Labor Day is fast approaching, and many New Yorkers will be hitting the roads to escape the city for the weekend.

AAA says drivers should be prepared for heavy traffic on both Thursday and Friday.

Experts say there will be heightened traffic Friday between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

AAA says the best time to travel is in the early morning or the evenings. It also recommends relying on GPS apps such as Google Maps or Waze to find the quickest routes.

MORE: 17 tricks to help you save at the pump One New Yorker News 12 spoke with says this is a weekend he likes to stay inside to avoid the mess.

"I usually like to be home on Labor Day. Memorial Day and Fourth of July I like to be away," said Joe, a resident of Sheepshead Bay.

Other New Yorkers say reckless driving is also a concern this holiday weekend.

"It's not safe. People die, people get hurt, they're drinking. These are things that never happened maybe about 15 years ago," said Esther from Canarsie.

Another way to avoid traffic headaches is to rely on public transportation.