Pocket 

Guide toTransportation

 Bureau of Transportation Statistics

2006
For additional copies of this guide or information 

about the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and its products and services, contact:Product OrdersPhone 202-366-DATAInternet: www

bts

gov
Pocket Guide to 

Transportation

Bureau of

T

i
U.S. Department of

TransportationNorman Y. MinetaSecretaryMaria CinoDeputy Secretary

Research andInnovativeTechnologyAdministrationAshok G. KaveeshwarAdministratorEric C. PetersonDeputy Administrator

Acknowledgments

Produced under thedirection of:Wendell FletcherAssistant Director for Transportation AnalysisProject ManagerKay DruckerContributors
America’s transportation system continues to change along with the population, work force, and economy. 

The following table puts those changes in perspective: 

Resident population (thous.) 226,542 293,655Total area (thous. sq. mi.)a 3,619 3,794 (2000)

Total civilian labor force (thous.) 106,940 147,401Real gross domestic productb $5.2 trillion $10.8 trillion

Median household incomeb,d $34

007 $41

008

 Context 1980 2004

 Glossary 48 Environment 44 Economy 32 Mobility 16 Security 10 Safety 4

System Extent and Use 2

Contents
The U.S. transportation system is an extensive, inter- related public and private network of roads, airports, 

railroads, transit routes, waterways, terminals, ports, and pipelines. Millions of people and businesses rely on this expanding system to get to work, embark on vacations, conduct business, and ship goods within the United States and abroad. The transportation system links regions and connects small and large cities and urban and rural areas.

1 System Extent and Use

Table 1The Transportation Network: 2004Highway Public roads 46,837 miles of Interstate highway 115,319 miles of other National Highway 

System roads

 3,835,305 miles of other roadsAir Public

use airports

Mode Components
Urban transit Directional route-milesd  (2003) Bus: 165,854e

 Trolley bus: 425  Commuter rail: 4,407  Heavy rail: 1,597  Light rail: 1,097  Stations 

Commuter rail: 1,153 

 Heavy rail: 1,023  Light rail: 723 Water 26,000 miles of navigable channels (2003) Ferry routes: 487 (2000)

Commercial waterway facilitiesa (2003)Great Lakes: 600 deep-draft 

 154 shallow-draft  Inland: 2,361 shallow-draft  Ocean: 4,287 deep-draft  1,770 shallow-draft  Locks: 257 Pipeline Oil

 Crude lines: 65,942 miles of pipe 

Product lines: 76

258 miles of pipe 

Mode Components
Large air carrier a 146 1 39 92 P14

Commuter air carrier a N 37 6 5 P0On-demand air taxia N 105 51 71 P65General aviationa 1,310 1,239 767 596 P556Highwayb 52,627 51,091 44,599 41,945 42,636

Railroadc 785 584 599 512 P528

Transitd N N 339 295 248

Commercial ship

Vessel 178 206 85 49 36N

le 420 281 101 88 57

The safety of the traveling public is of major concern for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although 

pro gress has been made in reducing fatalities, roughly 45 percent of U.S. deaths due to unintentional injury involve transportation. Roughly 93 percent of transportation fatalities arise from motor vehicle crashes. 

2 Safety

 Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2004

Table 2Transportation Fatalities by Mode
Table 3Distribution of Transportation Fatalities: 2003

Passenger car occupants 19,460 43.3 Light-truck occupants 12,444 27.7 Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles 4,749 10.6 Motorcyclists 3,661 8.2 Other and unknown motor vehicle occupants 804 1.8 Large-truck occupants 723 1.6 Recreational boating 703 1.6 General aviation 632 1.4 Pedalcyclists struck by motor vehicles 622 1.4 Railroad trespassers (excl. grade crossings)a 501 1.1 

Other nonoccupants struck by motor vehiclesb 140 0.31 

Waterborne transportation (nonvessel-related) 74 0.16 Grade crossings, not involving motor vehiclesc 62 0.14 

Waterborne transportation (vessel-related) 53 0.12 Heavy-rail transit (e.g., subway) 49 0.11 Air taxi 42 0.09 Bus occupants (school, intercity, transit) 40 0.09 Private grade crossings, with motor vehicles 30 0.07 Air carriers 22 0.05 Rail employees on duty and contractors 20 0.04 Light-rail transit 17 0.04 Transit buses, not accident-relatedd 14 0.03 

Gas distribution pipelines 11 0.02 Rail-related, not otherwise specifi ed 10 0.02 Demand-response transit, not accident-relatedd 3 <0.01 

Passengers on railroad trains 2 <0.01 Commuter air 2 <0

01 

 Category Number %
Table 4Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes by Vehicles and by Alcohol Involvement: 2004Occupants 37,142 14,195 38Single-vehicle crashes 18,288 8,808 48Two-vehicle crashes 15,737 4,492 29More than two-vehicle crashes 3,117 896 29Pedestrians 4,641 2,211 48Single-vehicle crashes 4,207 1,976 47Multiple-vehicle crashes 434 234 54Pedalcyclists 725 249 34Single-vehicle crashes 697 237 34Multiple-vehicle crashes 28 11 39Others/unknown 128 39 30Total 42,636 16,694 39a Fatalities in all crashes.b Fatalities in crashes that involve alcohol.

Number Alcohol

 of vehicles Fatalitiesa involvementb Percent c
Figure 1Fatality Rates for Selected Modes

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.53.0

1985 1990 1995 2000 2003

Passenger car occupants

1985 1990 1995 2003

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Large-truck occupants

2000

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Per 100 million vehicle-miles Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Light-truck occupants

1985 1990 1995 2000 2003

1985 1990 1995 2000 2003

0

102030

405060

Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Motorcycle riders
Table 5Injured Persons by Transportation Mode

Air carrier 107 19 29 29 P19

Commuter air  carrier N 14 11 7 P1

On-demand  air taxi N 43 36 12 P18

General aviation 715 681 409 309 P266

Highwaya N N 3,230,666 3,188,750 2,788,378

Railroadb 17,394 58,696 22,736 10,424 P8,402

Transitc N N 54,556 56,697 d17,618Commercial ship  Vessel accidents 105 180 175 130 198 Nonvessel  accidentse U U U 567 505

Recreational boating 780 2,650 3,822 4,355 3,363Gas and hazardous liquid pipeline 254 192 76 81 55

a Includes passenger car occupants, motorcyclists, light-duty and large-truck 

occupants, bus occupants, occupants of unknown vehicle types, and pedes

 Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2004
Table 6Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents

Highway 7,297 12,869 15,063 12,977

Accident related 249 253 327 233

Injuries 311 296 164 156Fatalities 8 7 16 10Rail 1,279 1,155 1,058 753

Accident related 48 50 62 48

Injuries 73 71 82 121Fatalities 0 0 0 3Air 297 817 1,419 995

Accident related 0 0 1 0

Injuries 39 33 5 12Fatalities 0 0 0 0Water 7 12 17 15

Accident related 0 0 0 0

Injuries 0 0 0 0Fatalities 0 0 0 0Li

id 180 188 146 141

 1990 1995 2000 2004

 Pipeline 1990 1995 2000 2004
Ensuring security of all transportation systems and the people who use them is a national priority. While 

much of the initial national focus after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was on aircraft and airports, attention is also directed at other modes, including rail, water, highways, and pipelines. Another security issue is the U.S. dependency on foreign sources of oil. The U.S. transportation sector remains almost entirely dependent on petroleum as an energy source and 64.5 percent of the petroleum used in the United States is currently imported. 

3 Security

Figure 2International Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea

500 400 

Number of incidents 
Table 7Prohibited Items Intercepted at U.S. Airport Screening Checkpoints: 2003 and 2004

Other cutting instruments 2,973,413 3,567,731Knives 1,961,849 2,058,652Incendiaries and explosive/ fl ammable materials 494,123 693,649Clubs 25,139 28,813Box cutters 20,991 22,350Firearms 683 650Other 638,414 717,754Total prohibited items 6,114,612 7,089,599Notes: Other cutting instruments includes scissors, hatchets, swords, 

sabers, meat cleavers, ice axes, and picks.

Knives includes any length and type except round-bladed, butter, and plastic 

cutlery. 

Clubs includes martial arts items, baseball bats, night sticks, hammers, pool 

cues, and billy clubs.

Firearms includes any weapon (including a starter gun) that is designed to 

or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an 

l

i

ll 

BB 

fl 

i

t

l

d 

i

 Items 2003 2004
Figure 3 U.S. Petroleum Production and Consumption: 1975–2004

25

201510

5

Million barrels per day

Total consumption

Transportation consumption

Total production
Figure 4Transportation’s Share ofU.S. Petroleum Use: 1975–2004

3

69

1215

Million barrels per day

Transportation

Industry

Buildings

Utilities
Figure 5U.S. Oil Imports

Total OPEC Total Non-OPEC 

0 

1,500 

3,000 4,500 

6,000 8,000 7,500 

Thousand barrels per day, average 
Table 8Major Suppliers of U.S. Imported Crude Oiland Petroleum Products(Thousand barrels per day, average; rank in 2004)

Canada 455 770 934 1,332 1,807 2,138Mexico 533 816 755 1,068 1,373 1,665Saudi Arabia 1,261 168 1,339 1,344 1,572 1,558Venezuela 481 605 1,025 1,480 1,546 1,554Nigeria 857 293 800 627 896 1,140Iraq 28 46 518 0 620 656Algeria 488 187 280 234 225 452United Kingdom 176 310 189 383 366 380U.S. Virgin Islands 388 247 282 278 291 330Angola 42 110 237 367 301 316Russia 1 8 45 25 72 298K

i

27 21 86 218 272 250

 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Table 9Passenger Travel and Freight TransportationPer Capita

The U.S. transportation network makes possible a high degree of personal mobility and freight activity. 

The data in this section show growth in travel and freight shipments over time. Factors infl uencing this growth include, among others: vehicle availability, travel costs, population, congestion, the economy, and consumer income. 

4 Mobility

Passenger travel (2001) Trips Daily trips per person 4.1 Daily trips per person per yeara 1,483 

 Miles Daily miles per person 40

Daily miles per person per yeara 14

524

Number
Table 10Number of Aircraft, Railcars, Vehicles, and Vessels

Air carrier 3,808 6,083 8,055 8,176General aviation 211,045 198,000 217,533 209,708Automobiles 121,600,843 133,700,496 133,621,420 135,669,897Motorcycles 5,693,940 4,259,462 4,346,068 5,370,035Other 2-axle, 4-tire vehiclesa 27,875,934 48,274,555 79,084,979 87,031,553

Trucks: Single-unit 4,373,784 4,486,981 5,926,030 5,666,933 Combination 1,416,869 1,708,895 2,096,619 2,245,085Busesb 528,789 626,987 746,125 776,550

Passenger rail:  Amtrak—Cars 2,128 1,863 1,894 1,623 Locomotives 419 318 378 442 Commuter railcars and locomotives 4,500 R5,007 R5,498 P5,959

 Transitc 10,654 11,332 12,168 P12,236

Class I rail: Freight cars 1,168,114 658,902 560,154 467,063 Locomotives 28,094 18,835 20,028 20,774Other freight cars 542,713 553,359 820,642 811,917Nonself-propelled vessels (barges)d,e 31

662 31

209 33

152 31

335

 Mode 1980 1990 2000 2003
Table 11Vehicle-Miles(Millions)

Air carrier 2,068 2,523 3,963 5,664 6,085General aviation 3,207 5,204 4,548 aN aNPassenger cars 916,700 1,111,596 1,408,266 1,600,287 1,672,079Motorcycles 2,979 10,214 9,557 10,469 9,577Other 2-axle,  4-tire vehiclesb 123,286 290,935 574,571 923,059 984,094

Trucks: Single-unit 27,081 39,813 51,901 70,500 77,757 Combination 35,134 68,678 94,341 135,020 140,160Busesc 4,544 6,059 5,726 7,590 6,783

Raild:

 Transite 441 403 561 648 P694

 Commuter N 179 213 271 P286

 Class 1 freight 29,890 29,277 26,159 34,590 35,555 Intercity/Amtrakf 690 235 301 368 332

Other transit g N 15 324 833 P964

a The Federal Aviation Administration has estimated vehicle-miles for general 

 Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003
Table 12Passenger-Miles(Millions)

Air carrier 108,442 204,368 345,873 516,129 505,339General aviation 9,100 14,700 13,000 15,200 UPassenger cars 1,750,897 2,011,989 2,281,391 2,544,457 2,641,885Motorcycles 3,277 12,257 12,424 11,516 12,163Other 2-axle,  4-tire vehiclesa 225,613 520,774 999,754 1,467,664 1,706,103

Busesb N N 121,398 160,919 140,160

Rail: Transitc N 10,939 12,046 15,200 P15,082

 Commuter 4,592 6,516 7,082 9,402 P9,559 Intercity/ Amtrakd 6,179 4,503 6,057 5,498 5,680

Other transite N 390 841 1,631 P1,892

a Includes vans, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and other 2-axle, 4-tire 

motor vehicles that are not passenger cars.

b Includes municipally owned transit and commercial, federal, and school 

buses.

c 

 Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003
Mode Male Female

All 

travelers

Car 45 56 51Van 11 13 12Sport utility vehicle 11 12 11Pickup truck 18 5 11Other 13 13 14Trip purposeFamily/personal business 23 28 23Social/recreational 19 18 19Shopping 17 21 19Work (commute) 17 13 15School/place of worship 10 10 10Visit friend/relative 8 8 8Work-related 4 2 3Other 2 2 3

Table 13Daily Travel by Gender: 2001(Trips from one point to another on a single day; most daily trips are local)

Percent
Figure 6Long-Distance Trips by Gender, Area, and Age: 2001

0

4

8

12

16

20

Rural male

Rural female

Urban female

Urban male

25–54 55–64 65–74 75+

Mean number of trips

A
Figure 7Households by Number of Vehicles

101520

25

30354045

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004

9999

34 34 33 33

38 38 38 39

19 18 19 20
Table 14Commercial Freight Activity in the United States by Mode of Transportation: 2002a

All modes 13,052 19,487 4,409 Single modes 11,599 18,894 4,073 Truckb 9,075 11,712 1,515 

Rail 392 1,979 1,372 Water 673 1,668 485 Air (includes truck and air) 563 6 13 Pipelinec 896 3,529 688 

Multiple modes 1,121 229 233 Parcel, postal, or courier 1,022 27 21 Truck and rail 77 52 50 

Other multiple modesd 22 150 103 

Unknown modes 331 365 103 

 Value Tons Ton-miles

 Mode (billion $) (millions) (billions)
Table 15U.S.-Mexican Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2004(Thousands)

Total U.S.-Mexico crossingsPersonal vehicles 91,134Personal vehicle passengers 190,937Buses 269Bus passengers 3,389Train passengers 13Pedestrians 48,084Personal vehicles—top 5 gatewaysSan Ysidro, CA 17,621El Paso, TX 14,817Brownsville, TX 7,211Hidalgo, TX 7,184

Laredo, TX 6,725

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gatewaysSan Ysidro, CA 33,383El Paso, TX 28,108Hidalgo, TX 15,515Brownsville, TX 15,374Laredo, TX 15,033Buses—top 5 gatewaysSan Ysidro, CA 110Otay Mesa, CA 41Laredo, TX 38Hidalgo, TX 33El Paso, TX 18

 Entering the U.S.
Table 16U.S.-Canadian Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2004(Thousands)

Total U.S.-Canada crossingsPersonal vehicles 30,660Personal vehicle passengers 64,848Buses 156Bus passengers 3,890Train passengers 223Pedestrians 826Personal vehicles—top 5 gatewaysBuffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 6,149Detroit, MI 6,131Blaine, WA 2,524Port Huron, MI 1,996

Calais, ME 1,200

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gatewaysBuffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 13,195Detroit, MI 10,574Blaine, WA 4,936Port Huron, MI 3,909Massena, NY 3,598Buses—top 5 gatewaysBuffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 40Detroit, MI 37Sault Ste. Marie, MI 17Blaine, WA 14Skagway, AK 10

 Entering the U.S.
Table 17Top 20 U.S. Passenger Airports(Thousands of enplaned passengers on large certifi cated air carriers)

Airport Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers

%

change

1994–2004

Atlanta (Hartsfi eld), GA 2 25,695 1 40,425 57Chicago (O’Hare), IL 1 29,970 2 33,863 13Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 3 25,486 3 27,827 9Los Angeles, CA 4 19,912 4 22,892 15Denver, CO 5 14,810 5 20,102 36Las Vegas  (McCarran), NV 10 12,003 6 19,414 62Phoenix  (Sky Harbor), AZ 7 12,458 7 19,151 54Minneapolis, MN 12 10,892 8 17,371 59Detroit  (Wayne County), MI 8 12,258 9 16,891 38Houston  (Intercontinental), TX 17 9,681 10 16,749 73Orlando, FL 19 9,183 11 14,363 56

 1994 2004
Table 18U.S. Airports with the Highest Percentageof Arriving Passenger Delays(Percentage of scheduled fl ights canceled, diverted, or arrivingat least 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time)

Airport

Delay

rank %

Delay

rank %

Chicago (O’Hare), IL 26 16.5 1 29.9Newark, NJ 1 29.9 2 28.8Atlanta (Hartsfi eld), GA 7 21.6 3 27.0New York (La Guardia), NY 6 21.8 4 26.7Philadelphia, PA 5 21.9 5 26.5Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood, FL 4 23.0 6 24.4New York (JFK), NY 3 26.5 7 23.9San Francisco, CA 9 21.4 8 23.1Las Vegas (McCarran), NV 21 17.8 9 22.4Seattle-Tacoma, WA 13 20.6 10 22.2Miami, FL 12 20.8 11 22.2Boston (Logan), MA 2 26.8 12 22.1

 1994 2004
Table 19Roadway Delay and Congestion Cost per Peak Travelera in Urban Areas: 1993 and 2003

1993

delay per

peak 

traveler

2003

delay per

peak 

traveler

Percentage

change

1993–2003

Annual

growth 

rate

1993–2003

Very large areas 55 61 11 1.0Large areas 28 37 32 2.8Medium areas 15 25 67 5.2Small areas 9 13 44 3.785-area average 40 47 18 1.6

1993

cost per

peak 

traveler

2003

cost per

peak 

traveler

Percentage

change

1993–2003

Annual

growth 

rate

1993–2003

Very large areas 719 1,038 44 3.7

 Annual Roadway Delay per Peak Traveler

(Hours per year)

 Annual Roadway Congestion Cost per Peak Traveler

(Current dollars)
Table 20Amtrak On-Time Performance Trendsand Hours of Delay by Cause

On-time performanceTotal (weighted) 76% 74% 71% 70%Short distance  (<400 miles)a 87% 82% 76% 78%

Long distance (>400 miles) 70% 70% 68% 66%Hours of delayby cause Amtrakb 26,575 25,711 28,323 25,549

Host railroadc 55,090 57,346 61,256 64,097Otherd 4,266 5,355 5,582 5,613 Totale 85,932 88,413 95,162 95,260

a Includes all Amtrak Northeast Corridor and Empire Service (New York State) 

trains. b Includes all delays when operating on Amtrak-owned tracks and 

delays for equipment or engine failure, passenger handling, holding for connections, train servicing, and mail/baggage handling when on tracks of a host railroad. c Includes all operating delays not attributable to Amtrak 

 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 21Top 20 U.S. Water Ports by Shipment Weight(Millions of tons)

Port Rank

Total

tons Rank

Total

tons

% change

1993–2003

South Louisiana, LA 1 193.7 1 198.8 2.6Houston, TX 2 141.4 2 190.9 34.9New York, NY and NJ 3 116.7 3 145.8 25.0Beaumont, TX 25 25.4 4 87.5 244.5New Orleans, LA 6 67.3 5 83.8 24.6Huntington-Tristate,  WV-OH-PAa N N 6 77.6 N

Corpus Christi, TX 7 59.6 7 77.2 29.5Long Beach, CA 8 54.3 8 69.1 27.4Texas City, TX 9 53.6 9 61.3 14.3Baton Rouge, LA 5 85.1 10 61.2 –28.0Plaquemine, LA 10 53.1 11 55.9 5.3Lake Charles, LA 12 45.4 12 53.3 17.4Los Angeles, CA 16 43.6 13 51.3 17.7Mobile, AL 15 43.9 14 50.2 14.2Valdez

AK 4 85

7 15 49

8 

41

8

 1993 2003
Table 22Top 20 World Container Ports: 2003(Thousands of TEUs)

1 Hong Kong China 20,4992 Singapore Singapore 18,4113 Shanghai China 11,2804 Shenzhen China 10,6155 Busan South Korea 10,4086 Kaohsiung Taiwan 8,8437 Los Angeles United States 7,1498 Rotterdam Netherlands 7,1079 Hamburg Germany 6,138

10 Antwerp Belgium 5,44511 Dubai United Arab Emirates 5,15212 Port Kalang Malaysia 4,84013 Long Beach United States 4,65814 Quingdao China 4,23915 New York/New Jersey United States 4,06816 Tanjung Pelepas Indonesia 3

487

 Rank Port Country TEUs
Transportation is a major sector of the U.S. economy. It moves people and goods, employs millions of 

workers, generates revenue, and consumes resources and services produced by other sectors of the economy. In 2004, transportation-related goods and service contributed $1,231.7 billion to the $11.7 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product. 

5 Economy

Figure 8 U.S. Gross Domestic Product by Major Societal Function: 2004

Health care (16.9%)

 Food(11.7%)

Transportation- relateda (10.5%)

Education (7.3%)
Figure 9Average Household Expenditures byMajor Spending Category: 2004(Current dollars)

Apparel and 

services 

(4%) Othera

(15%) Personal insurance 

and pensions (11%) 

Health care (6%) 

Housing 

(32%) 

Food (13%) 

Transportation 

(18%) 

$7,801 

Average income (before taxes) $54,453

Average expenditures $43,395
Figure 10Transportation Services Index (TSI)(Seasonally adjusted)

60 80 

100 120 

Chained-type index: 2000 = 100 

1990 2000 2005 1995 

TSI passenger 

TSI freight 

TSI total 

Notes: 2005 data are through May. March–May 2005 data are preliminary.
Table 23Employment in Transportation and SelectedTransportation-Related Industriesa

(Thousands)

For-hire transport & warehousing 3,476 3,839 4,410 4,250 Air 529 511 614 515 Water 57 51 56 57 Railroad 272 233 232 224 Transit/ground passenger transportation 274 328 372 386 Pipeline 60 54 46 39 Trucking 1,122 1,249 1,406 1,351 Support activities 364 430 537 536 Scenic/sightseeing transportation 16 22 28 27 Couriers/messengers 375 517 605 561 Warehousing/storage 407 444 514 556Governmentb 671 644 646 600

Related services & construction 5,256 5,577 6,177 5,999

Automotive repair services/ parking; automotive equipment rental/leasing; gasoline stations 1,800 1,906 2,125 2,067

 1990 1995 2000 2004
Table 24Value of U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transportation: 2004(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Total 817,936 100.0 1,469,671 100.0 2,287,607 100.0Water 233,639 28.6 724,946 49.3 958,585 41.9Air 270,041 33.0 329,387 22.4 599,428 26.2Truck 215,247 26.3 237,706 16.2 452,953 19.8Rail 30,229 3.7 78,131 5.3 108,360 4.7Pipeline 1,671 0.2 36,829 2.5 38,500 1.7Other, unknown, & miscellaneous 67,109 8.2 62,672 4.3 129,781 5.7Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.Water—Excludes intransit data (merchandise shipped from one foreign country to another via a U.S. water port).Imports—Excludes imports valued at less than $1,250. Import value is based 

on U.S. general imports, customs value basis.

 Modal Modal Total Total

 Exports % Imports % trade modal %
Table 25Weight of U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transportation: 2004(Thousands of short tons)

Total 522,510 100.0 1,332,873 100.0 1,855,383 100.0Water a 386,511 74.0 1,052,689 79.0 1,439,200 77.6Air 2,964 0.6 4,382 0.3 7,346 0.4Truckb 95,950 18.4 101,106 7.6 197,056 10.6Railb 29,531 5.7 90,445 6.8 119,976 6.5Pipelineb 5,985 1.1 82,614 6.2 88,599 4.8Other, unknown, & miscellaneousb 1,570 0.3 1,637 0.1 3,207 0.2a These weight data vary from those offi cially reported by the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, because the data in this table exclude intransit shipments (merchandise shipped from one foreign country to another via a U.S. port but not part of U.S. offi cial merchandise trade). BTS uses Census Bureau trade-based data to allow for a complete modal comparison among the different freight transportation modes.

 Modal Modal Total Total

 Exports % Imports % trade modal %
Table 26U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Mode Share: 2004

NAFTA trade, total 100.0 100.0Trucka 63.6 30.2

Raila 15.2 18.4Pipelinea 5.4 13.6

Air 4.5 0.0Water 6.5 37.6

Other and unknowna 4.7 0.1

U.S.-NAFTA imports, total 100.0 100.0Truck 57.7 21.9Rail 19.0 19.6Pipeline 8.9 17.9Air 2.9 0.0Water 8.6 40.6

Other and unknown 2.8 0.1

U.S.-NAFTA exports, total 100.0 100.0Trucka 71.8 50.5

Raila 10.1 15.6

a 

 Value Weight

 Mode (percent) (percent)
Table 27Top 20 U.S. Foreign Trade Freight Gateways by Value of Shipments: 2004(Billions of current dollars)

1 JFK International, NY (a) 52.7 72.6 125.32 Los Angeles, CA (w)P 16.4 105.1 121.4

3 Long Beach, CA (w)P 18.6 102.8 121.34 Detroit, MI (l) 58.2 55.6 113.85 New York, NY and NJ (w)P 23.1 90.4 113.56 Laredo, TX (l) 38.4 51.1 89.57 Los Angeles Internatl., CA (a) 33.9 34.8 68.78 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (l) 31.7 36.6 68.39 Houston, TX (w)P 29.2 37.2 66.4

10 Port Huron, MI (l) 23.6 42.3 65.911 Chicago, IL (a) 25.2 40.1 65.412 San Francisco Internatl., CA (a) 24.3 30.3 54.613 Charleston, SC (w)P 15.4 31.3 46.714 El Paso, TX (l) 18.3 24.4 42.815 Norfolk, VA (w)P 12.0 21.5 33.516 Baltimore, MD (w)P 6.9 24.4 31.317 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (a) 14.6 16.6 31.2

 Rank Gateway Exports Imports Total
Table 28U.S. Trade in Transportation-Related Commodities: 2004(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Motor vehicles and  parts (87) 73,100 191,250 264,349 –118,150Aircraft, spacecraft,  and parts (88) 42,117 16,496 58,613 25,621Ships, boats, and  fl oating structures (89) 1,780 2,084 3,864 –304Railway or tramway  locomotives and  parts (86) 1,752 1,282 3,034 471Total,  transportation  commodities 118,749 211,111 329,860 –92,362Total, all commodities 816,548 1,469,673 2,286,221 –653,126Transportation  commodities

h

f 

d

14

5% 14

4% 14

4% 14

1%

 Commodity Total 

 and code Exports Imports trade Balance
Figure 11New Passenger Car and Light Truck Sales:Model Years 1985–2005

2468

1012

Millions of vehicles

Cars

Light trucks
Table 29Government Transportation Revenues by Modeand Level of Government(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 25,268 49,945 87,800 UFederal:  Highway Trust Fund— Highway Account a 7,647 13,453 30,347 28,964

State 16,287 32,644 51,073 55,347Local 1,334 3,848 6,380 UTransit total 2,397 7,193 12,674 U

Federal:  Highway Trust Fund— Mass Transit Account – 1,977 4,625 4,762State 362 1,074 1,524 1,693Local 2,035 4,142 6,525 UAir total 4,100 10,119 21,627 UFederal: Airport and  Airway Trust Fund 2,274 4,945 10,544 10,088State 190 556 852 871Local 1,636 4,617 10,231 UWater total 1,211 2,487 3,717 UFederal: water receiptsb 391 999 1,210 944State 249 355 693 809

 1980 1990 2000 2003
Table 30Government Transportation Expenditures by Mode and Level of Government From Own Funds(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 34,553 62,629 103,952 UFederal 11,706 15,517 27,759 32,633State and local 22,847 47,112 76,192 UTransit total 8,949 19,251 32,384 UFederal 3,307 3,832 5,334 4,922State and local 5,642 15,420 27,050 URail total 2,497 540 767 UFederal 2,474 534 760 1,206

State and local 23 6 7 U

Air total 5,673 12,568 22,017 UFederal 3,762 7,305 10,481 13,179State and local 1,911 5,263 11,536 UWater total 4,477 5,480 7,946 UFederal 3,308 3,537 4,814 5,475State and local 1,168 1,943 3,132 UPipeline totala – 26 36 UFederal – 9 36 61

State and local – 17 U U

General supportb 259 191 259 8,554

T

t

l

ll 

d

56

407 100

685 167

360 U

 1980 1990 2000 2003
While transportation enhances the quality of our lives, it also generates environmental impacts that can lead 

to human health problems and ecological damage. Overall, most transportation air emissions, such as particulates, have declined since 1980 despite signifi cant increases in U.S. population, Gross Domestic Product, and vehicle-miles traveled. Only ammonia among criteria pollutants remains above its 1990 level; also carbon dioxide emissions from transportation fuel use are rising. 

6 Environment

Figure 12New Passenger Car and Light Truck Fuel EconomyAverages: Model Years 1985–2004

3035

25

20

Miles per gallon

Light trucks

Cars
Figure 13U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Use: 1985–2004

Commercial

Residential

Transportation

Industrial

350450550

Million metric tons of carbon

250
Table 31Wetlands Impacted and Mitigated Under the Federal-Aid Highway Program

Acres impacted 2,041 1,905 1,942 1,278 847Acres mitigated 7,671 4,017 5,198 3,431 1,763Acres gained (net) 5,630 2,112 3,256 2,153 916Mitigation ratio 3.8:1 2.1:1 2.7:1 2.7:1 2.1:1Notes: These data cover wetlands acreage affected by Federal-Aid Highway 

projects, approximately 24% of the total mileage of the U.S. public roads. These data are collected by states using varying collection methodologies. The mitigation ratio equals acres mitigated to acres impacted.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Highway Administration Wetland Mitigation Performance Measure for Federal-Aid Highway Projects Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/perform/wetrpt04.htm, as of October 2005.

 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Figure 14Index of Key Air Pollutant Emissions from U.S. Transportation: 1990–2003Index: 1990 = 1.0

1.21.00.80.60.4

1990 1995 2000 2003

Carbon monoxide

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1990 1995 2000 2003

Nitrogen oxides

1990 1995 2000 2003

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Volatile organic compounds

PM-10

PM-2.5

1990 1995 2000 2003

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

1.0

PM-10; PM-2.5
 Glossary

Air carrier—Certifi cated provider of scheduled and nonscheduled services.Chained dollars—A method to measure real changes in dollar 

values between years that uses chain-type indexes, rather than constant dollars. The method fi rst calculates the real changes between adjacent years. Annual rates of real changes are then chained (multiplied) together to obtain the rate of real changes between nonadjacent years. 

Class I railroad—A freight railroad with an annual gross operating revenue indexed to a base of $250 million in 1991 dollars. 

In 2004, the adjusted base had increased to $289.5 million.

Commercial waterway facilities—Waterway facilities as 

counted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are piers, wharves, and docks. Not included are those facilities used exclusively for recreational or active military craft and generally those providing nonmaritime use.

Commuter rail—Urban/suburban passenger train service for 

short-distance travel between a central city and adjacent suburbs run on tracks of a traditional railroad system. Does not include heavy- or light-rail transit service.

Congestion cost—Value of travel time delay (estimated at 

$13.45 per hour of person travel and $71.05 per hour of truck travel) and excess fuel consumption (estimated using the average cost per gallon by state)
Draft—The depth of water a vessel draws, loaded or unloaded.General aviation—Civil aviation operations other than those 

air carriers holding a Certifi cate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Types of aircraft used in general aviation range from corporate, multi-engine jets piloted by a professional crew to amateur-built, single-engine, piston-driven, acrobatic planes.

Gross Domestic Product—The total value of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United 

States. As long as the labor and property are located in the United States, the suppliers may be either U.S. residents or residents of foreign countries.

Heavy-rail transit––High-speed transit rail operated on rightsof-way that exclude all other vehicles and pedestrians.

Hub area—As used here, a geographic area based on the percentage of total enplaned passengers in that area. A hub area 

can comprise more than one airport and falls into one of the following classes: large, a community enplaning 1% or more of the total enplaned passengers; medium, 0.25%–0.99%; small, 0.05%–0.24%; nonhub area, less than 0.05%. The defi nition of hub used here should not be confused with airline usage of the term to describe “hub-and-spoke” route structures or other defi nitions of hubs used by the Federal Aviation Administration, which focus on traffi c at individual airports.

Intermodal—Transportation activities involving more than one 

mode of transportation, including transportation connections, 
Light truck—Trucks of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight 

rating or less, including pickup trucks, vans, truck-based station wagons, and sport utility vehicles.

Metric ton—A unit of weight equal to 2,204.6 pounds.North American Industry Classifi cation System 

(NAICS)—NAICS (established in April 1997) replaces the Standard Industrial Classifi cation (SIC) and groups producing and nonproducing economic activities into 20 sectors and 1,170 industries in the United States version. It was developed to provide common industry defi nitions for Canada, Mexico, and the United States to facilitate analyses of the economies of the three countries.

Nonself-propelled vessels—Includes dry cargo, tank barges, and 

railroad car fl oats that operate in U.S. ports and waterways.

Particulates—Carbon particles formed by partial oxidation and 

reduction of hydrocarbon fuel. Also included are trace quantities of metal oxides and nitrides, originating from engine wear, component degradation, and inorganic fuel additives. 

Passenger-mile—One passenger transported one mile. For 

example, one vehicle traveling 3 miles carrying 5 passengers generates 15 passenger-miles. 

Self-propelled vessels—Includes dry cargo vessels, tankers, and 

offshore supply vessels, tugboats, pushboats, and passenger vessels, such as excursion/sightseeing boats, combination pasStatistics published in this Pocket Guide to Transportation

come from many different sources. Some statistics are based on samples and are subject to sampling variability. Statistics may also be subject to omissions and errors in reporting, recording, and processing.
 U.S. Department of Transportation