Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Table 1-32M: U.S. Vehicle-Kilometers

(Millions)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
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 9,115 8,929 9,039 9,793 10,544
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 N N N N N N N
Highwayb, total 1,156,735 1,428,795 1,785,928 2,136,668 2,457,943 2,856,306 3,451,016 3,495,576 3,616,439 3,695,662 3,794,170 3,898,951 4,000,585 4,122,648 4,235,024 4,330,835 4,420,747 4,501,797 4,595,495 (R) 4,651,728 4,767,703
Passenger carb,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 2,314,710 2,365,501 2,418,129 2,493,802 2,525,222 2,575,412 2,620,546 2,669,055 (R) 2,690,950 2,743,903
Motorcyclec 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 16,848 15,512 15,372 (R) 15,413 16,171
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicleb 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 1,485,519 1,517,945 1,554,681 (R) 1,583,746 1,632,425
Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more 158,602 207,234 43,583 55,693 64,073 73,130 83,527 85,131 86,702 91,366 98,627 100,914 103,114 107,654 109,469 113,143 113,459 116,594 122,094 (R) 125,138 130,529
Truck, combination 46,436 50,960 56,543 75,195 110,527 125,630 151,827 155,535 160,146 165,949 175,309 185,800 191,349 200,499 206,574 213,051 217,294 219,811 223,276 (R) 225,566 233,995
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 12,215 11,389 11,016 (R) 10,916 10,681
Transitd, total 3,449 3,232 3,030 3,502 3,681 4,492 5,217 5,321 5,399 5,528 5,580 5,713 5,875 6,028 6,105 6,393 6,568 6,753 6,883 (P) 7,041 U
Motor buse 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 3,612 3,500 3,663 3,726 3,825 3,880 (P) 3,896 U
Light rail 120 67 54 38 28 27 39 44 46 45 55 56 61 66 70 78 85 87 98 (P) 103 U
Heavy rail 629 636 655 681 619 725 864 848 846 840 856 865 874 898 910 930 958 979 999 (P) 1,014 U
Trolley bus 162 69 53 25 21 25 22 22 22 21 22 22 22 23 22 23 24 21 22 (P )23 U
Commuter rail N N N 278 288 295 342 346 352 360 371 383 389 403 418 428 436 446 457 (P) 460 U
Demand responsivee N N N N N 398 492 539 585 653 746 815 882 942 1,080 1,156 1,221 1,270 1,292 (P) 1,390 U
Ferry boat N N N N i i 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 (P) 6 U
Other N N N 24 25 24 26 31 39 48 47 55 69 80 101 111 114 121 129 (P) 154 U
Rail                                          
Class I freight, train-kilometers 650 678 687 649 689 558 612 604 628 653 710 737 754 764 764 789 811 804 804 830 861
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 55,109 55,812 57,220 59,660
Intercity/Amtrakf, train-kilometers 336 277 150 48 48 48 53 55 55 56 55 51 48 51 53 55 56 58 61 60 60
Intercity/Amtrakf, car-kilometers 3,554 2,857 1,110 407 378 404 484 504 494 488 489 470 444 463 502 550 592 608 609 534 496
Total train-kilometersg 987 954 837 697 737 607 665 658 682 709 764 789 803 816 818 843 867 862 865 891 920

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. 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. These numbers were then converted to kilometers.

b 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. This category was calculated prior to rounding.

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 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.

e Motor bus and demand responsive 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.

NOTE

1.609344 kilometers = 1 mile.

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).

1985-2004: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), p. 3, line 25 plus line 46.

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.

1995-2004: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/index.htm.

Motorcycle:

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

1995-2004: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/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.

1995-2004: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/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.

1995-2004: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/index.htm.

Transit:

1960-2002: American Public Transit Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2004), table 18, 103, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail:

Class I rail freight train- and car-kilometers:

1960-2004: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2005 (Washington, DC: 2005), p. 33 and p. 34.

Intercity/Amtrak train-kilometers:

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

1975-2001: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

2002-03: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2004 (Washington, DC: 2004), p. 77.

Intercity/Amtrak car-kilometers:

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

1980-2000: Amtrak, Amtrak Corporate Reporting, Route Profitability System, personal communication, 2001.

2001-04: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2005 (Washington, DC: 2005), p. 77.

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