San Diego, CA
Be prepared San Diegans, the holiday traffic rush is upon us. Here are the best and worst times to drive and fly.
As Christmas and New Year’s approach, San Diego’s airport will be more crowded than ever, but the vast majority of Southern Californians heading out of town — a record 8.7 million — will be navigating congested freeways over a 12-day holiday period.
The good news, says the Automobile Club of Southern California, is that because the holidays fall midweek and they cover an extended time frame, traffic tie-ups shouldn’t be as severe as those of other holidays.
“Luckily this is a holiday where the travel period is more spread out so you’re not having as much of a risk of traffic jams that you would have on a three-day holiday,” said the Auto Club’s Marie Montgomery. “But of course anytime you’re heading to Vegas, you can expect to get caught up in a big backup so the earlier you leave for your trip the better off you’ll be.”
According to the Auto Club, nearly 10 million Southern California residents will travel 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and Jan. 1. That’s a 3.5% increase compared to last year and 6.8% higher than the pre-pandemic holiday season in 2019. Of those Southern California residents leaving home, 899,000 will be flying, the Auto Club said.
Working in motorists’ favor, Montgomery said, is that work commute times during the holiday period tend to be lighter, and of those expected to be driving, some will be headed out of town for New Year’s but not for Christmas, so the traffic volumes will be more dispersed.
Still, traffic delays will be inevitable, especially so on the weekends before Christmas Day and New Year’s. And the single worst day to travel? It’s this Sunday, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights that works with AAA on its forecasts.
“Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours during the week. If schedules allow, leave bright and early or after the evening commute.” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.
For the San Diego metro area, INRIX identified the single most congested route over the holiday period. It applies specifically to those heading to Palm Springs via Interstate 15 early Friday evening. Motorists can expect a driving time of 3 hours and 7 minutes, which is 35% longer than on a typical day, INRIX says.
The second worst traffic jam over the holidays is expected to be the return trip to San Diego from Palm Springs on the evening of Jan. 1, Montgomery said.
And best times to hit the road? AAA says traffic congestion should be minimal on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
That also applies to those heading to the San Diego International Airport for their holiday getaways, said airport spokesperson Nicole Hall. Record numbers are expected as well for the airport, which calculates passenger counts over a slightly longer period — 18 days, starting Thursday and ending Jan. 5.
In all, airport officials are forecasting that as many as 1.3 million people will fly in and out of the airport over the 18 days. The busiest times at the airport are expected to be Friday through Monday; Dec. 26-29; and Jan. 2-5. During those specific travel periods, the airport anticipates as many as 80,000 people arriving and departing daily, Hall said.
The forecast easily eclipses passenger volumes during the same period in 2019 and represents a roughly 5% increase over the number of travelers a year ago.
Given the expected traffic delays and continued construction on Terminal 1, airport officials are offering the following tips:
- Make parking reservations in advance. Nearly 5,000 covered parking spaces are available at the airport’s Terminal 1 and 2 Parking Plazas. Parking and curbside valet reservations can be made on the airport’s website. Book now and save 20% with the promo code HOLIDAYS. The promotion is available for a limited time.
- Be prepared for potential delays on west and eastbound N. Harbor Drive due to potential slow-moving construction vehicles.
- Arrive early because of expected traffic congestion due to construction. Busiest times curbside are 4 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
- The airport operates a free electric shuttle known as the San Diego Flyer, which runs between the Old Town Transit Station and the airport. The buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pickup is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pickup/drop off is at 12:30 a.m.
In addition to holiday-related delays, there’s always the possibility flights could be delayed to unforeseen weather conditions. On Wednesday, close to 200 flights were delayed and 56 others were canceled, mostly due to heavy fog that arrived late afternoon.
Originally Published:
Remarkably, the San Diego State Aztecs can still win a share of the Mountain West title despite losing four of their last five games.
SDSU (19-10, 13-6) needs to beat UNLV (16-14, 11-8) on Friday night in its home finale and then have New Mexico win at Utah State on Saturday for a three-way tie.
The Aztecs had their destiny in their hands less than a week ago, but then lost at New Mexico (13-6) on Saturday and then again at Boise State on Tuesday night, pretty much snuffing out their NCAA Tournament at-large bid chances and apparently ending their hopes at the MW title in their final season in the conference.
But then Utah State (14-5) was routed at UNLV and New Mexico lost at home to Nevada, setting up the possibility of a three-way tie. It’ll be moot, however, if the Aggies beat the Lobos, which will give them the title outright and the No. 1 seed in next week’s conference tournament in Las Vegas.
That’s life in the MW, which the Aztecs and Aggies are leaving after this season to join the new-look Pac-12, along with Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
The big picture
The Aztecs were voted the unanimous preseason favorite to win the regular-season title, based on a loaded roster under coach Brian Dutcher, including the return of Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath after pulling out of the NBA Draft, and Reese Dixon-Waters after missing last year with a foot injury.
But it’s been a rough go from almost the start, when a rough showing in the non-conference schedule put them on the bubble for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.
They started to find themselves early in league play by running off a seven-game losing streak, but then lost consecutive games at Grand Canyon and Utah State. Their current skid includes a surprising home loss to Grand Canyon and then a startling road loss to Colorado State.
They routed Utah State at home last week before losing at New Mexico on Saturday and then being routed at Boise State on Tuesday night, when they were outrebounded 37-15.
The last three games were all Quad 1 opportunities in the NCAA NET Rankings, but going 1-2 in those games further hurt their already weak chances at an at-large tourney berth. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.
Now they’ll almost certainly have to win three games in three days at the MW tournament to claim the automatic bid to reach March Madness for the sixth straight year.
Key facts
The Aztecs will be facing UNLV for the final time in the regular season, as the Runnin’ Rebels will be remaining behind in the MW.
The teams will meet for the 86th time overall, with the Aztecs leading the series 45-40. SDSU is 21-14 against the Runnin’ Rebels in San Diego and 18-8 on Steve Fisher Court.
Below is a look at how to watch UNLV at San Diego State
How to watch UNLV at San Diego State
Date: Friday, March 6
Game time: 7 p.m. PT
Where: Viejas Arena | San Diego
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
How to listen: San Diego Sports 760 (local)
On Thursday, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County recorded its largest increase since Sept. 28, 2023, rising 8.7 cents to $4.894, its highest amount since Nov. 13.
The average price has increased 15 consecutive days, rising 28.7 cents, including 7 cents on Wednesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 22.4 cents more than one week ago, 38.6 cents higher than one month ago and 14.5 cents greater than one year ago.
The average price has dropped $1.541 since rising to a record $6.435 on Oct. 5, 2022.
“Gas prices are rising primarily due to a recent surge in crude oil following strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, told City News Service. “Any conflict with Iran can send oil prices higher, as Iran is a major oil producer and about a fifth of the oil consumed globally travels through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
“Gas prices are increasing because of seasonal factors too. Refineries are beginning the switch to more expensive summer-blend fuel, and demand is picking up as we head into the spring break season with more people on the road.”
The national average price rose 5.3 cents to $3.251, its highest amount since Sept. 11, 2024. It has risen five consecutive days, increasing 26.9 cents, including 8.9 cents on Wednesday.
The national average price is 26.8 cents more than one week ago, 36 cents higher than one month ago and 14.4 cents greater than one year ago. It has dropped $1.765 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
UNLV Rebels (16-14, 11-8 MWC) at San Diego State Aztecs (19-10, 13-6 MWC)
San Diego; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UNLV faces San Diego State after Kimani Hamilton scored 24 points in UNLV’s 92-65 victory over the Utah State Aggies.
The Aztecs have gone 13-2 in home games. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Miles Heide averaging 2.0.
The Rebels have gone 11-8 against MWC opponents. UNLV ranks eighth in the MWC shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.
San Diego State averages 79.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 78.5 UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game San Diego State allows.
The teams play for the second time in conference play this season. San Diego State won the last meeting 82-71 on Jan. 24. Miles Byrd scored 23 points points to help lead the Aztecs to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Dixon-Waters is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, while averaging 13 points. Byrd is averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is shooting 50.9% and averaging 20.6 points for the Rebels. Hamilton is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aztecs: 5-5, averaging 74.9 points, 28.9 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points per game.
Rebels: 6-4, averaging 84.1 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.8 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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