NEW YORK - The Memorial Day weekend travel rush is here, meaning commuters can expect some extra company on the rails, roads and area airports.
Despite all the recent problems at Penn Station, trains will still be a popular choice for travelers.
Amtrak has faced criticism over its maintenance of the station following a series of delays, cancellations and derailments.
But riders we spoke with this morning say the rails are definitely the way to go.
"I was definitely a little bit concerned about the derailments and also some of the delays, but ultimately its one of the most cost-effective ways to travel," said one traveler.
"I think New York is New York. Things are gonna happen. We gotta keep it moving," said another traveler.
Amtrak is ramping up its repair schedule to get more work done at Penn Station on weekdays.
The weekday work will be done in two stretches this summer, from July 7th through the 25th, and from August 4th to the 28th.
Crews will be focusing on the station's tracks and switches that route Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains in and out of Penn.
Every day, about 1,300 trains travel through the tight space beneath the station.
Meanwhile, AAA expects more than 34 million Americans to take a road trip for the holiday weekend.
That's an increase of about 800,000 from 2016.
When drivers fill up this weekend, they'll be paying a little more than they did last year.
The national average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.37, up six cents from this time in 2016.
Here in the city drivers are paying about $2.51 a gallon, an increase of nearly eight cents from a year ago.