International Airport during the six-day period. 
Thursday, Friday and Monday are expected to be the busiest days. 
TSA says it is staffed to handle the large crowds, with the goal of keeping wait times under 30 minutes at standard screening lanes. Officials say it’s always best to get to the airport at least an hour and a half prior to a scheduled flight. 
For those hitting the road, AAA says the best time to travel is before 11 a.m. Thursday, and the worst time is between 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be very busy considering the fact that there will be nearly 5 million vehicles that will use the intra-city bridges and tunnels over the holiday weekend, with the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge the busiest. From Thursday until Monday, it will see 1.1. million vehicles,” said AAA’s Northeast representative Robert Sinclair.
Gas prices are said to be much cheaper than last year, which could also contribute to busy roadways and packed airports.
“Gasoline in the Tri-State Area and across the nation is 40 to 48 cents cheaper than a year ago. Rental car rates are 16% less than a year ago. And if we look to the skies, we are seeing that domestic flights are about 2% cheaper than last year,” Sinclair said.
AAA says domestic travel will be the focus this holiday weekend, with 9% more people taking to the skies than last year. The agency says the cost of flying is down about 6%, likely adding to the increase.