Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 1-29M. U.S. Vehicle-Kilometers (Millions)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
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 R7,904 8,097
General aviationa 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 U
HighwayR                              
Passenger carb,c 944,706 1,163,069 1,475,288 1,663,984 1,788,944 2,006,531 2,266,389 2,185,791 2,207,330 2,212,384 2,262,885 2,298,947 2,347,942 2,401,910 2,487,782
Motorcycleb h h 4,794 9,059 16,438 14,623 15,381 14,771 15,381 15,942 16,480 15,767 15,953 16,224 16,512
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehiclec h h 198,410 322,996 468,215 629,192 924,684 1,045,100 1,137,588 1,200,171 1,230,561 1,271,431 1,313,124 1,369,134 1,394,061
Truck                              
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck 158,603 207,234 43,583 55,693 64,073 73,130 83,527 85,131 86,702 91,366 98,627 100,914 103,006 107,654 109,265
Combination truck 46,436 50,960 56,543 75,195 110,527 125,630 151,827 155,535 160,146 165,949 175,309 185,801 191,245 200,499 206,252
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 10,522 11,011 11,259
Total highwayc 1,156,739 1,428,796 1,785,931 2,136,672 2,457,948 2,856,313 3,451,023 3,495,582 3,616,446 3,695,669 3,794,177 3,883,192 3,981,793 4,106,432 4,208,615
Transit                              
Motor busd 2,537 2,460 2,268 2,456 2,699 2,998 3,428 3,487 3,505 3,556 3,479 3,515 3,574 R3,613 P3,687
Light rail 120 67 54 38 28 27 39 44 46 45 55 56 61 66 P69
Heavy rail 629 636 655 681 619 725 864 848 846 840 856 864 874 898 P911
Trolley bus 162 69 53 25 21 25 22 22 22 21 22 23 23 23 P23
Commuter rail N N N 278 288 295 343 346 352 360 371 383 389 404 P426
Demand responsived N N N N N 398 492 539 585 653 747 816 882 R941 P1,123
Ferry boat N N N N I I 4 4 4 4 3 5 5 3 3
Other N N N 24 25 24 R29 R35 R42 R51 R51 R60 R72 R84 85
Total transite 3,449 3,232 3,030 3,502 3,681 4,492 R5,218 5,321 5,399 5,528 5,581 5,713 5,874 R6,029 P6,328
Rail                              
Class I freight, train-kilometers 650 678 687 649 689 558 612 604 628 653 710 737 754 764 764
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
Intercity/Amtrakf, train-kilometers 336 277 150 48 48 48 53 55 55 56 55 51 48 51 53
Intercity/Amtrakf, car-kilometers 3,554 2,857 1,110 407 378 404 484 504 494 488 489 470 444 463 502
Total train-kilometersg 987 954 837 697 737 607 665 658 682 709 764 789 803 816 818

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

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

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). 
1985-98: 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 (updated June 1999), Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html, as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, sum of passenger car and motorcycle.
Motorcycle:
1970-80: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, Summary to 1985 (Washington, DC: 1986), table VM-201A.
1985-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:
1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995 (updated June 1999), Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html, as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
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 (updated June 1999), Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html, as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Transit: 
1960-98: American Public Transit Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2000), table 42, 84, and similar tables in earlier editions. 
Rail: 
Class I rail freight train- and car-miles: 
1960-98: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, 1998 (Washington, DC: 1999), 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. 
1975-98: 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. 
1980-98: Amtrak, Amtrak Corporate Reporting, Route Profitability System, personal communication, 1999.