Thanksgiving Travel Warning

A few notes regarding Thanksgiving travel next week:

- Parking at DCA is never easy around the holidays - there simply aren't enough spaces for the amount of travellers. There is good news and bad news here... The good news is the airport authority is expanding the parking garages to accomodate more parking in the future. The bad news? Construction is currently ongoing, greatly limiting the number of available spaces. Before you leave for the airport, check out http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan/parking_transportation_4/parking_2 for the current number of available spaces. If you have to park economy, add 15 minutes to your trip to the airport so you can take the shuttle. And I wouldn't be surprised if those economy spots filled up next week. Metro is the best alternative (but yes, I loathe taking my suitcase on the train as well).

- Despite pleas from travelers ever since last Thanksgiving, the word from area VDOT/MDOT is that the new Wilson Bridge lanes will still not be open next week to ease the influx of traffic. Apparently painting those lines takes a reeeeeeeeeeeeally loooooooooong tiiiiiiiiiime.

- A one bright spot: President Bush is once again opening up "Holiday Express Lanes" for air travel through military airspace normally off-limits to civilian traffic. This helps to ease traditional choke points when air "lanes" merge around these zones, and decreases traffic delays (which will be lighter than years past anyway due to reduced schedules).

- Seattle Tacoma, Chicago O'Hare, and Washington Dulles are all opening new runways this Thursday. All three are projects to significantly reduce delays during inclement weather - you can't have two runways open during bad visibility if they are too close together, so these improvements are coming just in time for the winter season.

And, as always, remember people with millions of people taking to the roads, rails, and airways, a little patience goes along way to keeping everyone happy. Get to the airport a bit early, chill out, and for the love of God remember exact change on the airplane.