Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 9
Passenger-Miles

(Millions)

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Mode 1970 1980 1990 1995 1999
Air carriersR 108,442 204,368 345,873 403,888 487,906
General aviation 9,100 14,700 13,000 R10,800 U
Passenger carsR 1,750,897 2,011,989 2,281,391 2,271,310 2,495,140
MotorcyclesR 3,277 12,257 12,424 11,560 11,642
Other 2-axle, 4-tire vehiclesa,R 225,613 520,774 999,754 1,338,135 1,432,782
Trucks: Single-unitR 27,081 39,813 51,901 62,705 70,311
Trucks: CombinationR 35,134 68,678 94,341 115,451 132,386
Busesb,R N N 121,398 136,104 162,466
Otherc N 390 841 1,140 U
Rail: Transitd,R N 10,939 12,046 11,419 U
Rail: CommuterR 4,592 6,516 7,082 8,244 U
Rail: Intercity/Amtrake,R 6,179 4,503 6,057 5,545 5,330

a In July 1997, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, reassigned some vehicle from "passenger car" to "other 2-axle, 4-tire."
b Includes municipally owned transit, commercial, federal, and school buses.
c Includes demand responsive, ferry boat, and other transit not specified; 1980 data include ferry boat and "other transit" only.
d Includes light and heavy rail only.
e Fiscal year data. Amtrak began operations in 1971.

Key: N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = unavailable.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), National Transportation Statistics 2000 (Washington, DC: In press), table 1–29; USDOT, BTS, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: 2000); USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 1999 (Washington, DC: 2000); and Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts,1999 (Washington, DC: 2000).