BOSTON (AP) – Mild weather across the country and short lines at most airport security checkpoints got the Thanksgiving travel rush off to a smooth start Wednesday, as officials braced for what was expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving since the 2001 terror attacks.

An improving national economy and flat gas prices encouraged travelers to hit the nation’s highways and skies in larger numbers than the two previous Thanksgivings.

The AAA travel group expected 36 million people nationwide to travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the holiday weekend.

Air travel was expected to be up 1 percent from last year, but still 10 to 15 percent lower than levels before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. AAA predicted that 4.6 million people, or 13 percent of all travelers, would fly.

A leveling off of gas prices over the past few months and good fall weather across much of the country also contributed to the boost, said AAA spokesman Mantill Williams.

“This is perfect weather for traveling either by air or car,” Williams said Wednesday.

The Transportation Security Administration put on extra staff at airports across the country and offered tips to save airline passengers a few minutes in line. They urged travelers to store all metal items in a carry-on bag, take off coats and shoes before reaching the front of the line and remove laptop computers from carrying cases so they can be inspected quickly.

Checkpoint wait times were shorter than last year at most airports, according to transportation officials.

who credited a better-educated flying public and more efficient screeners for the improvement.

Wait times for early afternoon flights Wednesday ranged from one minute in Chicago to 15 minutes in Atlanta. In Denver, travelers waited three minutes, and in Minneapolis-St. Paul, five minutes.

Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the Transportation Safety Administration, said the alarm rate – the percentage of passengers who set off metal detectors and then have to be searched – was running about 8 to 10 percent by mid-afternoon Wednesday, down from 16 percent last year.

“People are showing up early, prepared and patient at the airports,” Turmail said.

In Boston, the longest line was 25 minutes during early afternoon travel time.

“Things are going smoothly. There’s not a flight delay all day, not a cancellation all day,” said Phil Orlandella, a spokesman for Logan International Airport.

At New York’s three area airports, officials were expecting about a million passengers this weekend, an increase of about 6.5 percent from last year. About 3.4 million travelers were expected to use the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels, up from the last two years.

“We urge people to be patient. There will be delays at times,” said Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

AAA predicted that 31 million people, or 86 percent of all holiday travelers, would reach their destination by car despite a national average gas price of $1.51 per gallon – a nine-cent increase in gas prices over last year.

Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel said 550,000 passengers were predicted to travel by rail between Tuesday and Monday. To better serve the influx of patrons, Amtrak has added 70 extra trains, including 31 Acela Express trains.

An Amtrak train traveling from San Antonio to Chicago collided with a tractor-trailer Wednesday morning in southeast Missouri, injuring the driver of the truck. None of the train’s 140 passengers or crew were seriously hurt in the accident in Leeper, a small town about 140 miles southwest of St. Louis. The truck driver was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

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On the Net:

AAA motor club: http://www.aaa.com

Amtrak: http://www.amtrak.com

Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov/public

Travel Industry Association: http://www.tia.org

AP-ES-11-26-03 1546EST