(Bloomberg) -- A 13-day holiday travel surge is expected to bring a record-breaking 13.8 million travelers through New York City area airports and vehicular crossings during the year-end travel period.
Count on longer waits and heavy traffic from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey advised travelers Wednesday. The agency anticipates about 5.2 million passengers will travel through Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, New York Stewart International and John F. Kennedy International airports, a 3% increase from last year’s all-time high, according to a statement.
It’s been a year rife with travel disruptions. At airports, a global software meltdown over the summer saw thousands of flights delayed or canceled. Meanwhile, train passengers on the nation’s busiest rail corridor have dealt with a string of disturbances this year.
To accommodate the anticipated volume and congestion at the region’s airports and vehicle crossings, the agency recommends that passengers flying domestically arrive at least two hours in advance of their departure and at least three hours early for international flights. They should also make use of public transit or prebook parking to account for longer wait times, the agency said.
The Port Authority expects, similar to last year, 8.6 million vehicles will use its bridges and tunnels. To accommodate the volume, all ongoing repairs and construction projects at its crossings will be suspended from 5 a.m. Dec. 23 through 5 a.m. Jan. 2.
PATH trains that link New York and New Jersey will operate on a modified schedule on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.
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