Holiday travel period will see major traffic on Bay Area highways and airports
Despite stormy weather and a potential government shutdown, millions of people were gearing up Friday to travel across the state and the nation for the holidays.
Jimmy Pham, 20, attends UC Berkeley and was at San Jose Mineta International Airport on Friday, preparing to fly to San Diego for winter break.
His travel plans have gone smoothly so far, he said, except for a small delay on his flight.
“I don’t think it’s anything that’s heartbreaking or anything too impactful,” he said, adding that potential weather impacts or a government shutdown would “definitely” impact his decision to take a flight for a potential snowboarding trip during his break.
“I guess I have to wait to see if anything happens,” he said.
The American Automobile Association estimated that 119.3 million people would travel 50 or more miles for the holidays between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. Domestic travel this year is projected to surpass by some 64,000 people the previous record set in 2019, according to a news release from the association. They also estimated that 3 million more people will be traveling home for the holidays this year than in 2023.
In California alone, 16 million people were estimated to be traveling for the holidays, AAA said. Around 14 million people will be driving to their destinations, while 1.4 million will be flying, and some 500,000 people will be using other modes of transportation — trains, buses or cruises.
Several storm systems were forecast in the Bay Area over this weekend into next week, potentially creating snarls for those on the roads or in the air, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Merchant. The first set of winds and rains was forecast to start on Friday evening and last through the weekend, with most of its impact being felt on Saturday. On Monday, another atmospheric river system is expected to arrive, leading to strong winds and heavier rains on Tuesday.
Christmas Day will see a break in the stormy weather before another system comes in on Thursday; rainy conditions were forecast to re-emerge at the end of next week.
Merchant said that driving through the rain this weekend won’t be too bad, but with the heavy rain and winds expected across most of the Bay Area on Tuesday, there could be some driving hazards and possibly some localized flooding just before the holiday, especially in the North Bay and Marin County. Because of how windy Tuesday is expected to be, he also said it is possible that flights may be affected by the weather.
AAA officials said that the best times to travel by car over the next several days would likely be Saturday morning and early afternoon, then in the morning on Sunday and Monday. The afternoons on all three days are expected to be heavy travel times on most major roadways, making traffic more likely.
In the Bay Area, AAA predicted some of the most congested conditions for eastbound Interstate 80 from San Francisco to Napa, especially on Saturday evening; travelers on that highway may face an estimated two hours and two minutes to get to their destination, an 82% increase in travel time.
Although 90% of the holiday travel is made up by drivers, 7.85 million people nationwide are expected to travel by plane, breaking the record of air travelers set last year, which was 7.5 million.
Vicki Sansen, of Pleasanton, was in San Jose planning to fly to Idaho to visit her two daughters and grandchildren for the holidays. Her flight was delayed two hours Friday afternoon, but “it’s okay,” she said.
“We figured it was going to be,” she said, adding that she had factored in extra time because she “didn’t know how it was going to be at the airport.”
“I think the roads are worse than the airport,” she said. She was not concerned about potential storms or government shutdowns because she plans to stay in Idaho until Dec. 29, she said.
Doug Yakel, a public information officer for San Francisco International Airport, said that 6.3 million people were expected to travel through the facility between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, an estimated 15% increase from 2023 holiday travel levels. He said Sunday is expected to be the busiest day, serving 161,000 passengers.
An estimated 300,000 people were expected to travel through San Jose Mineta International Airport between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5, according to a press release by the airport.
Oakland International Airport officials said that over 500,000 passengers were expected to use the airport to get to their holiday destinations between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6. The airport projected that their busiest days would be the Fridays immediately before and after Christmas.
“Our terminals are fully decked out in holiday décor, and we look forward to welcoming holiday travelers through the new year,” said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon. “We hope that passengers enjoy the return of our gift-wrapping station as well as performances by local Bay Area musicians.”
Airport spokespeople advised passengers to check in for their flights before getting to the airport and monitor their flight status for any delays or cancellations. They also advised people to reserve parking at the airports as early as possible; San Jose Airport was offering a 15% discount for parking reservations until Jan. 6. They also advised travelers to show up for their flights two hours before the departure time if it’s a domestic flight or three hours before if it’s an international flight.
Though a government shutdown was still possible — potentially beginning Friday at 9 p.m. Pacific time — airport spokespeople were relatively unalarmed. Ana State, an assistant public information manager for San Jose Mineta International Airport, said “there is no information indicating that (the airport) will be affected by a potential government shutdown” and said they are in close contact with their local partners and are monitoring the situation.
Yakel said that San Francisco International Airport is not anticipating much impact in the event of a government shutdown. Their security screeners work for a private contractor, not the federal Transportation Security Administration, and “other federal positions are considered essential and would continue to be staffed,” he said in an email.
Kaley Skantz, a spokesperson for Oakland International Airport, said that if the government were to shut down, employees from TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration would work without getting paid until funding becomes available. Although she said the airport is not expecting significant operational impacts due to a potential shutdown, she advised passengers to arrive early for their flights in the event of a government shutdown in case there is a shortage of staff at screening checkpoints.
During the last major shutdown, which began just before Christmas 2018 and lasted more than a month, some TSA agents refused to work without pay, leading to longer security lines at some airports.
Staff writer Caelyn Pender contributed to this report.