BTS | Table 1-29M: U.S. Vehicle-Kilometers

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BTS Home > Publications > National Transportation Statistics > 2001

Table 1-29M: U.S. Vehicle-Kilometers

(Millions)

Excel | CSV

	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Air
Air carrier, large certificated, domestic, all services	1,381	1,825	3,328	3,135	4,060	4,902	6,378	6,202	6,429	6,690	7,049	7,450	7,743	7,903	8,103	8,582	9,086
General aviation^a	2,847	4,123	5,161	6,820	8,375	7,520	7,319	7,081	5,576	5,235	5,404	6,107	5,671	6,239	N	N	N
Highway
Passenger car^b,c	944,704	1,163,066	1,475,286	1,663,981	1,788,940	2,006,527	2,266,384	2,185,787	2,207,326	2,212,380	2,262,881	^R2,314,710	2,365,501	2,418,129	2,493,802	2,525,222	2,578,031
Motorcycle^b	^h	^h	4,794	9,059	16,438	14,622	15,381	14,771	15,381	15,942	16,480	15,767	15,965	16,224	16,549	17,033	16,864
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle^c	^h	^h	198,410	322,995	468,214	629,191	924,682	1,045,098	1,137,586	1,200,168	1,230,559	1,271,428	1,314,094	1,369,132	1,397,353	1,450,054	1,487,063
Truck
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck	158,602	207,234	43,583	55,693	64,073	73,130	83,527	85,131	86,702	91,366	98,627	100,914	103,114	107,654	109,469	113,143	113,592
Combination truck	46,436	50,960	56,543	75,195	110,527	125,630	151,827	155,535	160,146	165,949	175,309	185,800	191,349	200,499	206,574	213,051	217,596
Bus	6,994	7,533	7,313	9,745	9,751	7,207	9,215	9,254	9,299	9,857	10,314	10,332	10,562	11,011	11,277	12,331	12,233
Total highway^c	1,156,737	1,428,793	1,785,928	2,136,668	2,457,943	2,856,307	3,451,016	3,495,576	3,616,439	3,695,662	3,794,170	^R3,898,951	4,000,585	4,122,648	4,235,024	4,330,835	4,425,379
Transit
Motor bus^d	2,537	2,460	2,268	2,456	2,699	2,998	3,428	3,487	3,505	3,556	3,479	3,514	3,574	3,613	^R3,500	^P3,663	U
Light rail	120	67	54	38	28	27	39	44	46	45	55	56	61	66	^R71	^P79	U
Heavy rail	629	636	655	681	619	725	864	848	846	840	856	865	874	898	910	^P930	U
Trolley bus	162	69	53	25	21	25	22	22	22	21	22	22	22	23	22	^P23	U
Commuter rail	N	N	N	278	288	295	342	346	352	360	371	383	389	404	^R418	^P428	U
Demand responsive^d	N	N	N	N	N	398	492	539	585	653	746	815	882	941	^R1,080	^P1,156	U
Ferry boat	N	N	N	N	^I	^I	4	4	4	4	3	5	4	^R5	^R5	^P5	U
Other	N	N	N	24	25	24	^R26	^R31	^R39	^R48	^R47	^R55	^R69	^R80	^R101	^P111	U
Total transit^e	3,449	3,232	3,030	3,502	3,681	4,492	5,217	5,321	5,399	5,528	5,580	5,713	5,874	6,028	^R6,106	^P6,392	U
Rail
Class I freight, train-kilometers	650	678	687	649	689	558	612	604	628	653	710	737	754	764	764	789	811
Class I freight, car-kilometers	45,335	47,212	48,103	44,508	47,117	40,105	42,099	41,244	42,049	43,264	45,842	48,897	51,040	50,952	52,556	54,478	55,667
Intercity/Amtrak^f, train-kilometers	336	277	150	48	48	48	53	55	55	56	55	51	48	51	53	55	56
Intercity/Amtrak^f, car-kilometers	3,554	2,857	1,110	407	378	404	484	504	494	488	489	470	444	463	502	550	U
Total train-miles^g	987	954	837	697	737	607	665	658	682	709	764	789	803	816	818	843	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. Data for 1996 are estimated using new information on nonrespondents and are not comparable to earlier years. Mileage in source is multiplied by 1.151 to convert to nautical-miles for 1985-1997. Data is then converted to kilometers.

^b 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 Transporation Statistics by subtracting the most current motorcycle figures from the aggregate passenger car and motorcycle figures.

^c In July 1997, the FHWA published revised vehicle-kilometers data for the highway modes for many years. The major change reflected the reassignment of some vehicles from the passenger car category to the other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle category.

^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-kilometers. Car-kilometers measure individual vehicle-kilometers in a train. A 10-car train traveling 1 kilometer would equal 1 train-kilometer and 10 car-kilometers.

^f Amtrak began operations in 1971.

^g Although both train-kilometers and car-kilometers are shown for rail, only train-kilometers are included in the total. A train-kilometer is the movement of a train, which can consist of multiple vehicles (cars), the distance of 1 kilometer. This differs from a vehicle-kilometer, which is the movement of 1 vehicle the distance of 1 kilometer. A 10-vehicle train traveling 1 kilometer would be measured as 1 train-kilometer and 10 vehicle-kilometers. Caution should be used when comparing train-kilometers with vehicle kilometers.

^h 1960–65, motorcycle data are included in passenger car, and other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle data included in single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck.

ⁱ Ferry boat included with other.

NOTE: Numbers may differ slightly from previous year's metric tables because a higher precision conversion factor was used.

SOURCES:

Air:

Air carrier:

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).

1985-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), p. 2, line 27 plus line 50.

General aviation:

1960-65: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation 1972 (Washington, DC: 1973), table 9.10.

1970-75: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation 1976 (Washington, DC: 1976), table 8-5.

1980: U.S. National Transportation Safety Board estimate, personal communication, Dec. 7, 1998.

1985-92: Ibid., General Aviation Activity and Avionics Survey (Washington, DC: Annual issues,) table 3.3.

1993-97: Ibid., General Aviation and Air Taxi Activity and Avionics Survey (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table 3.3.

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.

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm.

Motorcycle:

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

1985-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.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.

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm.

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

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm.

Transit:

1960-99: American Public Transit Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2001), table 42, 84, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail:

Class I rail freight train- and car-miles:

1960-2000: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 33 (train-miles) and p. 34 (car-miles).

Intercity/Amtrak train-miles:

1960-70: Association of American Railroads, Yearbook of Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 1975), p. 39.

1975-2000: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

Intercity/Amtrak car-miles:

1960-75: Association of American Railroads, Yearbook of Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 1975), p. 40.

1980-99: Amtrak, Amtrak Corporate Reporting, Route Profitability System, personal communication, 2000.