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In Texas, nearly 10% more people are expected on roads this Thanksgiving compared to last year

Last year, the pandemic kept a lot of people at home for the holidays. But this year, many who stayed home are hitting the road.

HOUSTON — Turkey may be on the menu Thursday for millions of holiday travelers, but Buc-ee’s served up a lot more than that Wednesday as families stopped on their way out of town.

KHOU 11 Reporter Jason Miles made a pit stop and met people traveling all over the place.

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"We’re going to visit my sister in San Antonio,” one traveler said.

"From Houston to Louisiana,” another said.

Amy Turgeon was heading to Lumberton, Texas.

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"We’re having a 'Friendsgiving,'" her friend said.

Turgeon caught a plane and a car all the way from Maine.

"I started around 3 o’clock this morning," Turgeon said. "Very early leaving.”

AAA projected more than 53 million people would head out on holiday trips nationwide.

The vast majority of them were expected to travel by car or truck.

In Texas, nearly 10% more people were expected on the roads compared to last year.

That's almost reaching 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

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"As a matter of fact, AAA anticipates we could see up to three times as much traffic in our most busy corridors," AAA spokesperson Joshua Zuber said.

Law enforcement will be out and about as well.

Texas DPS’s Thanksgiving holiday initiative runs through Sunday night.

"We’re just excited, having fun, being safe,” one traveler said.

Many who said they stayed home last Thanksgiving, and even Christmas, were happy to be on the road again.

   

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