Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Printable Version

Table 4-16. Transit Industry Electric Power and Primary Energy Consumptiona and Travel

Excel | CSV

  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997R 1998P
Number of vehicles 65,292 61,717 61,298 62,183 75,388 94,368 92,961 96,399 102,251 107,316 115,943 115,874 122,362 126,360 128,970
Vehicle-miles traveled 2,143 2,008 1,883 2,176 2,287 2,791 3,242 3,306 3,355 3,435 3,467 3,550 3,650 3,746 3,932
Electric power consumed (million kWh hours) 2,908 2,584 2,561 2,646 2,446 4,216 4,837 4,853 4,716 4,865 5,081 5,068 5,007 4,988 5,250
Primary energy consumed (thousand gallons)                              
Diesel 208,100 248,400 270,600 365,060 431,400 608,738 651,030 665,158 684,944 678,511 678,226 678,286 692,714 716,952 700,081
Gasoline and other nondiesel fuelsb 191,900 124,200 68,200 7,576 11,400 45,704 33,906 34,467 37,179 45,672 60,003 60,730 61,213 59,463 50,405
Compressed natural gasR N N N N N N N N 1,009 1,579 4,835 10,740 15,092 23,906 30,915

a Prior to 1985, excludes commuter rail, automated guideway, urban ferryboat, demand responsive vehicles, and most rural and smaller systems.
b For 1992-96, includes propane, liquid petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, kerosene, and all other nondiesel fuels except compressed natural gas. 1960 to 1991 data include propane. Series not contiguous between 1991 and 1992.

KEY: Btu = British thermal unti; kWh = kilowatt hour; N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised.

NOTES: The heat equivalent factors used in Btu conversions are: diesel = 138,700 Btu/gallon; electric = 3,412 Btu/kWh,  negating electrical system loses (to include electrical system loses, multiply this conversion factor by approximately three) gasoline = 125,000 Btu/gallon.  In January 2000, the American Public Transit Association changed its name to the American Public Transportation Association APTA. The Transit Fact Book is now refered to as the Public Transportation Fact Book.

SOURCE: American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: March 2000), tables 42, 46, 65, 66, 67, and similar tables in earlier editions of the APTA Transit Fact Book.