INRIX Predicts Thanksgiving Weekend Traffic To Double Around Malls And Airports

- Shoppers headed to America's busiest malls could see almost 90% extra travel time

- Drivers headed to major airports can expect more than a 20-minute delay

- Airport off-site parking could save travelers as much as 75% compared to onsite parking

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Nov 16, 2016, 08:01 ET

KIRKLAND, Wash., Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 40 million Americans took to the roads over the course of the Thanksgiving weekend last year.¹ With similar gas prices and a growing economy, drivers this year can expect travel times to more than double around major cities during the holiday weekend. Today, INRIX, the world leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, has released its annual Thanksgiving Traffic Forecast to predict the country's busiest malls and airports.

Black Friday Mall Forecast
Although online shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend increased 17% year-over-year in 2015,² nearly 102 million consumers still left their their homes in search of the best in-store deals.³ The INRIX Thanksgiving Traffic Forecast has identified some the busiest shopping centers across the U.S. and their anticipated congestion levels during the holiday weekend. INRIX found that suburban shopping centers will experience the highest travel times, up to almost 90% longer than normal.

"For consumers who want to spend the least amount of time driving to the malls, your best bet is to leave before 11:00 a.m.," said Bob Pishue, senior economist at INRIX. "Shoppers should avoid midday and early afternoon when travel times could be more than double their normal length."

*Top 10 Busiest U.S. Shopping Centers*	*Worst Time for Traffic*	*Extra Time at Worst Hour*
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY	11AM - 1PM	89%
Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ	1PM - 6PM	66%
Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL	1PM - 7PM	66%
Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance, CA	2PM - 4PM	59%
The Galleria, Houston, TX	3PM - 6PM	54%
King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA	12PM - 6PM	53%
Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA	8AM - 11AM	43%
Tysons Corner Center, Mclean, VA	4PM - 6PM	42%
Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN	1:30PM - 3:30PM	32%
Palisades Center, West Nyack, NY	8AM - 10AM	25%
Westfield, San Francisco, CA	8AM - 11AM	23%
Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise, FL	8AM - 10AM	18%

Busiest U.S. Airports Predictions
For those flying out of town for the 4-day weekend, in addition to longer security lines, travelers must also account for increased driving times to the airport. Although congestion around most airports is expected to be better than last year, travelers could see delays as long as an hour more than normal.

"Historically, Thanksgiving has been the busiest weekend of the year to fly, and this year will be no different," says Pishue. "Travelers should plan on commute times to airports to be about double longer than normal."

*Metro Area*	*Airport Route*	*Worst Time* *for Travel*	Freeflow Journey	Travel Time at Worst Hour
Chicago	Downtown to ORD via Kennedy Exwy W	7AM - 10AM	23 min	56 min
Los Angeles	Downtown to LAX via I-110 S	7AM - 9AM	22 min	47 min
Charlotte	Downtown to CLT via US-74 W	12PM - 2PM	17 min	46 min
Seattle	Downtown to SEA via I-5 S	8AM - 11AM	19 min	35 min
New York	Downtown to JFK via Long Island Exwy E	1PM - 3PM	24 min	32 min
Dallas	Downtown to DFW via TX-183 W	3PM - 6PM	19 min	32 min
Denver	Downtown to DIA via I-70 E and Pena Blvd	5PM - 7PM	25 min	30 min
Miami	Downtown to MIA via Dolphin Exwy W	4PM - 6PM	8 min	26 min
Houston	Downtown to HIA via US-59 N	3PM - 6PM	18 min	23 min
San Francisco	Downtown to SFO via US-101 S	3PM - 6PM	13 min	19 min
Phoenix	Downtown to PHX via I-10 E	3PM - 6PM	11 min	18 min
Las Vegas	Downtown to LAS via I-15 S	1PM - 6PM	10 min	15 min
Atlanta	Downtown to ALT via I-75 S	10AM - 12PM	10 min	12 min

Airport Parking Rates
The cost of parking at or near airports presents its own levels of frustration. Travelers should consider comparing the costs of onsite and offsite parking options. For example, parking offsite at Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Miami airports could cost 75% less than at terminal lots.

INRIX Parking looked at prices at or near the busiest airports for the holiday. The below is based on the cost of parking for five days:

*Airport*	*Onsite Minimum Spend*	*Offsite Minimum Spend*
Chicago O'Hare Int'l	$50	$35
Los Angeles Int'l	$60	$30
Charlotte/Douglas Int'l	$25	$20
Seattle-Tacoma Int'l	$140	$63
New York JFK Int'l	$165	$75
Dallas/Ft. Worth Int'l	$45	$30
Denver Int'l	$65	$23
Miami Int'l	$85	$19
Houston George Bush Int'l	$28	$35
San Francisco Int'l	$125	$50
Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'l	$35	$40
Las Vegas McCarran Int'l	$80	$35
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l	$45	$43

For drivers that want the latest travel information during the Thanksgiving weekend, the INRIX Traffic app (Android and iOS) proactively monitors road conditions to alert drivers of ideal departure times, changes to arrival times and optimal routes. It also offers drivers real-time parking location and reservation capabilities.

Traffic Forecast Methodology
INRIX analyzed the Thanksgiving holiday periods from 2010 to 2015, traffic trends from major national holiday weekends in 2015 and current traffic trends to predict what drivers might expect over the upcoming holiday weekend. In measuring the shifts in traffic congestion over this period, INRIX uses a common measure for congestion called the Travel Time Index referred to in our research as a percentage representing the amount of delay drivers can expect on these days due to traffic.

About INRIX
INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, a new approach that leverages big data and the cloud to help manage urban mobility. By aggregating a variety of sources and applying intelligence, INRIX delivers comprehensive data and solutions to help move people, cities and businesses forward. Our partners are automakers, governments, mobile operators, developers, advertisers, as well as enterprises large and small.

¹ https://newsroom.aaa.com/2015/11/drivers-to-pay-lowest-thanksgiving-gas-prices-since-2008/
² https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2015/12/cyber-monday-2015-largest-online-sales-day-ever.html
³ https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/thanksgiving-weekend-shopping-brings-big-store-and-online-crowds-according-nrf

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SOURCE INRIX