Planning can ease Thanksgiving travel trouble

For those hitting the road this Thanksgiving, the trek to their destinations could come with clearer skies as well as higher prices at the pump compared to holiday traveling several years ago. 

Monday's forecast may have included a chance of rain, but the rest of the week will bring some sun with highs ranging from the mid 40s to the 30s, according to the National Weather Service in State College. 

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Tuesday's forecast shows partly cloudy skies with a high of 44 degrees, which will continue into Wednesday with mostly sunny skies and high near 43 degrees. Residents may have a beautiful Thanksgiving, the weather service said, with more sunshine but temperatures only reaching 30 degrees. However, this number will jump back up Friday with highs expected to soar to 39 degrees. 

Despite the nicer weather, GasBuddy said in a news release that rising fuel costs could lead to a decline in travel during one of the busiest traveling times of the year. 

The company projected gas prices will be the highest since 2014 - with a national average of $2.57 a gallon this Thanksgiving - even after the average dropped 25 cents just a few months ago. It added the last time the country saw more expensive prices was four years ago when the national average during the holiday was $2.79 a gallon. 

About 32 percent of participants in GasBuddy's annual holiday travel survey said these costs were impacting their plans, with this year possibly seeing a 15 percent decrease in road travelers compared to last year. However, this number could change due to declining gas prices in eight states, falling to  $1.99 a gallon or less. 

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis, said Americans will be paying nearly $80 million more throughout this travel period than they did last year, but will also spend $1.7 billion less than they did at the pumps during 2012's Thanksgiving travel period. 

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“With gas prices decreasing in nearly every city every day since mid-October, travelers should be shopping around to find the stations that have passed along the big savings," he continued. 

To help consumers save money, GasBuddy offered several tips for how to do this. 

• Know when to buy - The company analyzed data, which found Monday usually sees the lowest average price in 21 states, making it the best day to fill up. The day with the most expensive average price was Friday. 
• Watch your driving habits - Aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can cost drivers up to an extra $477 a year in fuel consumption. 
• Take advantage of loyalty programs - Two-thirds of consumers are expected to use loyalty or cash back programs to save some cash at the pump. GasBuddy also has a free payments service that offers 10 cents off a gallon on the first fill-up and 5 cents off a gallon after that at thousands of gas stations around the country. 

Even though GasBuddy is predicting less road travel, AAA predicted a 5 percent increase compared to last year, reaching up to 48.5 million travelers, it said in a news release. 

In addition, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is gearing up for the busy holiday with 3.7 million vehicles projected to hit the highway between Tuesday and Sunday. 

All lanes on the turnpike will be open to accommodate heavier traffic from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 11 p.m. Sunday. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects will be suspended during these times.

Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the busiest, according to the commission. About 750,000 vehicles are expected on both these days. Periods that will see the most traffic include: 

• 3-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20 
• 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21
• Noon - 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25 

For more information about turnpike conditions, tune in to 1640 AM near the interchanges, call 866-976-TRIP for the Turnpike Roadway Information Program or 800-331-3414 for the Customer Assistance Center (weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), or download the 511PA free smartphone app.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is also taking steps to prepare. 

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Its traffic management staff have analyzed holiday data and identified locations and time frames where congestion typically increases, so it can take precautions to alleviate congestion and improve safety. The department will partner with police, as well, for enforcement of speed and impaired driving laws. 

In the Harrisburg region, PennDOT identified consistent, increased congestion the Sunday following Thanksgiving near Interstate 81 southbound at the Interstate 87 split in Lebanon County. To ease this, it will: 

• Proactively alert motorists on Wednesday through Sunday of potential or actual delays in this area and the region using travel-time messages on electronic signs.
• Use highway advisory radio messages and electronic message boards to encourage travelers to re-route to U.S. 22 westbound. 
• Partner with state police on concentrated traffic enforcement near this area, and actively clear disabled vehicles from the road. 
• Increase hours and extend the coverage area that the department's State Farm Safety Patrol will be patrolling. 

PennDOT will also remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible through the holiday period. Drivers can see remaining construction projects at 511PA.com. 

In addition, PennDOT encourages travelers to visit the "Historic Holiday Traffic" page at this website to see how traffic speeds during this travel period in 2016 and 2017 compare to conditions during an average week. Users are able to choose their regions and view an hour-by-hour, color-coded visual of traffic speeds to help them decide the best times to travel. 

"Thanksgiving is a popular travel period so focusing on preparation and safety is an important shared responsibility," said Secretary Leslie S. Richards. "We encourage motorists to use the tools we make available in advance of their trips and also keep safety in mind while they travel."

Have a story or want to submit a tip? Contact Ashley Books at 717-262-4764 or email abooks@gannett.com.