Lots Of Drivers Hitting The Roads For Holiday Weekend, Says AAA

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There will be significantly more people traveling from our area to Thanksgiving destinations this year.

About 470,000 people from the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region will be traveling 50 miles or more this long Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA Midatlantic spokesman Rick Remington, who says that's an 11.6-percent increase over last year.

"Most of those, about 440,000, will be driving and about 20,000 will be flying," he said.

The other ten thousand will be taking the train -- including 23-year-old Raheem Turner, who got an early jump on the holiday by boarding an Amtrak train to North Carolina.

"I haven't taken the train since I was, like, 13, so I'm kind of happy," he said on Friday at 30th Street Station. "I always liked trains but always traveled for military or school by plane, so now I get to sit back and relax and take the scenic route."

Amtrak's Barbara Petito says it's been a banner year for train travel but isn't sure why -- aside from the obvious comfort factor.

"Some have indicated it is because folks are unhappy with the screening procedures at airports, but we cannot speculate that that is the reason," Petito said.  She says Amtrak does not survey passengers when they purchase tickets.

Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060.

And wherever you're going for the Thanksgiving holiday and however you're getting there, check in with Bob Kelly on CBS3 Eyewitness News, KYW Newsradio 1060 for "Traffic and Transit on the Twos," and here on CBSPhilly.com's all-new traffic page.