Travelers here on the Central Coast say traffic was better than they expected this Labor Day.
"Traffic was awesome. We went a certain route because on my phone, I put uses less traffic when it's daytime," said Amanda Machado, who was visiting from Visalia. "So if something happens, we're not alone. But we got here easily. It wasn't back-to-back. I'm used to back-to-back. I've been coming here for years. Not at all."
"Expecting it to be heavy," said Brian Anthony, who was on his way back to Huntington Beach. "Wasn't bad going."
AAA estimated that the worst time to hit the road would be between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, but travelers KSBY spoke to say they were prepared for the worst on the roads but didn’t have any issues.
"We went up to Santa Cruz," said Anthony. "But come back, I think we're going to finally hit some traffic. So far, so good."
Residents in Shell Beach say they noticed the most traffic this weekend.
"I think Saturday was the busiest day, and I think a lot of it had to do with the roundabout that they're making right now," said Debbie Keiler, a Shell Beach resident. "So, come the end of this September, we'll all be back to normal and will all flow smoothly, but not too badly."
AAA says last Labor Day weekend, they responded to over 383,000 calls from stranded drivers — urging drivers to check their cars before hitting the road.
Gas prices were also lower this year, according to AAA, which says the national average was $3.33.
