Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 1-31M. U.S. Passenger-Kilometers (Millions)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Air                              
Air carrier, certificated, domestic, all services R50,049 R85,659 R174,521 218,871 R328,899 R447,135 R556,630 R544,096 R570,938 R582,954 R625,069 R649,996 R699,506 R725,191 745,549
General aviationa 3,701 7,081 14,645 18,347 23,657 19,795 R20,922 19,473 17,381 15,933 15,772 R17,381 R19,312 20,117 21,404
HighwayR                              
Passenger carb,c 1,842,177 2,244,722 2,817,801 3,144,930 3,237,988 3,370,971 3,671,550 3,540,981 3,553,802 3,561,938 3,620,616 3,655,326 3,733,228 3,819,037 3,929,311
Motorcycleb,c f f 5,274 9,965 19,725 19,009 19,995 18,759 19,226 19,609 19,940 18,604 18,825 19,145 19,484
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehiclec g g 363,090 584,623 838,106 1,107,378 1,608,950 1,797,572 1,933,899 2,016,286 2,042,732 2,085,147 2,153,524 2,245,380 2,286,261
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
Busd N N N N N 152,767 195,372 196,189 197,139 208,977 218,664 219,039 223,918 233,452 238,706
Totalc 2,047,216 2,502,916 3,286,290 3,870,406 4,270,419 4,848,887 5,731,220 5,794,168 5,950,914 6,064,126 6,175,889 6,264,830 6,423,746 6,625,167 6,789,280
Transit                              
Motor busd N N N N R35,068 R34,055 R33,766 R33,941 R32,728 R32,584 R30,307 R30,285 R30732 R31,550 P33,156
Light rail N N N N 613 563 919 1,065 1,128 1,135 1,341 1,384 1,540 R1,666 P1,799
Heavy rail N N N N R16,991 R16,781 R18,467 R16,943 R17,280 R16,465 R17,169 R16,993 R18,556 R19,402 P19,769
Trolley bus N N N N 352 492 311 314 320 303 301 301 296 304 P293
Commuter railR 6,754 6,643 7,390 7,263 10,487 10,515 11,397 11,819 11,780 11,169 12,868 13,267 13,440 12,936 14,027
Demand responsived N N N N N 586 694 731 797 904 929 977 1,056 R1,213 1,629
Ferry boat N N N N h h 460 454 436 418 418 418 412 562 P555
Other N N N N 628 707 200 238 293 404 373 439 560 R505 P639
TotalR i6,754 i6,643 i7,390 i7,263 64,139 63,700 66,213 65,505 64,762 63,383 63,706 64,065 66,592 R68,138 P71,867
Rail                              
Intercity/Amtrake,R 27,462 21,340 9,944 6,326 7,247 7,765 9,748 10,095 9,803 9,976 9,529 8,924 8,127 8,314 8,536

a All operations other than those operating under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135.
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 ofTransportation, Bureau of Transporation Statistics by subtracting the most current motorcycle figures from the aggregate passenger car and motorcycle figures.
c In July 1997, FHWA published revised passenger-kilometers data for the highway modes for a number of years. The major change reflected the reassignment of some vehicles from the passenger car category to the other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle category.Passenger-kilometers for passenger car, motorcycle, and other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles were derived by multiplying vehicle-kilometers for these vehicles by average vehicle occupancy rates, provided by the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, 1977, 1983, and 1995.
d Motor bus and demand responsive figures are also included in the bus figure for highway.
e Amtrak began operations in 1971. Does not include contract commuter passengers.
f Included in passenger car.
g Included in other single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck.
h Ferry boat included in other.
i Includes commuter rail figures only.

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

NOTES: Air carrier passenger-kilometers are computed by summing of the products of the aircraft-kilometers flown on each interairport segment multiplied by the number of passengers carried on that segment. Highway passenger-kilometers are calculated by multiplying vehicle-kilometers of travel as cited by FHWA by the average number of occupants for each vehicle type. Average vehicle occupancy rates are based on various sources, such as the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, conducted by the Federal HighwayAdministration, and the Truck Inventory and Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Transit passenger-kilometers are the cumulative sum of the distances ridden by each passenger. Rail passenger-kilometers represent the movement of 1 passenger for 1 kilometer.

SOURCES:
Air:
Air carrier, domestic, all services:
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), page 2, line 1.
General aviation:
1960-97: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 1998 (Washington, DC: 1998), p. 47.
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:
Ferry boat and other:
1992: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, July 19, 2000.
All other data:
1960-98: American Public Transit Association, Transit Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2000), table 30 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Rail, Intercity/Amtrak:
1960-80: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
1985: Amtrak, Amtrak FY95 Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: 1996), p. 4.
1990-98: Ibid., Amtrak FY99 Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: 2000), p. 43.



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