Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 1-32. Principal Means of Transportation to Work (Thousands)

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  1985 1989 1993 1997 1999
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
All workers 99,592 100.0 106,630 100.0 103,741 100.0 116,469 100.0 118,041 100
Automobile 86,148 86.5 93,943 88.1 91,301 88.0 101,907 87.5 103,466 87.7
Drives self 72,137 72.4 81,322 76.3 79,449 76.6 90,207 77.5 92,363 78.2
Carpool 14,011 14.1 12,621 11.8 11,852 11.4 11,700 10.0 11,103 9.4
2 person 10,381 10.4 9,708 9.1 9,105 8.8 9,294 8.0 8,705 7.4
3 person 2,024 2.0 1,748 1.6 1,684 1.6 1,526 1.3 1,454 1.2
4+ person 1,606 1.6 1,165 1.1 1,063 1.0 881 0.8 945 0.8
Public transportationa 5,091 5.1 4,880 4.6 4,740 4.6 5,337 4.6 5,779 4.9
Taxicab 129 0.1 152 0.1 117 0.1 139 0.1 144 0.1
Bicycle or motorcycle 958 1.0 795 0.7 744 0.7 738 0.6 749 0.6
Walks only 4,032 4.0 3,634 3.4 3,227 3.1 3,869 3.3 3,627 3.1
Other meansb 286 0.3 491 0.5 474 0.5 867 0.7 987 0.8
Works at home 2,947 3.0 2,736 2.6 3,137 3.0 3,611 3.1 3,288 2.8

a Public transportation refers to bus, streetcar, subway, or elevated trains.
b Other means include ferryboats, surface trains, and van service.

NOTES: Principal means of transportation refers to the mode used most often, when different means of transportation were used on different days of the week, or the mode used for the longest distance during the trip to work, when more than one mode is used to get to work each day.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey (Washington, DC: Various years).