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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 1-37: U.S. Passenger-Miles

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 1-37: U.S. Passenger-Miles

Excel | CSV

(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 2008
Air, total 33,399 57,626 117,542 147,400 219,068 290,136 358,873 350,185 365,564 372,130 398,199 414,688 446,652 463,112 476,362 502,457 (R) 531,329 502,406 483,409 505,226 557,892 583,758 588,455 607,546 583,506
Air carrier, certificated, domestic, all services 31,099 53,226 108,442 136,000 204,368 277,836 345,873 338,085 354,764 362,230 388,399 403,888 434,652 450,612 463,262 488,357 516,129 486,506 483,409 505,226 557,892 583,758 588,455 607,546 583,506
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 14,100 15,200 15,900 U U U U U U U
Highway, totalb 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 3,868,070 3,968,386 4,089,366 (R) 4,200,634 4,304,270 4,390,076 4,643,794 4,667,038 4,721,869 4,844,452 (R) 4,887,945 4,929,366 (R) 4,963,161 4,871,683
Passenger carb,c,g 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 2,286,887 2,337,068 2,389,065 2,463,828 2,494,870 2,544,457 2,556,481 2,620,389 2,641,885 2,685,827 (R) 2,699,305 2,671,044 (R) 2,642,498 2,553,043
Motorcycleb,c.g U U 3,277 6,192 12,257 11,812 12,424 11,656 11,946 12,184 12,390 10,777 10,912 11,089 11,311 11,642 11,516 11,760 12,131 12,163 12,855 (R) 13,277 15,303 (R) 17,298 18,395
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehiclec.h U U 225,613 363,267 520,774 688,091 999,754 1,116,958 1,201,667 1,252,860 1,269,292 1,256,146 1,298,299 1,352,675 1,380,557 1,432,625 1,467,664 1,678,853 1,674,792 1,706,103 1,780,771 (R) 1,804,848 1,876,690 (R) 1,928,319 1,921,960
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 85,489 75,866 77,757 78,441 (R) 78,496 80,344 (R) 82,014 83,951
Truck, combination 28,854 31,665 35,134 46,724 68,678 78,063 94,341 96,645 99,510 103,116 108,932 115,451 118,899 124,584 128,359 132,384 135,020 161,169 138,737 140,160 142,370 (R) 144,028 142,169 (R) 145,046 143,507
Busd U U U U U 94,925 121,398 121,906 122,496 129,852 135,871 136,104 139,136 145,060 148,558 162,445 160,919 150,042 145,124 143,801 144,188 (R) 147,992 143,816 (R) 147,985 150,827
Transit, totale U U U U 39,854 39,581 41,143 40,703 40,241 39,384 39,585 39,808 38,984 40,180 41,605 43,279 45,100 46,508 46,096 45,677 46,546 47,125 49,504 51,873 53,712
Motor busd U U U U 21,790 21,161 20,981 21,090 20,336 20,247 18,832 18,818 16,802 17,509 17,874 18,684 18,807 19,583 19,679 19,179 18,921 19,425 20,390 20,388 21,198
Light rail U U U U 381 350 571 662 701 705 833 860 955 1,024 1,115 1,190 1,339 1,427 1,432 1,476 1,576 1,700 1,866 1,930 2,081
Heavy rail U U U U 10,558 10,427 11,475 10,528 10,737 10,231 10,668 10,559 11,530 12,056 12,284 12,902 13,844 14,178 13,663 13,606 14,354 14,418 14,721 16,138 16,850
Trolley bus U U U U 219 306 193 195 199 188 187 187 184 189 182 186 192 187 188 176 173 173 164 156 161
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 8,350 8,037 8,702 8,764 9,400 9,544 9,500 9,555 9,715 9,470 10,359 11,137 11,032
Demand responsived U U U U U 364 431 454 495 562 577 607 391 531 513 559 588 626 651 689 704 738 753 778 844
Ferry boati U U U U U U 286 282 271 260 260 260 255 254 280 295 298 295 301 367 357 359 360 381 390
Otheri U U U U 390 439 124 148 182 251 232 273 516 579 654 699 632 668 683 629 745 842 891 966 1,156
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 5,559 5,468 5,680 5,511 5,381 5,410 5,784 6,179

KEY: R = revised; U = data are unavailable.

a All operations other than those operating under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135.

b 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) and the National Household Travel Survey (2001).

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 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 Motorcycles are included in Passenger car in 1960 and 1965.

h Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicles are included in single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck in 1960 and 1965.

i Ferry boats are included in Other in 1980 and 1985.

NOTES

Air carrier passenger-miles are computed by summing the products of the aircraft-miles flown on each inter airport 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 National Household Travel Survey, conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, and the Vehicle 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.

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.

Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

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), page 4 (December 1976) and page 2 (December 1981).

1985-2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues), page 3, line1.

General aviation:

1960-2001: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), pages 45-46.

Highway:

Passenger car and motorcycle:

1960-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010 .

Motorcycle:

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

1985-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010.

Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle:

1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010.

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, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/summary95/index.html as of July 28, 2000, table VM-201A.

1995-2008: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hss/index.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010.

Transit:

Ferryboat:

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

1993-95: American Public Transit Association, personal communication, Aug. 13, 2001.

1996-2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, available at http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010.

All other data:

1960-1995: American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 2 and similar tables in earlier editions.

1996-2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, available at http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm as of Mar. 05, 2010.

Rail, Intercity / Amtrak:

1960-80: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual Issues).

1985: Amtrak, Amtrak FY95 Annual Report (Washington, DC: 1996), Statistical Appendix, page 4.

1990-2002: Ibid., Amtrak Annual Report (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), Statistical Appendix.

2003-08: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), page 77.