Holiday travelers in New York began to head off for the Memorial Day weekend despite crowded roads and higher gas prices on Friday.

The rising gas prices did not seem to keep motorists home at the start of the summer driving season. American Automobile Association (AAA) officials estimate a record number of travelers will take to the roads this weekend.

Nationwide, approximately 31.1 million travelers (84 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to travel by motor vehicle, a 2.2 percent increase from the 30.5 million who drove a year ago, according to AAA.

Overall, a total of 37.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 2.2 percent increase from last year when 36.4 million traveled during the same time period.

"Prices might be 15 cents per gallon higher than last year's then-record levels, but gasoline remains a relatively small part of most travelers' vacation costs," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes in a statement.

Airport use is up as well. About 522,425 travelers are expected to use Kennedy Airport during the holiday weekend, a 7.6 percent increase from last year, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

LaGuardia Airport is expected to handle about 346,949 travelers, up 4.5 percent from last year, the agency said.

Federal Aviation Administrator Marion Blakey told a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday that more travel will increase flight delays this summer, particularly at airports in Atlanta and New York areas.

Source: Xinhua