Tom Baran is the Traffic Education Specialist for AAA Northern New England. Baran joined WGAN on Wednesday, May 21 to discuss the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend traffic.
Baran said “we’re gonna see an increase this year… nationwide” in travel. This increase, Baran said, will take place from Thursday through Monday of the long weekend. Over two million New Englanders will make trips over 50 miles.
From the holiday weekend last year, car travel is expected to see a 3.1% increase, 1.3% increase in air travel, and other modes of travel look to increase by 5.2%. However, Baran said “87% of travelers will be going by car.”
He explained that lower gas prices are one of the main causes of the projected increase in travel. The lower prices “[make] it more affordable for people to get out there and drive.”
With this travel increase, drivers should be aware of potential breakdowns. Try to service vehicles in advance, “look at [your] vehicles, and make sure that they’re ready for the road.” Last year, Baran noted that AAA responded to over 2,500 calls for broken down vehicles in northern New England on the long weekend. Ensure that if there are breakdowns on the drive, follow Maine’s “slow down, move over” law.
It looks to be a busy Memorial Day Weekend for 2025, so plan for that traffic in advance. Hear the full interview with AAA Northern New England’s Tom Baran on The WGAN Morning News.
