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Table 1-9 Number of U.S. Aircraft, Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Air                              
Air carriera 2,135 2,125 2,679 2,495 3,808 4,678 6,083 6,054 7,320 7,297 7,370 7,411 7,478 7,616 8,111
General aviationb (active fleet) 76,549 95,442 131,743 168,475 211,045 210,654 196,800 199,600 187,000 180,700 176,600 188,100 191,100 192,400 204,710
Highway (registered vehicles)                              
Passenger car 61,671,390 75,257,588 89,243,557 106,705,934 121,600,843 127,885,193 133,700,496 128,299,601 126,581,148 127,327,189 127,883,469 128,386,775 129,728,341 129,748,704 131,838,538
Motorcycle 574,032 1,381,956 2,824,098 4,964,070 5,693,940 5,444,404 4,259,462 4,177,365 4,065,118 3,977,856 3,756,555 3,897,191 3,871,599 3,826,373 3,879,450
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle N g 14,210,591 20,418,250 27,875,934 37,213,863 48,274,555 53,033,443 57,091,143 59,993,706 62,903,589 65,738,322 69,133,913 70,224,082 71,330,205
Truck                              
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck N 13,999,285 3,681,405 4,231,622 4,373,784 4,593,071 4,486,981 4,480,815 4,369,842 4,407,850 4,906,385 5,023,670 5,266,029 5,293,358 5,734,925
Combination truck h11,914,249 786,510 905,082 1,130,747 1,416,869 1,403,266 1,708,895 1,691,331 1,675,363 1,680,305 1,681,500 1,695,751 1,746,586 1,789,968 1,997,345
Bus 272,129 314,284 377,562 462,156 528,789 593,485 626,987 631,279 644,732 654,432 670,423 685,503 694,781 697,548 715,540
Total highway 74,431,800 91,739,623 111,242,295 137,912,779 161,490,159 177,133,282 193,057,376 192,313,834 194,427,346 198,041,338 201,801,921 205,427,212 210,441,249 211,580,033 215,496,003
Transitc                              
Motor bus 49,600 49,600 49,700 50,811 59,411 64,258 58,714 60,377 63,080 64,850 68,123 67,107 71,678 R72,770 P74,641
Light rail cars 2,856 1,549 1,262 1,061 1,013 717 913 1,095 1,058 1,025 1,054 999 1,140 1,229 P1,205
Heavy rail cars 9,010 9,115 9,286 9,608 9,641 9,326 10,419 10,331 10,245 10,261 10,138 10,157 10,201 10,242 P10,301
Trolley bus 3,826 1,453 1,050 703 823 676 832 752 907 851 877 885 871 859 P880
Commuter rail cars and locomotives N N N N 4,500 4,035 4,415 4,370 4,413 4,494 4,517 4,565 4,665 4,943 P4,907
Demand response N N N N N 14,490 16,471 17,879 20,695 23,527 28,729 29,352 30,804 R32,509 P32,899
Otherd N N N N N 867 1,197 1,595 1,853 2,308 2,505 2,809 3,003 R3,808 P4,137
Rail                              
Class I                              
Freight cars 1,658,292 1,478,005 1,423,921 1,359,459 1,168,114 867,070 658,902 633,489 605,189 587,033 590,930 583,486 570,865 568,493 575,604
Locomotive 29,031 27,780 27,077 27,846 28,094 22,548 18,835 18,344 18,004 18,161 18,505 18,812 19,269 19,684 20,261
Nonclass I freight cars 32,104 37,164 29,787 29,407 102,161 111,086 103,527 97,492 90,064 88,513 86,120 84,724 87,364 116,108 121,659
Car companies and shippers freight cars 275,090 285,793 330,473 334,739 440,552 443,530 449,832 458,679 477,883 497,586 515,362 550,717 582,344 585,818 618,404
Amtrak                              
Passenger train car N N N 1,913 2,128 1,854 1,863 1,786 1,796 1,853 1,852 1,722 1,730 1,728 1,962
Locomotive N N N 355 419 291 318 316 336 360 338 313 299 332 345
Water                              
Nonself-propelled vesselse 16,777 17,033 19,377 25,515 31,662 33,597 31,209 i 30,899 30,785 30,730 31,360 32,811 33,011 33,509
Self-propelled vesselsf 6,543 6,083 6,455 6,144 7,126 7,522 8,236 i 8,311 8,323 8,334 8,281 8,293 8,408 8,523
Oceangoing steam and motor ships                              
(1,000 gross tons and over) 2,926 2,376 1,579 857 864 737 636 619 603 565 543 509 495 477 470
Recreational boats 2,500,000 6,400,000 7,400,000 R7,303,286 R8,577,857 9,589,483 10,996,253 11,068,440 11,132,386 11,282,736 11,429,585 11,734,710 11,877,938 12,312,982 12,565,930

a Air carrier aircraft are those carrying passengers or cargo for hire under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135. Beginning in 1990, the number of aircraft is the monthly average  of the number of aircraft reported in use for the last three months of the year. Prior to 1990, it was the number of aircraft reported in use during December of a given year.
b 1991-94 data revised to reflect changes in adjustment for nonresponse bias with 1996 telephone survey factors; 1995-97 data may not be comparable  to 1994 and earlier years due to changes in methodology. Includes air taxi aircraft.
c Prior to 1984, excludes most rural and smaller systems funded via Sections 18 and 16(b)(2), Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended.  Also prior to 1984, includes total vehicles owned and leased.
d Other includes aerial tramway, automated guideway transit, cablecar, ferry boat, inclined plane, monorail, and vanpool.
e Nonself-propelled vessels include dry-cargo barges, tank barges and railroad-car floats.
f Self-propelled vessels include dry-cargo and/or passenger, offshore supply vessels, railroad-car ferries, tankers and towboats.
g Included in single-unit truck.
h All trucks.
i Data for Jan. 1, 1991-June 30, 1991 included in 1990 figure.

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

NOTES: Transit motor bus figure is also included as part of bus in the highway category. For more detail on oceangoing vessels, see table 1-19

SOURCES:
Air:
Air carrier:
1960-65: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation, 1970 (Washington, DC : 1970), table 5.3.
1970-75: Ibid., 1979 edition (Washington, DC: 1979), table 5.1.
1980-85: Ibid., Calendar Year 1986 (Washington, DC: 1986), table 5.1.
1990-97: Ibid., Calendar Year 1997 (Washington, DC: unpublished), table 5.1, personal communication, March 19, 1999.
1998: Aerospace Industries Association, Aerospace Facts and Figures (Washington DC: 1999/2000), "Active U.S. Air Carrier Fleet".
General aviation:
1960-65: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation, 1969 (Washington, DC: 1969), table 9.10.
1970-75: Ibid., Calendar Year 1976 (Washington, DC: 1976), table 8-6.
1980: Ibid., General Aviation Activity Survey, Calendar Year 1980 (Washington, DC: 1981), table 1-3.
1985:Ibid., Calendar Year 1985 (Washington, DC: 1987), table 2-9.
1990-98: Ibid., General Aviation and Air Taxi Activity Survey, Calendar Year 1998 (Washington, DC: unpublished), table 1.3.
Highway:
Passenger car:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997),  table MV-201.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Motorcycle:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997),  table MV-201.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles:
1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table  VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Single-unit and combination trucks, and buses:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997),  table VM-201A.
1995-98: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1.
Transit:
1960-97: American Public Transit Association, Transit Fact Book (Washington, DC: 1999), table 44.
1998: Ibid., Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington DC:2000), table 46.
Rail (all categories, except Amtrak):
1960-98: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 1999 (Washington, DC: 1999), pp. 48, 50-51.
Amtrak:
Passenger train-cars and locomotives:
1975-80: Amtrak, State and Local Affairs Department, personal communication.
1985-98: Ibid., Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues), p. 44.
Water transportation:
Nonself-propelled vessels and self-propelled vessels: 1960-98: U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Transportation Lines of the United States, Volume 1, National Summaries (New Orleans, LA : Annual issues).
Oceangoing steam motor ships: 1960-98: U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Merchant Fleets of the World (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
Recreational boats: 1960-98: U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

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