Irene affects travel plans - Worcester Telegram
Another 4.5 million Americans will make their Labor Day holiday journey by plane. The 31.5 million people who will travel more than 50 miles from their home represent a slight decrease, about 2.4 percent, from last year.
"The economy certainly has impacted people's travel," said John Paul, spokesman for AAA Southern New England, which includes Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. "Air fare has gotten more expensive in the past year. Putting your family in a motor vehicle and driving from Worcester to Washington, D.C., becomes a better alternative."
In northern New England, the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene may cause some to cancel their holiday trips. AAA travel research was done the last week of July. About 10.9 percent of New England's population was expected then to travel this weekend. But now, noted Patrick Moody, director of public affairs for AAA Northern New England, a large number of roads and bridges are closed in Vermont.
Only a few roads and bridges are out in New Hampshire. For the most part, Maine is in good shape, except for a few secondary roads in the Sugarloaf area.
"It is challenging to predict how much impact the storm will have on vacation plans this holiday weekend," said Mr. Moody. "Our region has experienced severe flooding and damaged roads and bridges that may require travel plans to be altered."
He recommended that motorists traveling to northern New England supplement a GPS unit with a map or another tool to adjust for road closures.
Motorists can expect to pay about $1 more a gallon for gas than last year and more for gas this weekend than any other Labor Day weekend except 2008, when a gallon of regular gas cost more than $4. The current average price of a regular gallon of gas is $3.62.
Mark Johnson, 25, of Boston, who stopped for food at the rest stop in Westboro on the Mass Pike, said gas prices are not a deterrent to his trip to Orlando, Fla., his hometown. Mr. Johnson, a member of the band Hunnie Bunnie, which plays experimental party music, and five other musicians were making the trip together down the East Coast.
"If we were making this trip on public transportation, it would cost a lot more," said Mr. Johnson.
Travelers on roads in Massachusetts shouldn't have any problems caused by the hurricane. In addition, Michael Verseckes, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said no work will be done on road and bridge projects from noon today until Tuesday. But some emergency work such as pothole and bridge deck repairs that do not disrupt traffic may be done.
David Procopio, spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police, said 60 additional troopers will staff three sobriety checkpoints over the Labor Day weekend. He said on the holiday weekend authorities are concerned about impaired driving because of drivers who drink at cookouts or parties.
Last Labor Day weekend, state police arrested 113 people on drunk driving charges and charged an additional seven motorists with driving under the influence of drugs. Also, during the holiday weekend there were 336 crashes on state roads, 54 of which resulted in injuries. There were no fatalities.
Mr. Procopio warned motorists that driving when you've had a few drinks is as dangerous as driving when you're thoroughly drunk, because reaction time and perceptive abilities are compromised even by a small amount of alcohol.
"Every time someone who has consumed alcohol gets behind the wheel, he or she is playing Russian roulette — and sooner or later the chamber with the bullet in it is coming around. And it might be pointed at a completely innocent person who had the tragic misfortune of crossing that driver's path that day," said Mr. Procopio.
02 Sep, 2011--
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