Happy Monday, San Diego!
It’s Thanksgiving week, and that means another busy holiday travel season is underway at San Diego International Airport and airports across the nation. If you’re flying to your destination, we have tips to help you get trip-ready.
Meanwhile, as the City of San Diego moves forward with plans to charge visitors to park at Balboa Park, we're hearing concerns that volunteers who help maintain the park could stop showing up.
Plus, we’ve got your Weekend Wrap-Up with the stories you may have missed, the latest microclimate forecasts to help you prepare for the holiday week, and more news you can use — all in this edition of the Streamline newsletter:
WEEKEND WRAP-UP:
THE STREAMLINE:
WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Monday, Nov. 24 -- everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
TOP STORY:
Thanksgiving week is here, and travelers are being advised to expect a busy travel season at San Diego International Airport, with the bulk of the travel now underway.
The heaviest travel will continue through Dec. 1, with daily passenger volume during this 11-day period is anticipated to reach as many as 80,000, a 3% increase over last year, according to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
The busiest day is expected to be Sunday, Nov. 30, with as many as 90,000 people traveling through the airport. Other peak days include Nov. 21 through Wednesday, Nov. 26, prior to Thanksgiving Day and the Monday after (Dec. 1).
Travelers can check San Diego International Airport flight departures and arrivals at https://www.san.org/Flights/Flight-Status.
For those heading to San Diego International to pick up or drop off, expect delays both from heavy traffic and the airport's Terminal 1 project with ongoing construction. The busiest times curbside will be between 4 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to midnight.
To help avoid holiday travel woes, the airport authority offered some tips:
- Arrive at least two hours early to avoid the busiest times
- Be aware of roadway changes: A new on-airport roadway now directs westbound drivers on North Harbor Drive to Terminals 1 and 2
- Make parking reservations at www.san.org/parking
- Take the free San Diego Flyer shuttle service between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN. The electric shuttle buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pick up is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pick up/drop off at 12:30 a.m.
- Have family or friends drop you off or use ride-hailing services
If you wish to send off or greet a loved one at San Diego International Airport, you can do so through the new SAN Pass program.
The pass allows people without an airline ticket to go past checkpoints after being screened by security in Terminals 1 and 2.
Visitors can apply for a free pass up to seven days in advance by visiting https://www.san.org/relax-before-you-fly/san-pass-program/.
A limited number of passes are available each day and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to TSA approval.
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS:
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT:
(AP) — European officials have expressed cautious optimism after discussions on U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine. They said Monday that the talks, held in Switzerland, were a step forward but warned that the path to peace remains long.
The U.S. plan, which initially favored Russia's demands, has been modified.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the changes but emphasized that peace won't come overnight.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said diplomacy has been reinvigorated.
However, the grim reality of war still cast a pall over Ukraine as Russian forces kept up their deadly and devastating strikes on civilian areas.
Russian drones hit residential areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city overnight, killing four people and wounding 13, including two children, authorities said.
Eight residential buildings, an educational facility and power lines were damaged in the attack, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov.
Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office published photos showing homes on fire, rubble scattered across backyards and firefighters and war crimes prosecutors working on site.
Ukraine’s air force says Russia fired 162 strike and decoy drones over the country overnight.
Russia also resumed its nighttime drone attacks on Ukraine’s civilian and port infrastructure close to Romania’s border, the NATO member’s Defense Ministry said Monday.
Romania scrambled two Eurofighter Typhoon jets and two F-16s in response to drones near its border, the ministry said.
Story by Barry Hatton, The Associated Press
CONSUMER:
As Black Friday deals pop up everywhere, experts say using a credit card to pay may have more advantages than you think, beyond just earning rewards points.
WATCH — Consumer reporter Marie Coronel shows some of the hidden benefits and security protections available to you at no charge:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH:
Following the approval of a paid parking plan at Balboa Park, the City of San Diego said only some volunteer groups will be getting free parking when members are working at the park.
ABC 10News learned one group that won’t be parking for free is the San Diego Rose Society. The group helps with the maintenance and upkeep of Balboa Park’s Rose Garden.
However, the Rose Society is not one of the main volunteer groups with the museums or Forever Balboa Park.
Rose Society members meet once a month in the park and they use their own money to keep the garden beautiful.
Beth Van Boxtel, a member of the Rose Society, said she and a lot of group members don’t live in the city – which means they will have to pay the higher, non-resident parking rate.
Van Boxtel explained many of her fellow volunteers are older and with limited incomes.
“I think our membership is going to decrease a lot. I think volunteerism is going to go way down. I'm afraid to see what happens to this rose garden in the next year because of the lack of support and enthusiasm for coming here and having to pay to park,” she told ABC 10News.
According to a city staff report, the new parking fees are projected to bring in just under $3 million -- $10 million less than the original projection in the 2026 budget.
San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose district includes Balboa Park, voted against the new parking fees. He said he wanted to see the city get rid of them once the budget is handled.
“There is a fair amount of money that is going to things that are nice to have but aren't absolutely necessary. I think that we need to look at some of those nice-to-haves and reduce expenses, so that we're not continually increasing fees on our residents,” Whitburn said.
The paid parking plan at Balboa Park is set to take effect Jan. 5.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Some say new paid Balboa Park parking would be "big burden"
- City of San Diego moves forward with paid parking at Balboa Park
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