Worst Time To Leave Town: NJ Labor Day 2019 Travel Guide – Manasquan, NJ Patch

NEW JERSEY — Millions of drivers are expected to hit the roads this Labor Day Weekend across New Jersey. The number of drivers on the road from Friday, Aug. 30 through Tuesday, Sept. 3 is expected to be a bit higher this year than last year, according to multiple agencies.

When is the worst time to travel? The answer is, pretty much any time after 3 p.m. on Friday, when hundreds of thousands of vehicles are expected to be on the New Jersey Turnpike alone. Through Tuesday, 4.4 million vehicles are expected to travel on the Turnpike and 7.7 million on the Garden State Parkway, an increase over last year.

Here were the latest conditions as of 3 p.m.:

George Washington Bridge: Accident eastbound at Mid-Span/Upper Level in Manhattan. Right lane blocked.
Garden State Parkway: Accident southbound south of Exit 83 – US 9 North in Toms River Twp. Right shoulder blocked.
Garden State Parkway: Overturned vehicle northbound north of New Gretna Toll Plaza in Bass River Twp. Right shoulder blocked.
NJ 70: Delays in both directions west of Garden State Parkway in Lakewood Twp due to volume.
NJ 37: Delays eastbound approaching CR 549/Hooper Av in Toms River Twp due to volume.
NJ 36: Delays northbound approaching Valentine St in Monmouth Beach due to volume.
New Jersey Turnpike: Delays southbound in the vicinity of Interchange 1 – Delaware Memorial Bridge in Oldmans Twp; one mile delay due to prior accident at 5.7.
NJ 35: Delays southbound approaching CR 635/Broadway in Point Pleasant Beach due to volume.
NJ 36: Delays in both directions approaching CR 520/Rumson Rd in Sea Bright delays due to volume.
US 9: Delays in both directions approaching CR 528/Central Ave in Lakewood Twp due to volume.
NJ 42: Delays southbound approaching Atlantic City Expressway in Washington Twp due to volume.
NJ 47: Delays southbound approaching CR 610/Petersburg Rd in Dennis Twp delays due to volume.

Gas

Meanwhile, gas prices are dropping just in time for Labor Day. Prices have dropped about 31 cents from the high point this year in April, according to statistics released by AAA.

Prices were at $2.90 across New Jersey on Memorial Day, and are now down to $2.62 just before Labor Day.

That marks the cheapest rate of the last three years, AAA said, and more than 40 cents cheaper than 2018.

However, it also means it’s yet another reason that more drivers will likely be on the roads this year than last year.

NJ Transit

NJ Transit is kicking off the Labor Day weekend with “early getaway” rail and bus service on Friday for the benefit of customers leaving work early for the last long weekend of the summer. To help speed the getaway, customers are encouraged to take advantage the convenience of purchasing tickets through the MyTix feature of the NJ Transit mobile app.

On weekends, kids ride free on NJ Transit.

Every weekend, families riding NJ Transit can save with the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. For the Labor Day holiday weekend, the program will be extended and in effect from 7 p.m. Friday, August 30 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 3.

Friday, August 30:

Rail: From approximately 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m., extra outbound trains will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Main/Bergen County/Port Jervis lines. To accommodate the earlier ridership demand, certain adjustments will be made from approximately 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., including cancelled or combined trains, added stops, and changed Secaucus connections. Visit njtransit.com or see rail timetables for details to find your best options.

Bus: NJ TRANSIT will operate extra buses from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and make select adjustments on more than two dozen bus routes starting around noon. Visit njtransit.com for updated timetables to find the most convenient bus for you.

Light Rail: All light rail systems will operate on regular weekday schedules.

Saturday, August 31 through Sunday, September 1:

Rail: All trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule

Bus: Saturday and Sunday schedules will remain in effect with a few added buses to better accommodate holiday crowds. See schedule for details, or visit njtransit.com for updated timetables to find the most convenient bus for you.

Light Rail:

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.
Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday and Sunday schedule respectively.
River LINE will operate on a Saturday and Sunday schedule respectively.

Labor Day, Monday, September 2:

Rail: Trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines. Visit njtransit.com for the most up to date schedules and information.

An additional train will depart Port Jervis at 4:09 p.m. and will make all stops to Suffern, then will operate express to Secaucus and Hoboken.

us: Most bus service will operate on Saturday or Sunday schedules, with Route No. 111 (PABT to Jersey Gardens/IKEA) and Route No. 139 (PABT to Lakewood) operating on special timetables available at njtransit.com. Visit njtransit.com for all regular weekend and special timetables.

Light Rail:

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.
Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.
River LINE will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.

Weather

The weather for New Jersey looks good. There is a slight chance of showers late Sunday and there could be rain Monday, but temperatures will be mild with clear skies for most of the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Here is the NWS forecast:

Friday afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 86. West wind 10 to 13 mph.
Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 7 mph.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Light and variable wind.
Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Labor Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Monday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

If you’re flying

Those using the roads over the holiday weekend include those headed to airports, and a report by Airlines for America (A4A) projects U.S. airlines to carry an average of 2.51 million passengers per day during the week-long travel period, with Friday, Aug. 30, expected to be the busiest day of the period, (2.98 million passengers flying aboard U.S. carriers), followed by Thursday, Aug. 29, with 2.82 million passengers. On Labor Day itself, 2.71 million passengers are expected on U.S. carriers.

The A4A report also said it expects a record 17.5 million passengers to travel on U.S. airlines worldwide during the week-long Labor Day travel period, from Aug. 28 through Sept. 3. That represents a 4 percent increase from the 16.9 million passengers estimated to have flown during the same holiday period last year.

“With fares at historic lows and customer satisfaction at historic highs, travelers continue to take to the skies in record numbers,” A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich said, in a report.

Even as U.S. airlines cope with the reduction of more than 300 daily flights due to the grounding of the 737 MAX, they are adding 109,000 seats per day to their schedules to accommodate the additional 95,000 daily passengers expected during the Labor Day travel period.

What’s open, closed

Schools, government buildings, shipping services and banks will be closed Monday, Sept. 2, among other select businesses and services. Several restaurants and other spots will be open, so make sure to check hours before heading out.

DUI Patrols

DUI patrols and crackdowns are planned throughout the state. Read more: Labor Day Weekend DWI Checkpoints, Extra Patrols In NJ: Here’s Where

Safety

This weekend marks the unofficial end of the summer season, which means many will be on the roads enjoying the final days of sunshine and warm temperatures, the State Police say. Residents and tourists alike can expect increased traffic and congestion on our roadways and waterways this weekend.

During the 2018 Labor Day holiday period, two of the seven fatal crashes in New Jersey involved impairment from alcohol or drugs as a contributing factor.

If you plan on drinking alcohol this weekend, don’t make a bad decision by getting behind the wheel. Tragedies can be avoided by calling a taxi, using transportation applications such as Uber and Lyft, having a designated driver, or making plans to stay where you are.

Another important factor contributing to accidents is fatigue. Many travelers end up driving while exhausted because they try to soak in every last minute of the holiday weekend, the State Police says.

To help eliminate fatigue, make frequent stops and get out of the driver’s seat and move around to get your blood flowing. People who drive while fatigued can exhibit many of the same driving behaviors as those who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In addition to regularly scheduled patrols, the New Jersey State Police will have an additional 117 troopers on patrol statewide. Troopers will focus on violations such as speeding, aggressive driving, improper cell phone use, seatbelt usage, fatigued driving and DWI.

The State Police Marine Bureau will also be patrolling the state’s waterways, focusing on impaired boat operation and people recklessly operating personal watercrafts and other powered vessels, the State Police say. Marine troopers will also be checking to see that boat operators have obtained the proper licenses to operate watercraft. A good synopsis of boating requirements can be found on the State Police website at www.njsp.org under boating safety.

“Driving impaired, on land or on water, can have deadly consequences for you, your passengers, and innocent people sharing the road or waterways,” said Col. Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police. “We are doing our part by having extra troopers on patrol to help keep everyone safe, but we cannot do it alone. Please drive responsibly and have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend.”

With additional reporting from Patch correspondent Rebecca Bream