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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 1-34: U.S. Passenger-Miles (Millions)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 1-34: U.S. Passenger-Miles (Millions)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Air, total 33,399 57,626 117,542 147,400 219,068 290,136 358,873 350,185 365,564 372,130 398,199 414,688 446,652 463,112 476,362 501,857 U
Air carrier, certificated, domestic, all services 31,099 53,226 108,442 136,000 204,368 277,836 345,873 338,085 354,764 362,230 388,399 403,888 434,652 450,612 463,262 488,357 R516,129
General aviationa 2,300 4,400 9,100 11,400 14,700 12,300 13,000 12,100 10,800 9,900 9,800 10,800 12,000 12,500 13,100 13,500 U
Highway, totalc 1,272,078 1,555,237 2,042,002 2,404,954 2,653,510 3,012,953 3,561,209 3,600,322 3,697,719 3,768,066 3,837,512 R3,868,070 R3,968,386 R4,089,366 R4,200,635 4,304,270 4,394,703
Passenger carb,c 1,144,673 1,394,803 1,750,897 1,954,166 2,011,989 2,094,621 2,281,391 2,200,260 2,208,226 2,213,281 2,249,742 R2,286,887 2,337,068 R2,389,065 R2,463,828 2,494,870 2,547,044
Motorcycleb,c g g 3,277 6,192 12,257 11,812 12,424 11,656 11,946 12,184 12,390 R10,777 R10,912 R11,089 R11,311 11,642 11,527
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehiclec h h 225,613 363,267 520,774 688,091 999,754 1,116,958 1,201,667 1,252,860 1,269,292 R1,256,146 R1,298,299 R1,352,675 R1,380,557 1,432,625 1,469,189
Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more 98,551 128,769 27,081 34,606 39,813 45,441 51,901 52,898 53,874 56,772 61,284 62,705 64,072 66,893 68,021 70,304 70,583
Truck, combination 28,854 31,665 35,134 46,724 68,678 78,063 94,341 96,645 99,510 103,116 108,932 115,451 118,899 124,584 128,359 132,384 135,208
Busd N N N N N 94,925 121,398 121,906 122,496 129,852 135,871 136,104 R139,136 145,060 148,558 162,445 161,152
Transit, totale i 4,197 i 4,128 i 4,592 i 4,513 39,854 39,581 41,143 40,703 40,241 39,384 39,585 39,808 41,378 42,339 44,128 45,857 P47,666
Motor busd N N N N 21,790 21,161 20,981 21,090 20,336 20,247 18,832 18,818 19,096 19,604 20,360 21,205 P21,241
Light rail N N N N 381 350 571 662 701 705 833 860 957 1,035 1,128 1,206 P1,356
Heavy rail N N N N 10,558 10,427 11,475 10,528 10,737 10,231 10,668 10,559 11,530 12,056 12,284 12,902 P13,844
Trolley bus N N N N 219 306 193 195 199 188 187 187 184 189 182 186 P192
Commuter rail 4,197 4,128 4,592 4,513 6,516 6,534 7,082 7,344 7,320 6,940 7,996 8,244 8,351 8,038 8,704 8,766 P9,402
Demand responsived N N N N N 364 431 454 495 562 577 607 656 754 735 813 P839
Ferry boat N N N N j j 286 282 271 260 260 260 265 294 294 310 P330
Other N N N N 390 439 124 148 182 251 232 273 339 369 441 469 P462
Rail                                  
Intercity / Amtrakf 17,064 13,260 6,179 3,931 4,503 4,825 6,057 6,273 6,091 6,199 5,921 5,545 5,050 5,166 5,304 5,330 5,498

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.

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 of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics by subtracting the most current motorcycle figures from the aggregate passenger car and motorcycle figures.

c In July 1997, FHWA published revised passenger-miles 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-miles for passenger car, motorcycle, and other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles were derived by multiplying vehicle-miles 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 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-miles. Car-miles measure individual vehicle-miles in a train. A 10-car train traveling 1 mile would equal 1 train-mile and 10 car-miles.

f Amtrak began operations in 1971. Does not include contract commuter passengers.

g Included in passenger car.

h Included in other single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck.

i Includes commuter rail figures only.

j Ferryboat included in other.

NOTE

Air carrier passenger-miles are computed by summing the products of the aircraft-miles flown on each interairport segment multiplied by the number of passengers carried on that segment. Highway passenger-miles from 1960 to 1994 are calculated by multiplying vehicle-miles 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 Highway Administration, and the Truck Inventory and Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Transit passenger-miles are the cumulative sum of the distances ridden by each passenger. Rail passenger-miles represent the movement of 1 passenger for 1 mile.

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).

1985-2000: 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:

1960-99: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), pp. 14-15.

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.

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm.

Motorcycle:

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

1985-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.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.

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.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.

1995-2000: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, and Internet site www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/ohimstat.htm.

Transit:

Ferryboat and other:

1992: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, July 19, 2000.

1996-99: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, Aug. 13, 2001.

2000: Ibid., Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2002), table 84.

All other data:

1960-2000: American Public Transit Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: 2002), 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.

1990-2000: Ibid., Amtrak FY00 Annual Report Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 46.