Passenger Travel Facts and Figures is a snapshot of the characteristics and trends of personal travel in the United States; the network over which passenger travel takes place; and the related economic, safety, and environmental implications. An electronic version of this publication is available at http://www.bts.dot.gov.

Chapter 1 summarizes the basic demographic and economic characteristics of the United States that contribute to the demand for passenger travel. Chapter 2 examines travel patterns by trip purpose, transportation mode, and household characteristics. Chapter 3 provides a picture of the passenger transportation system in 2005 and 2011 and summarizes movement on the system by transportation mode and congestion impacts. Chapter 4 discusses the economic characteristics of passenger travel and tourism. Chapter 5 discusses the safety, energy, and environmental impacts of passenger travel.

The data used throughout this document reflect the latest numbers available at the time of publication. Several of the tables, figures, and analysis included in this report are based on results from national surveys that provide details on travel patterns and characteristics of travelers. An overview of these surveys—the National Household Travel Survey, American Community Survey, and American Time Use Survey—are found in box 2-A on page 15.