Travelers, Be Warned: You Are Not Alone

By KARIMA A. HAYNES and DAVID HALDANE

Nov. 25, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITERS

You can go home again, but it’s going to take some common sense and common courtesy to get there safely.

The frantic seasonal race for airports, freeway onramps, train depots and bus terminals begins today, the start of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

And also as is customary, transportation experts urge travelers to exercise caution as they rush to get out of town, especially today, one of the busiest travel days of the year.

“It’s more important to get there than to get there fast,” said Carol Thorp, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California. “Our message to travelers is: ‘Drive alert and arrive alive, and do all the things you need to do to make that happen.’ ”

A variation on that theme came from Michelle DiMaggio, a spokeswoman in Santa Ana for the California Highway Patrol. That agency expects freeways out of Orange County to be jammed.

“It seems like it usually starts about noon on [the day before Thanksgiving] and goes all the way through the night,” she said. “There are a lot more accidents and disabled vehicles. People should allow extra time and make sure that their cars are in good working order.”

Airport officials across Southern California are reminding passengers to arrive at terminals at least an hour before domestic flights and two hours before international departures. To speed things along, each passenger should carry photo identification, travel light and avoid taking anything onto airplanes that resembles a weapon.

More than 24,000 passengers are expected to pass through Orange County’s John Wayne Airport today, compared to the usual 18,000. And the number will be even higher on Sunday, when more than 26,000 are expected to fly.

“We will increase the number of shuttles from the Main Street lot and have more staff on hand to direct passengers,” said Kathleen Campini Chambers, an airport spokeswoman.

The task is likely to be eased somewhat by the recent addition of 1,000 parking spaces designed to help alleviate frenetic searches for spots within airport walking distance.

Still, Chambers said, today “will be very crowded. It usually starts early and is pretty steady throughout the day. Passengers should plan on longer lines at the ticket counters and at security screening points.”

The situation will be similar at Los Angeles International Airport, where 1.5 million travelers are expected to jam the terminals.

On Tuesday, officials were already seeing the first wave of holiday travelers at Burbank Airport, where passenger traffic is expected to jump 25%--from 12,000 passengers on a typical travel day to 15,000 a day through Sunday. And Van Nuys Airport officials reported that the parking lot for the FlyAway shuttle bus service to LAX was already filled by late Tuesday morning.

Drop-offs at the shuttle bus terminal are still welcome, however, officials said. The shuttle makes 98 round trips to LAX daily, beginning at 4:45 a.m. Round-trip shuttle fares are $6 for adults and $3.50 for children 2 through 12 years old.

For motorists taking to the roadways, the Auto Club recommends that drivers get at least five hours’ sleep before taking the wheel. They should also check the vehicle’s tire pressure, fluid levels, headlights and windshield wiper blades. And of course, drivers should avoid alcohol and drugs.

Thorp cautioned motorists to allow themselves plenty of time to get to their destination. A tight schedule can foster road rage.

“People feel rushed and they run red lights, or another driver cuts them off and they get annoyed,” Thorp said. “We are telling drivers to let it go and not react to that.”

At least 5.1 million drivers are expected to be on the roads this weekend in 13 Western states, said Arline Dillman, an Auto Club traffic safety manager.

The CHP will beef up freeway patrols from 6 p.m. this evening to midnight Sunday, said southern division chief Ed Gomez. Officers will be looking for impaired drivers and travelers not wearing seat belts.

Drivers in California will pay less at the pump than they did last Thanksgiving weekend, Dillman said: Gasoline prices on average are lower by 25 cents a gallon from a year ago.

Traffic on freeways statewide is expected to rise an average of 7% today through Sunday, said Pat Reid, a Caltrans spokeswoman. The busiest travel day is expected to be today, with 18% more traffic than usual.

Besides snarls near the airports, Caltrans officials also anticipate delays through a construction zone along the Golden State Freeway near the 138 Freeway interchange between Castaic and Gorman.

But some potential drivers might be making last-minute changes to their plans.

Meg Buckley, a Lake Forest travel agent, said Tuesday, “I’ve been getting calls all day from desperate mothers who don’t want their kids on the highway.” She cited reports of inclement weather in other states--particularly Utah and Oregon--that have prompted several Orange County parents to purchase plane tickets for children attending colleges there.

“The fares are pretty high,” Buckley said, “but there are still a couple of seats on different airlines. People are almost saying, ‘We don’t care what it costs, we need these kids home for Thanksgiving.’ That’s today’s desperation.”

For information on road conditions, travelers can call the Caltrans Highway Information Network at (800) 427-7623 or log on to the Web at https://www.dot.ca.gov/roadinfo.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Getting There

The Thanksgiving travel crush begins today and continues through Sunday. Heavy traffic at John Wayne Airport is expected, along with longer check-in lines. But the recent completion of more than 1,000 parking spaces should ease the pain.

1. Lot A2, $11 for each 24 hours: Room for 1,800 cars; expected to be full most of the week.

2. Structures A1 and B1, $1 an hour/$11 for each 24 hours: Room for 3,000 cars; frequently full during peak holiday periods.

3. Main Street/Main Street Annex lots, $1 an hour/$7 maximum for each 24 hours: Room for 2,668 cars; used when terminal lots are full.

4. Lot ramp: Direct link from terminal to Main Street lots. Shuttle between lots and terminal runs every 15 minutes.

Terminal A

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Continental Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Delta Connection

Reno Air

Terminal B