An estimated 6.6 million travelers will move through the region between Aug. 28 and Sept. 2, producing heavy congestion across airports, bridges and tunnels. Area airports expect about 2.4 million passengers, with Thursday, Friday and Monday forecast as the busiest travel days and longer security and queuing times likely. A $19 billion construction program at JFK creates detours, road closures and relocated rideshare pickup zones; AirTrain fares are temporarily reduced and airport parking will sell out without pre-booking. More than 4.2 million vehicles are expected through Port Authority crossings despite paused non-emergency repairs. The Hoboken PATH station will be closed from Thursday night through Tuesday morning with shuttle buses and ferry alternatives in place, so travelers should build in substantial extra time.
Labor Day weekend is almost here and while you may be dreaming of beach chairs, lake houses or a few blissful days without Slack notifications, there's one unavoidable truth: Getting out of town is going to be a nightmare. The Port Authority is bracing for a record-breaking 6.6 million travelers between Thursday, August 28, and Tuesday, September 2-which means jammed tunnels, crawling bridges and airports that feel like human ant farms.
Let's start with the skies (and, more specifically, the lines that snake through them). JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Stewart airports are expecting 2.4 million passengers, a one-percent jump from last year's all-time high. Thursday, Friday and Monday are forecasted to be the worst days, so if you're flying, pack patience with your carry-on. Ongoing $19 billion construction at JFK means detours, road closures and relocated Uber pickups-Terminals 4, 5 and 7 all have shuffled ride-share zones, so don't just blindly follow your app.
On the roads, it's not much prettier. More than 4.2 million vehicles are expected to pass through Port Authority bridges and tunnels. Non-emergency repairs will pause to ease congestion, but "lighter traffic" is a relative term. Think molasses, not quicksand. If you're one of the unlucky souls braving the Lincoln Tunnel on Friday afternoon, maybe download a podcast series instead of a single episode-you're going to need it.
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