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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

Preface

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

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 aspects of passenger travel. An electronic version of this publication is available at www.bts.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 household characteristics, trip purpose, and transportation mode. Chapter 3 provides information on the passenger transportation system and its performance. Chapter 4 discusses the economic characteristics of passenger travel and tourism. Chapter 5 describes 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—is found in box 2-A.