BTS | Table 1-31: U.S. Passenger-Miles

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BTS Home > Publications > National Transportation Statistics > 2001

Table 1-31: U.S. Passenger-Miles

(Millions)

Excel | CSV

	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Air
Air carrier, certificated, domestic, all services	31,099	53,226	108,442	136,000	204,368	277,836	345,873	338,085	354,764	362,230	388,399	403,888	434,652	450,612	463,262	488,357	515,367
General aviation^a	2,300	4,400	9,100	11,400	14,700	12,300	13,000	12,100	10,800	9,900	9,800	10,800	12,000	12,500	^R13,100	13,500	U
Total	33,399	57,626	117,542	147,400	219,068	290,136	358,873	350,185	365,564	372,130	398,199	414,688	446,652	463,112	476,362	501,857	U
Highway
Passenger car^b,c	1,144,673	1,394,803	1,750,897	1,954,166	2,011,989	2,094,621	2,281,391	2,200,260	2,208,226	2,213,281	2,249,742	2,271,310	2,337,068	2,389,064	2,463,827	2,494,870	2,547,044
Motorcycle^b,c	^g	^g	3,277	6,192	12,257	11,812	12,424	11,656	11,946	12,184	12,390	11,560	11,706	11,896	12,134	11,642	11,527
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle^c	^h	^h	225,613	363,267	520,774	688,091	999,754	1,116,958	1,201,667	1,252,860	1,269,292	1,295,648	1,339,126	1,395,212	1,423,971	1,432,625	1,469,189
Truck
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck	98,551	128,769	27,081	34,606	39,813	45,441	51,901	52,898	53,874	56,772	61,284	62,705	64,072	66,893	^R68,021	70,304	70,583
Combination truck	28,854	31,665	35,134	46,724	68,678	78,063	94,341	96,645	99,510	103,116	108,932	115,451	118,899	124,584	128,359	132,384	135,208
Bus^d	N	N	N	N	N	94,925	121,398	121,906	122,496	129,852	135,871	136,104	138,613	145,060	^R148,558	162,445	161,152
Total^c	1,272,078	1,555,237	2,042,002	2,404,954	2,653,510	3,012,953	3,561,209	3,600,322	3,697,719	3,768,066	3,837,512	3,892,778	4,009,484	4,132,709	^R4,244,870	4,304,270	4,394,703
Transit
Motor bus^d	N	N	N	N	21,790	21,161	20,981	21,090	20,336	20,247	18,832	18,818	19,096	19,604	^R20,360	^P21,205	U
Light rail	N	N	N	N	381	350	571	662	701	705	833	860	957	1,035	^R1,128	^P1,206	U
Heavy rail	N	N	N	N	10,558	10,427	11,475	10,528	10,737	10,231	10,668	10,559	11,530	12,056	12,284	^P12,902	U
Trolley bus	N	N	N	N	219	306	193	195	199	188	187	187	184	189	182	^P186	U
Commuter rail	4,197	4,128	4,592	4,513	6,516	6,534	7,082	7,344	7,320	6,940	7,996	8,244	8,351	8,038	^R8,704	^P8,766	U
Demand responsive^d	N	N	N	N	N	364	431	454	495	562	577	607	656	754	^R735	^P813	U
Ferry boat	N	N	N	N	ⁱ	ⁱ	286	282	271	260	260	260	^R265	^R294	^R294	^P310	U
Other	N	N	N	N	390	439	124	148	182	251	232	273	^R339	^R369	^R441	^P469	U
Total^e	^j4,197	^j4,128	^j4,592	^j4,513	39,854	39,581	41,143	40,703	40,241	39,384	39,585	39,808	41,378	42,339	^R44,128	^P45,857	U
Rail
Intercity/Amtrak^f	17,064	13,260	6,179	3,931	4,503	4,825	6,057	6,273	6,091	6,199	5,921	5,545	5,050	5,166	5,304	5,330	5,498

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

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

^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, 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.

^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 Ferry boat included in other.

^j Includes commuter rail figures only.

NOTES: Air carrier passenger-miles are computed by summing of the products of the aircraft-miles flown on each interairport segment multiplied by the number of passengers carried on that segment. Highway passenger-miles 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 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, and the Truck 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).

1985-2000: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), page 2, line 1.

General aviation:

1960-99: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), pp. 14-15.

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:

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.

Transit:

Ferry boat and other:

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

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

All other data:

1960-99: American Public Transit Association, Transit Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2001), table 30 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.

1990-2000: Ibid., Amtrak FY00 Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 46.