Nearly 2.4 million Marylanders are expected to travel during the holiday season, the third-highest volume on record, according to AAA. Many have already hit the road, joining the more than 122 million Americans expected to travel between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1.

Charlie Gischlar, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation, urged Marylanders to ensure their cars are road-ready before traveling, including having good tires and working vehicle lights.

If driving over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Gischlar said MDOT recommends leaving before 2 p.m. or after 6 p.m. on Monday. If you’re driving along or within the I-95 region, they recommend leaving after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

“If you break down — which we hope you don’t — get as far off the road as possible, turn on your hazard lights,” he said. “The most important thing is to stay inside your vehicle, and dial either 911 or #77,” Gischlar said.

Those returning to Baltimore from Philadelphia via I-95 South after Christmas should leave before 2:45 p.m. that Friday — or build in an extra 2 hours and 29 minutes into their travel. AAA recommends starting drives before 11 a.m. between Dec. 26-30.

AAA projects about 122.4 million Americans will travel for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s. Though most are hitting the roads, a record high of 8.03 million people across the country are expected to fly for the holidays, AAA officials said.

In Maryland, an increasing number of people are traveling by air or other means, including buses, trains or cruises, AAA found. Over 134,000 Marylanders are flying this holiday season, jumping 5% from last year and exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Jonathan Dean, a spokesperson for the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, said they anticipate over 440,000 departing passengers over the holiday period. Monday is expected to be the busiest day, with over 35,000 people departing, Dean said in an email.

With that in mind, state aviation officials say patience is the most essential item to pack.

“First is pack your patience, because when you come into the airport, everyone has the same anticipation — they want to get through TSA fast, they want to get to their gate and relax — everyone has that same desire, so really packing your patience is number one,” Shannetta Griffin, the CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration, told Banner media partner WJZ.

Local commuter travel

The local bus, light rail, metro subway and mobility transit will operate on a holiday schedule on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The Maryland Transit Administration said the metro subway and light rail will run an hour after the city’s fireworks display.

The commuter bus will operate on the “S” schedule on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 29-31 and Jan. 2, except for routes 230 and 505. Operations are suspended on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with the exception of Route 201, which will run on the “S” schedule.

The MARC train won’t operate on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, but will run on an R schedule on Christmas Eve, Friday and New Year’s Eve, MTA shared online.