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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 1-32: U.S. Vehicle-Miles

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 1-32: U.S. Vehicle-Miles

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(Millions)

  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Air                                                
Air carrier, large certificated, domestic, all services 858 1,134 2,068 1,948 2,523 3,046 3,963 3,854 3,995 4,157 4,380 4,629 4,811 4,911 5,035 5,332 5,664 5,548 (R) 5,589 (R) 6,087 (R) 6,592 (R) 6,716 6,605 (R) 6,732
General aviationa 1,769 2,562 3,207 4,238 5,204 4,673 4,548 4,400 3,465 3,253 3,358 3,795 3,524 3,877 N N N N N N N N N N
Highwayb, total 718,763 887,811 1,109,724 1,327,664 1,527,295 1,774,827 2,144,362 2,172,050 2,247,151 2,296,378 2,357,588 2,422,696 2,485,848 2,561,695 2,631,522 2,691,056 2,746,925 2,797,287 2,855,508 2,890,450 2,964,788 2,989,430 3,014,370 3,029,821
Passenger carb,c,h 587,012 722,696 916,700 1,033,950 1,111,596 1,246,798 1,408,266 1,358,185 1,371,569 1,374,709 1,406,089 1,438,294 1,469,854 1,502,556 1,549,577 1,569,100 1,600,287 1,628,332 1,658,474 1,672,079 1,699,890 1,708,421 1,690,534 1,670,994
Motorcyclec,h U U 2,979 5,629 10,214 9,086 9,557 9,178 9,557 9,906 10,240 9,797 9,920 10,081 10,283 10,584 10,469 9,639 9,552 9,577 10,122 10,454 12,050 13,612
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicleb,h U U 123,286 200,700 290,935 390,961 574,571 649,394 706,863 745,750 764,634 790,029 816,540 850,739 868,275 901,022 923,059 943,207 966,034 984,094 1,027,164 1,041,051 1,082,490 1,111,277
Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or moreh 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 70,500 72,448 75,866 77,757 78,441 78,496 80,344 81,954
Truck, combination 28,854 31,665 35,134 46,724 68,678 78,063 94,341 96,645 99,510 103,116 108,932 115,451 118,899 124,584 128,359 132,384 135,020 136,584 138,737 140,160 142,370 144,028 142,169 145,008
Bus 4,346 4,681 4,544 6,055 6,059 4,478 5,726 5,750 5,778 6,125 6,409 6,420 6,563 6,842 7,007 7,662 7,590 7,077 6,845 6,783 6,801 6,980 6,783 6,976
Transitd, total 2,143 2,008 1,883 2,176 2,287 2,791 3,242 3,306 3,355 3,435 3,467 3,551 (R) 3,082 (R) 3,201 (R) 3,347 (R) 3,500 (R) 3,605 (R) 3,735 (R) 3,855 (R) 3,915 (R) 3,972 (R) 4,054 (R) 4,127 (R) 4,238
Motor buse 1,576 1,528 1,409 1,526 1,677 1,863 2,130 2,167 2,178 2,210 2,162 2,184 (R) 1,813 (R) 1,849 (R) 1,904 (R) 1,985 (R) 2,041 (R) 2,104 (R) 2,156 (R) 2,177 (R) 2,169 (R) 2,192 (R) 2,214 (R) 2,241
Light rail 75 42 34 24 18 17 24 28 29 28 34 35 (R) 37 (R) 41 (R) 43 (R) 48 (R) 52 (R) 54 (R) 61 (R) 64 (R) 67 (R) 69 (R) 74 (R) 84
Heavy rail 391 395 407 423 385 451 537 527 525 522 532 537 (R) 543 (R) 558 (R) 566 (R) 578 (R) 595 (R) 608 (R) 621 (R) 630 (R) 642 (R) 646 (R) 652 (R) 657
Trolley bus 101 43 33 15 13 16 14 14 14 13 14 14 (R) 14 (R) 14 (R) 14 (R) 14 (R) 15 (R) 13 (R) 14 (R) 14 (R) 13 (R) 13 (R) 12 (R) 11
Commuter rail N N N 173 179 183 213 215 219 224 231 238 (R) 242 (R) 251 (R) 259 (R) 266 (R) 271 (R) 277 (R) 284 (R) 286 (R) 295 (R) 303 (R) 315 (R) 325
Demand responsivee N N N N N 247 306 335 364 406 464 507 (R) 363 (R) 410 (R) 469 (R) 494 (R) 532 (R) 578 (R) 613 (R) 640 (R) 651 (R) 683 (R) 708 (R) 752
Ferry boati N N N N U U 2 2 2 3 2 3 (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3
Otheri N N N 15 15 15 16 19 24 30 29 34 (R) 68 (R) 77 (R) 90 (R) 112 (R) 97 (R) 100 (R) 104 (R) 101 (R) 131 (R) 144 (R) 149 (R) 163
Rail                                          
Class I freight, train-miles 404 421 427 403 428 347 380 375 390 405 441 458 469 475 475 490 504 500 500 516 535 548 563 543
Class I freight, car-miles 28,170 29,336 29,890 27,656 29,277 24,920 26,159 25,628 26,128 26,883 28,485 30,383 31,715 31,660 32,657 33,851 34,590 34,243 34,680 35,555 37,071 37,712 38,955 38,186
Intercity/Amtrakf, train-miles 209 172 93 30 30 30 33 34 34 35 34 32 30 32 33 34 35 36 38 37 37 36 36 37
Intercity/Amtrakf, car-miles 2,208 1,775 690 253 235 251 301 313 307 303 304 292 276 288 312 342 368 378 379 332 308 265 264 267
Total train-milesg 613 593 520 433 458 377 413 409 424 440 475 490 499 507 508 524 539 536 537 553 572 584 599 581

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are unavailable.

a All operations other than those operating under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135. Data for 1996 are estimated using new information on nonrespondents and are not comparable to earlier years. Mileage in source is multiplied by 1.151 to convert to nautical-miles for 1985-1997.
b In July 1997, the FHWA published revised vehicle-miles data for the highway modes for many years. The major change reflected the reassignment of some vehicles from the passenger car category to the other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle category. This category was calculated prior to rounding.
c 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.
d 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.
e Motor bus and demand responsive figures are also included in the bus figure for highway
.f Amtrak began operations in 1971.
g Although both train-miles and car-miles are shown for rail, only train-miles are included in the total. A train-mile is the movement of a train, which can consist of multiple vehicles (cars), the distance of 1 mile. This differs from a vehicle-mile, which is the movement of 1 vehicle the distance of 1 mile. A 10-vehicle train traveling 1 mile would be measured as 1 train-mile and 10 vehicle-miles. Caution should be used when comparing train-miles with vehicle miles.
h 1960-65, motorcycle data are included in passenger car, and other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle data included in single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck.
i Ferry boat included with other.

NOTES
Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.
Transit data from 1996 and after are not comparable to the data for earlier years or to the data published in previous editions of the report due to different data sources used.

SOURCES
Air:
Air carrier:
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).
1985-2007: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), p. 3, line 25 plus line 46.
General aviation:
1960-65: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation 1972 (Washington, DC: 1973), table 9.10.
1970-75: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation 1976 (Washington, DC: 1976), table 8-5.
1980: U.S. National Transportation Safety Board estimate, personal communication, Dec. 7, 1998.
1985-92: Ibid., General Aviation Activity and Avionics Survey (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table 3.3.
1993-97: Ibid., General Aviation and Air Taxi Activity and Avionics Survey (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 3.3.
Highway:
Passenger car and motorcycle:
1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, table VM-201A, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
1995-2007: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1,available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
Motorcycle:
1970-80: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, Summary to 1985 (Washington, DC: 1986), table VM-201A.
1985-2007: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:
1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995 , table VM-201A, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
1995-2007: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
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 , table VM-201A, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
1995-2007: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/hsspubs.cfm as of August 20, 2009.
Transit:
1960-1995: American Public Transportion Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 6 and similar tables in earlier editions.
1996-2007: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, available at http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm as of December 20, 2009
Rail:
Class I rail freight train- and car-miles:
Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), p. 33 (train-miles) and p. 34 (car-miles).
Intercity/Amtrak train-miles:
1960-70: Association of American Railroads, Yearbook of Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 1975), p. 39.
1975-2001: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report, Statistical Appendix (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
2002-07: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), p. 77.
Intercity/Amtrak car-miles:
1960-75: Association of American Railroads, Yearbook of Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 1975), p. 40.
1980-2000: Amtrak, Amtrak Corporate Reporting, Route Profitability System, personal communication, 2001.
2001-07: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), p. 77.