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Don’t be tardy to the party.
Drivers heading to the Jersey Shore this Memorial Day weekend may want to hit the road earlier than planned — way earlier.
A record-setting 39.1 million people will travel by car this year during the unofficial start of the summer, and drivers are being warned to avoid peak congestion time on the Garden State Parkway, which is set to begin on Friday at 2:15 p.m., according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.
During that time, traffic is expected to be more than double its usual, with the trip from New York City to the Shore expected to be 2 hours and 57 minutes, INRIX estimates.
While some drivers may try to chance an early getaway before the weekend hits, heading out Thursday afternoon is highly ill-advised, with 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. marked as the worst travel time.
Instead, drivers are being advised to head out after 9 p.m. if they want to avoid heavy congestion on the roads.
For those driving on a Friday, the best time to be on the roads is before 11:00 a.m., with traffic expected to keep growing afterwards.
The same is forecasted for Saturday, with Sunday — for better or worse — not expected to see any major changes in typical congestion regardless of the time.
Drivers heading back on Memorial Day are being advised to head out before 10 a.m., with mid-day traffic expected to cool after 5 p.m., according to INRIX.
Avoiding congestion this weekend will be key as fuel prices are at the highest level they’ve been since the summer of 2022, with gas going for $4.533 a gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA.
With New York City seeing above average prices, including in Manhattan where a gallon of gas is above $5, drivers might want to fill up in the Garden State while traveling over the holiday weekend.
Gas prices along the shore are at or below the national average, with Union and Middlesex counties notably cheaper at $4.494 a gallon and $4.486 a gallon, respectively.
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