AAA skipping Memorial Day travel forecast

The folks at AAA say, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, they can’t depend on the accuracy of the economic data used to create the annual forecast.

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The Kennedy Expressway is clogged with cars.

AAA expects holiday travel to be at record lows this weekend because of the coronavirus.

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If you’ve come to depend on the AAA Memorial Day travel forecast before you hit the road, you’re out of luck this year.

It’s the first time in 20 years AAA hasn’t issued a Memorial Day forecast.

The folks at AAA say, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, they can’t depend on the accuracy of the economic data used to create the annual forecast.

But they’re not expecting roads to be jampacked.

“Last year, 43 million Americans traveled for Memorial Day weekend — the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel volumes in 2000,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel. “With social distancing guidelines still in practice, this holiday weekend’s travel volume is likely to set a record low.”

Memorial Day 2009 holds the current record for the lowest travel volume, with about 31 million travelers, according to AAA.

The organization expects to make travel projections for late summer and the fall, assuming states loosen travel restrictions.

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