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Printable Version

Table 1-37: U.S. Passenger-Miles

(Millions)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003
Air, total 33,399 57,626 117,542 147,400 219,068 290,136 358,873 414,688 531,329 502,406 482,310 503,339
Air carrier, certificated, domestic, all services 31,099 53,226 108,442 136,000 204,368 277,836 345,873 403,888 516,129 (R) 486,506 482,310 503,339
General aviationa 2,300 4,400 9,100 11,400 14,700 12,300 13,000 10,800 15,200 15,900 U U
Highway, totalb 1,272,078 1,555,237 2,042,002 2,404,954 2,653,510 3,012,953 3,561,209 3,868,070 4,390,076 (R) 4,643,794 4,667,038 4,723,059
Passenger carb,c 1,144,673 1,394,803 1,750,897 1,954,166 2,011,989 2,094,621 2,281,391 2,286,887 2,544,457 (R) 2,556,481 2,620,389 2,624,108
Motorcycleb,c g g 3,277 6,192 12,257 11,812 12,424 10,777 11,516 (R) 11,760 12,131 12,115
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehiclec h h 225,613 363,267 520,774 688,091 999,754 1,256,146 1,467,664 (R) 1,678,853 1,674,792 1,730,218
Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more 98,551 128,769 27,081 34,606 39,813 45,441 51,901 62,705 70,500 (R) 85,489 75,866 77,562
Truck, combination 28,854 31,665 35,134 46,724 68,678 78,063 94,341 115,451 135,020 (R) 161,169 138,737 138,322
Busd N N N N N 94,925 121,398 136,104 160,919 (R) 150,042 145,124 140,735
Transit, totale (i) 4,197 (i) 4,128 (i) 4,592 (i) 4,513 39,854 39,581 41,143 39,808 47,666 49,070 (P) 48,324 U
Motor busd N N N N 21,790 21,161 20,981 18,818 21,241 22,022 (P) 21,841 U
Light rail N N N N 381 350 571 860 1,356 1,437 (P) 1,432 U
Heavy rail N N N N 10,558 10,427 11,475 10,559 13,844 14,178 (P) 13,663 U
Trolley bus N N N N 219 306 193 187 192 187 (P) 188 U
Commuter rail 4,197 4,128 4,592 4,513 6,516 6,534 7,082 8,244 9,402 9,548 (P) 9,504 U
Demand responsived N N N N N 364 431 607 839 855 (P) 853 U
Ferry boat N N N N j j 286 260 330 325 (P) 333 U
Other N N N N 390 439 124 273 462 518 (P) 510 U
Rail                        
Intercity / Amtrakf 17,064 13,260 6,179 3,931 4,503 4,825 6,057 5,545 5,498 5,559 5,468 U

KEY: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised.

a All operations other than those operating under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135.

b In July 1997, FHWA published revised passenger-miles data for the highway modes for a number of years. The major change reflected the reassignment of some vehicles from the passenger car category to the other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle category. Passenger-miles for passenger car, motorcycle, and other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles were derived by multiplying vehicle-miles for these vehicles by average vehicle occupancy rates, provided by the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (1977, 1983, and 1995) and the National Household Travel Survey (2001).

c U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), provides data separately for passenger car and motorcycle in its annual Highway Statistics series. However, the 1995 summary report provides updated data for passenger car and motorcycle combined. Passenger car figures in this table were computed by U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics by subtracting the most current motorcycle figures from the aggregate passenger car and motorcycle figures.

d Motor bus and demand responsive figures are also included in the bus figure for highway.

e Prior to 1985, excludes demand responsive and most rural and smaller systems funded via Sections 18 and 16(b)2, Federal Transit Act. The series is not continuous between 1980 and 1985. Transit rail modes are measured in car-miles. Car-miles measure individual vehicle-miles in a train. A 10-car train traveling 1 mile would equal 1 train-mile and 10 car-miles.

f Amtrak began operations in 1971. Does not include contract commuter passengers.

g Included in passenger car.

h Included in other single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck.

i Includes commuter rail figures only.

j Ferryboat included in other.

NOTES

Air carrier passenger-miles are computed by summing the products of the aircraft-miles flown on each interairport segment multiplied by the number of passengers carried on that segment. Highway passenger-miles from 1960 to 1994 are calculated by multiplying vehicle-miles of travel as cited by FHWA by the average number of occupants for each vehicle type. Average vehicle occupancy rates are based on various sources, such as the National Household Travel Survey, conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, and the Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Transit passenger-miles are the cumulative sum of the distances ridden by each passenger. Rail passenger-miles represent the movement of 1 passenger for 1 mile.

SOURCES

Air:

Air carrier, domestic, all services:

1960: Civil Aeronautics Board, Handbook of Airline Statistics, 1969 (Washington, DC: 1970), part III, table 2.

1965-70: Ibid., Handbook of Airline Statistics, 1973 (Washington, DC: 1974), part III, table 2.

1975-80: Ibid., Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: 1976, 1981), p. 4 (December 1976) and p. 2 (December 1981).

1985-2003: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), page 3, line 1.

General aviation:

1960-2001: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), pp. 45-46.

Highway:

Passenger car and motorcycle:

1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2003: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm.

Motorcycle:

1970-80: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1985 (Washington, DC: 1986), table VM-201A.

1985-2003: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm.

Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:

1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2003: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm.

Single-unit 2-axle 6-tires or more truck, combination truck, and bus:

1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2003: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm.

Transit:

Ferryboat:

1992: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, July 19, 2000.

1996-99: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, Aug. 13, 2001.

2000-02: Ibid., Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2004), table 103 and similar tables in earlier editions.

All other data:

1960-2002: American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2004), table 8 and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail, Intercity / Amtrak:

1960-80: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

1985: Amtrak, Amtrak FY95 Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: 1996), p. 4.

1990-2002: Ibid., Amtrak Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues).