A Sour Thanksgiving Recipe: Record Travel, Possible Storm

Cars remain the No. 1 method of Thanksgiving travel, with 83 percent of the region's voyagers using automobiles, said John B. Townsend II, public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

For drivers, rain can mean slower speeds, more accidents and white knuckles on the wheel. "You have to have all your antennae up when you're driving in rain," said Townsend, who said accidents here rise by about 25 percent in the wet.

"People think they can master rain. They think they're Aquaman."

Officials at the Maryland Transportation Authority, which expects nearly 650,000 vehicles to pass through the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 in Baltimore between today and Sunday, recommend using E-ZPass and traveling during off-peak hours today to avoid gridlock.

On a day like today, that means before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m., Maryland transportation officials said.

Gas prices -- at an average of $3.05 a gallon in the area, compared with $2.18 at this time last year -- appear to be no deterrent. "I think people have made up their mind," Townsend said. "They're going to do the trip anyway."

Sultan Warner, 45, who is planning to drive today from Southeast Washington to New York state to visit relatives, has no delusions about beating the rush.

"I'm going to take my time," said Warner, an information technology technician. "When you're in a rush, that's when the traffic just seems so much worse. I might even make some stop-offs to do some pre-Christmas shopping -- make more out of the trip than just the travel."

Train riders should hurry to buy tickets as trains are beginning to sell out, said Tracy Connell, spokeswoman for Amtrak. The day before Thanksgiving, Amtrak usually has about 70 percent more passengers than on a normal Wednesday, with about half traveling in the corridor between Washington and Boston, she said. Cars and trains have been added to help handle the load.

Carry-on luggage is limited to two bags, not including purses, briefcases or items required for infants, she said, and bags cannot exceed 50 pounds. For those who have not pre-purchased tickets, Connell recommended arriving 45 minutes to an hour early.

Metro is running extra trains and buses to airports, transit officials said. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, two extra Yellow Line trains will operate every 15 minutes between National and Mount Vernon Square.

For travelers heading to BWI, the B30 express bus, which goes directly between the Greenbelt Metro station on the Green Line and the airport, will operate every 20 minutes instead of the usual 40 minutes all day today and Sunday and from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, Metro will also run more 5A buses between L'Enfant Plaza and Dulles International Airport, depending on demand.

Greyhound, which usually runs 65 daily departures out of Washington, will run 100 today and Sunday, spokesman Dustin Clark said. For five extra bucks at the ticket counter, assigned seats and early boarding are available on routes that include Washington to New York.

Yesterday morning, air travelers were giving thanks for a relatively uncrowded scene at Dulles, a condition sure to change by the next day.

"It seems orderly and not chaotic yet," said Patricia Rea of Leesburg, who was flying to San Diego. "We'll see about that tomorrow."

Staff writer Martin Weil contributed to this report.