TAMPA, Fla. — As the summer travel season kicks off in earnest this weekend, the Transportation Security Administration said it's ready to deal with the expected increase in passengers nationwide.
“TSA is ready to handle this summer’s anticipated increase in travel. Our staffing levels are better and this is largely due to better pay for all TSA employees, which starts on July 1st,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
He continued, "For passengers, this will mean better overall staffing for all of TSA’s activities that support secure and efficient travel and an improved passenger experience."
Overall, AAA projected 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home on Memorial Day weekend. If those numbers come to fruition, it would represent a 7% increase from Memorial Day weekend 2022.
“This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000 when AAA started tracking holiday travel,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel.
Bankrate.com found similar results to AAA. Bankrate's survey found 63% of adults are likely to take a summer vacation, slightly higher than 2022.
AAA said 3.4 million travelers will head to the skies to reach their destinations, an increase of 11% from 2022. The expected increase in air travel could exceed pre-pandemic levels from 2019.
But it's not just the air that will be filled. Lower gas prices have AAA projecting 37.1 million Americans hitting the road on the holiday weekend.
If you're curious about when the best time to hit the road will be, INRIX reports Friday will be the busiest day. INRIX, per AAA, said metro areas like Tampa will "likely see travel times double compared to normal."
INRIX said the peak congestion in Tampa will be 5 p.m. Friday, when it's expected to take four hours to get from Gainesville to Tampa on I-75 South, an increase of 82% over the typical travel time.
One final nugget for those of you who may be traveling, gas prices in Florida are running $3.39 a gallon, with the highest prices in South Florida. Locally, gas cost $3.36 in Hillsborough County, $3.31 in Pinellas County, and $3.42 in Polk County.
