Pocket 

Guide to

Transportation

 Research & Innovative Technology Administration

Bureau of 

Transportation 

Statistics

2009
For additional copies of this guide or information 

about the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and 

its products and services, contact:

Product Orders

Internet: www.bts.gov

Mail: Product Orders

 Research and Innovative

 Technology Administration

 Bureau of Transportation Statistics 

 ATTN: Product Orders

 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Room

 E36-109

 Washington, DC 20590

 orders@bts.gov

Information Service

Phone: 800-853-1351

Email: answers@bts.gov

January 2009
Pocket Guide to 

Transportation

Bureau of

Transportation

Statistics

Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration

U.S. Department of

Transportation
U.S. Department of

Transportation

Mary E. Peters

Secretary

Vice Admiral

Thomas J. Barrett

Deputy Secretary

Research and

Innovative

Technology

Administration

Paul R. Brubaker

Administrator

Cheryl McQueary

Deputy Administrator

Bureau of

Transportation

Statistics

Steven D. Dillingham, Ph.D.

Director

Steven K. Smith, Ph.D.

Deputy Director

Acknowledgments

Produced under the

direction of:

Deborah Johnson

Director for Transportation 

Analysis

Project Manager

Long X. Nguyen

Contributors

David Chesser

Chester Ford

Xiaoli Han

Getachew Mekonnen

Adam Mengesha

William Moore

Matthew Schultz

Alpha Glass Wingfi eld

Jie Zhang
1

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 (thousand) 248,791 301,621

Total area (thousand sq. mi.) 3,718 3,794 (2000)a

Total civilian labor force (thousand) 125,840 153,124

Real gross domestic productb (trillion) $7.1 $11.5 

Median household incomeb,c $36,668 $41,924 

Average household incomeb,c $39,073 $51,929 (2006)

Average household expenditures b,c $35,257 $42,204 (2006)

Number of households (thousand) 93,347 116,011

Life expectancy at birth (years) 75.4 77.8 (2005)

a Data for 2000 include inland water, coastal water, Great Lakes, and territorial 

water. The Census Bureau tabulates area data for the decennial census years 

only. b

 Data in 2000 chained dollars (see Glossary for defi nition).

c

 BTS computations, November 2007 and October 2008.

Sources: Area—U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), U.S. Census 

Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2002 and 2008, available 

at www.census.gov as of October 2008. GDP—USDOC, Bureau of Economic Analysis, available at www.bea.gov as of October 2008. Population, 

number of households, and median household income—USDOC, Census, available at www.census.gov as of October 2008. Average household 

income and expenditures, and labor force—U.S. Department of Labor, 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at www.bls.gov as of October 2007. 

Life expectancy—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, available at 

www.cdc.gov as of October 2008.

 Context 1990 2007

 Glossary 48

 Environment 44

 Economy 32

 Mobility 17

 Security 11

 Safety 5

System Extent and Use 2

Contents
2 Pocket Guide to Transportation

The U.S. transportation system is an extensive, interrelated 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

1-1

The Transportation Network: 2006

Highway Public roads

 46,893 miles of Interstate highway

 116,573 miles of other National Highway 

System roads

 3,869,541 miles of other roads 

Air Public-use airports

 5,233 airports

 Airports serving large certifi cated carriers 

(enplaned passengers)

 26 large hub areasa

 (67 airports), 487 million 

passengers

 37 medium hub areas (62 airports), 141 

million passengers

 67 small hub areas (83 airports), 53 million 

passengers

 924 nonhub areas (959 airports), 23 million 

passengers

Rail Miles of railroad operated

(2007) 94,313 miles by Class I freight railroads in the 

United Statesb

 16,930 miles by regional freight railroads

 28,891 miles by local freight railroads

 21,708 miles by Amtrak (passenger)c

Mode Components
System Extent and Use 3

Mode Components

Urban transit Directional route-milesd 

 Bus: 168,255e

 Trolley bus: 424

 Commuter rail: 4,490

 Heavy rail: 1,603

 Light rail: 1,178

 Stations

 Commuter rail: 1,169

 Heavy rail: 1,042

 Light rail: 764

Water Navigable channels: 26,000 miles

 Ferry routes: 620 directional route-miles (2007)

Commercial waterway facilitiesa (2005)

Great Lakes: 600 deep-draft 

 154 shallow-draft 

 Inland: 2,321 shallow-draft 

 Ocean: 4,466 deep-draft 

 2,043 shallow-draft 

 Locks: 257 

Pipeline Miles of oil pipe

 Total oil: 169,346 

Miles of gas pipe

 Transmission: 300,400

 Distribution: 1,214,000

a

 See Glossary for defi nitions. b There are also 561 miles of railroad operated within the U.S. Class I freight railroad system that are owned by 

Canadian railroads. c

 Approximately 97% of the trackage on which 

Amtrak operates is owned by freight railroads. d

 Directional route-miles 

includes only directly operated service. Does not include contracted 

service. e

 Includes directional route-miles on exclusive right-of-way, 

controlled right-of-way, and mixed traffi c.

Sources: Highway—USDOT, FHWA, Highway Statistics 2006 (Washington, 

DC: 2008), table HM-18. Air—USDOT, RITA, BTS, Airport Activity Statistics 

of Certifi cated Air Carriers, Summary Tables, 12 Months Ending Dec. 31, 2006. 

Rail—Association of American Railroads, Railroad Service in the United States 

2008. Transit—USDOT, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database 2006, tables 21, 23, and 24. Commercial waterway facilities—U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources, Navigation Data Center, 

The U.S. Waterway System Facts, December 2007 (Alexandria, VA: 2007). Navigable channels—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Pipeline—PHMSA as cited in 

USDOT, RITA, BTS, National Transportation Statistics, tables 1-1, 1-3, and 1-10, 

available at http://www.bts.gov as of November 2008. 

Mode Components

1-1—continued
4 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Total all bridges 572,205 589,674 597,340 599,766

 Urban 108,770 133,384 146,041 151,171

 Rural 463,435 456,290 451,299 448,595

Structurally defi cient 

 bridges, total 137,865 86,678 73,784 72,520

 Urban 16,847 13,079 12,585 12,951

 Rural 121,018 73,599 61,199 59,569

Functionally obsolete 

 bridges, total 100,355 81,510 80,317 79,804

 Urban 30,266 29,398 32,292 33,139

 Rural 70,089 52,112 48,025 46,665

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Explanations for the terms Structurally Defi cient and Functionally 

Obsolete can be found on pages 14 and 15 in Chapter 3 of the Federal 

Highway Administration, 2006 Conditions and Performance Report, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2006cpr/pdfs/chap3.pdf as of 

November 2008.

U.S. totals include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 

Data include: Rural–interstate, principal arterial, minor arterial, major 

collector, minor collector, and local roads; urban–interstate, other freeways or expressways, other principal arterial, minor arterial, collector, 

and local roads.

Data for 1990 are as of December of that year; data for 2000 are as of 

August of that year; data for 2006 are as of July of that year; data for 

2007 are as of December of that year.

Sources: Federal Highway Administration, Offi ce of Bridge Technology, 

National Bridge Inventory Database, Count of Bridges by Highway System, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/britab.htm as of March 2008 

as reported in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

National Transportation Statistics, Table 1-27, available at http://www.bts.gov 

as of November 2008.

 Mode 1990 2000 2006 R2007

1-2

Condition of U.S. Highway Bridges: 1990–2007
The safety of the traveling public is of major concern for 

the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although progress has been made in reducing fatalities, roughly 41 percent 

of U.S. deaths due to unintentional injury involve transportation. Roughly 96 percent of transportation fatalities arise from 

motor vehicle crashes.

Air

 Large U.S. air carriera 39 22 50 1

 Commuter air carriera 6 0 20

 On-demand air taxia 51 18 16 43

 General aviationa 770 563 703 491

Highwayb 44,599 43,510 42,708 41,059

Pipeline, gas and 

 hazardous liquid 9 16 19 15

Railroadc 599 525 534 510

Transitd 339 236 227 214

Waterborne

 Vessel related, commercial ship 85 45 48 52

 Nonvessel-relatede

, commercial ship 101 35 39 32

 Recreational boating 865 697 710 685

a

 Includes people on planes and on the ground. b Includes motor vehicle 

occupants, nonoccupants, and fatalities at railroad crossings. 

c

 Includes fatalities from nontrain incidents as well as train incidents 

and accidents. Also includes train occupants and nonoccupants except 

motor vehicle occupants at grade crossings. d Fatalities resulting from 

all reportable incidents, not just accidents. Includes commuter rail, heavy 

rail, light rail, motorbus, demand response, van pool, and automated 

guideway. e Fatalities unrelated to vessel accidents, e.g., individual falling 

overboard and drowning.

Key: R = revised.

Notes: 1990 and 2006 data for general aviation are revised. 2005 and 2006 

data for railroad are revised. 2006 data for Highway is revised.

Sources: Air—National Transportation Safety Board, Highway—National 

Highway Traffi c Safety Administration, Pipeline—Offi ce of Pipeline Safety, 

Rail: Federal Railroad Administration, Transit—Federal Transit Administration and personal communication, Water—U.S. Coast Guard as cited 

in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-1, available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/

national_transportation_statistics/ as of January 2009.

 Safety 2

 Mode R1990 R2005 R2006 2007

2-1

Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 1990–2007

Safety 5
6 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Passenger car occupants 16,520 38.39

Light-truck occupants 12,413 28.85

Motorcycle riders 5,154 11.98

Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles 4,654 10.82

Large-truck occupants 802 1.86

Pedalcyclists struck by motor vehicles 698 1.62

Other and unknown motor vehicle occupants 629 1.46

Recreational boating 685 1.59

General aviation 491 1.14

Railroad trespassers (excl. grade crossings)a

 469 1.09

Other nonoccupants struck by motor vehiclesb 152 0.35

Grade crossings, not involving motor vehiclesa,c 73 0.17

Air carriers 1 0.002

Waterborne transportation (vessel-related) 52 0.12

Waterborne transportation (nonvessel-related) 32 0.07

Private grade crossings, with motor vehiclesa 37 0.09

Heavy-rail transit (e.g., rail subway) 30 0.07

Bus occupants (school, intercity, transit) 37 0.09

Rail employees on duty and contractorsa 21 0.05

Air taxi 43 0.10

Gas distribution pipelines 9 0.02

Light-rail transit 20 0.05

Gas transmission pipelines 2 0.005

Passengers on railroad trains 4 0.01

Commuter air 0 0.00

Hazardous liquid pipelines 4 0.01

Total, all modese 43,032 100.00

Other counts, redundant with above

 Crashes involving large trucksd

 U

 Public grade crossings, with motor vehiclesa 263

 Commuter rail 70

a

 Includes fatalities outside trains. b Includes all nonoccupant fatalities in motor 

vehicle (MV) crashes, except pedalcyclists and pedestrians. c

 Public grade 

crossing fatalities involving motor vehicles are included in MV counts. d

Includes large truck occupants, other vehicle occupants, and non occupants. e

 Unless otherwise noted, includes fatalities outside vehicles.

Key: U = unavailable.

Note: The data for general aviation, air taxi, and commuter air are preliminary.

Sources: Air—National Transportation Safety Board, Highway—National 

Highway Traffi c Safety Administration, Rail—Federal Railroad Administration, Transit—Federal Transit Administration, Waterborne—U.S. Coast 

Guard, Recreational boating—Offi ce of Boating Safety, Pipeline—Pipeline 

and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as cited in U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of 

Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-4, available 

at http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of 

January 2009.

 Category Number %

2-2

Distribution of Transportation Fatalities: 2007
Safety 7

2-3

Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes by Person Type, 

Crash Type, and Alcohol Involvement: 2007

Occupants 35,555 14,386 40

 Single-vehicle crashes 18,402 9,188 50

 Two-vehicle crashes 14,293 4,288 30

 More than two-vehicle

 crashes 2,860 911 32

Pedestrians 4,654 2,307 50

 Single-vehicle crashes 4,264 2,088 49

 Multiple-vehicle crashes 390 219 56

Pedalcyclists 698 288 41

 Single-vehicle crashes 670 276 41

 Multiple-vehicle crashes 28 12 43

Others/unknown 152 55 36

Total 41,059 17,036 41

a

 Fatalities in all crashes whether or not alcohol was involved.

b

 Fatalities in crashes that involve alcohol.

c

 Percentage of all crash fatalities in category that involve alcohol.

Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. 

A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one 

driver or nonoccupant (e.g., a pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the 

crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 

grams per deciliter or greater. 

The National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration estimates alcohol involvement when test results are unknown.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffi c Safety 

Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Database, personal 

communication, December 2008.

 

 Fatalities Alcohol 

 Crash category in categorya involvementb Percent c
8 Pocket Guide to Transportation

2-4

Fatality Rates for Selected Modes: 1985–2006

Notes: Air carrier data were smoothed using an exponential smoothing model, with 

a weight of 0.945 to reduce the year-to-year fl uctuations. Air carrier fatalities resulting from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks include only those persons onboard 

aircraft.

Sources: Passenger car occupants, Light-truck occupants, Large-truck occupants, 

and Motorcycle riders—U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffi c 

Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffi c Safety Facts 

2006, tables 7-10, available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov as of October 2008. Air 

carriers and General aviation—National Transportation Safety Board, Annual Review 

of Aircraft Accident Data: U.S. Air Carrier Operations, available at http://www.ntsb.gov/

aviation/htm as of April 2008 as reported in U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, tables 2-9 and 2-14, available at http://www.bts.

gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of October 2008.

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Passenger car occupants

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Large-truck occupants

1985 1990 1995 2005 2000 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Motorcycle riders

Actual

Smoothed

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Per 100,000 aircraft departures

0

3

6

9

Air carriers (actual and

smoothed fatality rates)

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Per 100,000 aircraft-hours flown

0

1

2

3

4

5

General aviation

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Light-truck occupants

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Safety 9

2-5

Injured Persons by Transportation Mode: 1990–2007

Air

 Large U.S. air carrier 29 29 9 15

 Commuter air carrier 11 7 1 0

 On-demand air taxi 36 12 16 20

 General aviation 409 309 264 260

Highwaya

 3,230,666 3,188,750 2,575,000 U

Pipeline, gas and 

 hazardous liquid 76 81 32 43

Railroadb 22,736 10,424 7,623 8,300

Transitc 54,556 56,697 18,327 U

Waterborne

 Vessel-related 

 commercial ship 175 150 177 167

 Nonvessel relatedd

 commercial ship U 607 594 495

 Recreational

 boating 3,822 4,355 4,474 3,673

a

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

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

pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other nonmotorists. b

 Injuries resulting from train accidents, train and nontrain incidents, and 

occupational illness. Includes Amtrak. Also includes train occupants and 

nonoccupants except motor vehicle occupants at grade crossings. c

 Injuries resulting from all reportable incidents, not just from accidents. 

Includes commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail, motorbus, demand response, 

van pool, and automated guideway. The drop in the number of injuries 

in 2005 and 2006 is due largely to a change in defi nitions by the Federal 

Transit Administration. Only injuries requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene now qualify as reportable. Previously, any 

injury was reportable. d

 Injuries unrelated to vessel accidents, e.g., an individual getting a cut while 

onboard a vessel.

Key: R = revised; U = unavailable.

Note: Modes may use different reporting criteria and/or estimation methods 

for injuries. Air and railroad data have been revised for 2006.

Sources: Air—National Transportation Safety Board, Highway—National 

Highway Traffi c Safety Administration, Pipeline—Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration, Railroad—Federal Railroad Administration, 

Transit—Federal Transit Administration, Waterborne—United States 

Coast Guard as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and 

Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

National Transportation Statistics, table 2-2, available at http://www.bts.gov/

publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of January 2009.

 Mode 1990 2000 R2006 2007
10 Pocket Guide to Transportation

2-6

Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents, 

Injuries, and Fatalities: 1990–2007

Highway 7,297 15,063 13,461 17,155 16,876 

 Accident related 249 329 322 305 301 

 Injuries 311 164 179 192 155 

 Fatalities 8 16 24 6 10 

Rail 1,279 1,058 745 704 747 

 Accident related 48 62 51 44 52 

 Injuries 73 82 693 24 53 

 Fatalities 0 0 10 0 0 

Air 297 1,419 1,654 2,411 1,552 

 Accident related 0 3 9 7 7 

 Injuries 39 5 78 2 8 

 Fatalities 0 0 0 0 0 

Water 7 17 69 68 61 

 Accident related 0 0 0 0 0 

 Injuries 0 0 0 15 3 

 Fatalities 0 0 0 0 0 

 

Liquid 180 146 138 119 115 

 Injuries 7 4 2 2 10 

 Fatalities 3 1 2 0 4 

Natural gas 

 distribution 110 154 171 141 153 

 Injuries 52 59 39 26 36 

 Fatalities 6 22 14 16 9 

Natural gas 

 transmission 89 80 181 146 133 

 Injuries 17 18 7 5 7 

 Fatalities 0 15 0 3 2 

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Accident related excludes human errors, package failures, and unreported cases. Water data are for incidents involving packaged materials 

only and do not include incidents where the vessel is the container (e.g., 

a barge or oil tanker). Nonpipeline reporting requirements changed in 

2002. 

Natural gas distribution incident total is revised for 1990. Highway injuries, rail injuries, liquid pipeline total, and natural gas distribution total 

and injuries are revised for 2005. The data for highway accident, air total, 

liquid pipeline total, natural gas distribution total and injuries, and natural 

gas transmission total are revised in 2006.

Sources: Highway, Rail, Air and Water—USDOT, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Hazardous Materials 

Information System Database, available at http://hazmat.dot.gov/pubs/inc/

data/2007/2007frm.htm as of October 2008. Pipeline—USDOT, PHMSA, 

Offi ce of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline Statistics, available at http://ops.dot.gov/

stats/stats.htm as of October 2008.

 R1990 2000 R2005 R2006 2007

 Pipeline 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007
Ensuring security of the transportation system and 

the people who use it is a national priority. While much 

of the initial national focus after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack was on aircraft and airports, today 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 nearly two-thirds of the petroleum used in the 

United States is imported. 

 Security 3

3-1

International Piracy and 

Armed Robbery at Sea: 1997–2007

500

400

300

200

100

0

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

Number of incidents

Note: Incidents include attempts and threatening actions.

Source: International Maritime Organization, Reports on Acts of Piracy 

and Armed Robbery Against Ships: Annual Report 2007, available at 

http://www.imo.org/home.asp as of October 2008.

Security 11
12 Pocket Guide to Transportation

3-2

Prohibited Items Intercepted at U.S. Airport 

Screening Checkpoints: 2004–2007

Other cutting 

 instruments 3,567,731 3,276,691 163,419 101,387

Knives 2,058,652 1,822,752 1,607,125 1,056,687

Incendiaries and 

 explosive/fl ammable

 materials 693,649 398,830 113,700 89,623

Clubs 28,813 20,531 12,296 9,443

Box cutters 22,350 21,315 15,999 11,908

Firearms 650 2,217 2,075 1,416

Other 717,754 10,345,260 11,797,145 5,245,558

Total 

 prohibited items 7,089,599 15,887,596 13,711,759 6,516,022

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Other cutting instruments includes scissors, hatchets, swords, sabers, 

meat cleavers, ice axes, and picks. Effective Dec. 22, 2005, scissors less 

than 4 inches and tools less than 7 inches were no longer prohibited.

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 explosive, as well as spear guns, BB guns, fl are pistols, compressed air guns, and 

stunning devices. 

Other refers to tools, self-defense items, compressed gas cylinders, bleach, 

lighters, and certain sporting goods. The jump in the number of other prohibited items in 2005 is a result of the inclusion of lighters as prohibited 

items as of Apr. 14, 2005. Lighters (except for torch lighters and micro 

torches) were removed from the prohibited items list effective Aug. 4, 

2007.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security 

Administration, personal communication, November 2008.

 Items 2004 2005 R2006 2007
Security 13

3-3

U.S. Petroleum Production and 

Consumption: 1975–2007

25

20

15

10

5

0

Million barrels per day

Total consumption

Transportation consumption

Total production

0

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Note: 2007 data are preliminary.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 

Annual Energy Review 2007 (Washington, DC: June 2008), tables 5.1 and 

5.13a-d, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/aer/petro.html as of October 

2008.
14 Pocket Guide to Transportation

3-4

Transportation’s Share of 

U.S. Petroleum Use: 1975–2007

3

6

9

12

15

Million barrels per day

0

1975 1995 2000 2005 1980 1985 1990

Transportation

Industry

Buildings

Utilities

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 

Annual Energy Review 2007 (Washington, DC: June 2008), tables 

5.13a–d, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/aer/petro.html as of 

October 2008.
Security 15

3-5

U.S. Oil Imports: 1980–2007

Notes: The current members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting 

Countries (OPEC) include Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, 

Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Angola joined OPEC in January 2007. Ecuador 

was a member of OPEC from 1973-1992, and rejoined OPEC in 

November 2007. Data for 1975-1994 include imports from Gabon, a 

former member of OPEC during that period.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 

Monthly Energy Review, September 2008, tables 3.3c and 3.3d, available 

at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/petro.html as of October 2008.

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 2005 2006 2007

Total OPEC Total Non-OPEC

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

Thousand barrels per day, average
3-6

Major Suppliers of U.S. Imported Crude Oil

and Petroleum Products: 1990–2007

(Thousand barrels per day, average; rank in 2007)

Canada 934 1,807 2,353 2,455

Mexico 755 1,373 1,705 1,532

Saudi Arabia 1,339 1,572 1,463 1,485

Venezuela 1,025 1,546 1,419 1,361

Nigeria 800 896 1,114 1,134

Algeria 280 225 657 670

Angola 237 301 534 508

Iraq 518 620 553 484

Russia 45 72 369 414

U.S. Virgin Islands 282 291 328 346

United Kingdom 189 366 272 277

Brazil 49 51 193 200

Kuwait 86 272 184 181

Colombia 182 342 155 155

Total, major 

suppliers 6,722 9,734 11,299 11,202

 Total, all 

 U.S. imports 8,018 11,459 13,707 13,468

Key: R = revised.

Note: The country of origin for petroleum products may not be 

the country of origin for the crude oil used to produce the 

products. For example, refi ned products imported from western European refi neries may have been produced from Middle 

Eastern crude oil. 

Ranking is based on 2007 data.

 1990 2000 R2006 2007

16 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 

Monthly Energy Review, September 2008, tables 3.1, 3.3a–h, available at 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/petro.html as of October 2008.
 Mobility 17

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. 

 Mobility 4

4-1

Vehicle-Miles: 1990–2006

(Millions)

Air

 Air carrier 3,963 5,664 6,714 6,619

Highway

 Passenger cars 1,408,266 1,600,287 1,708,421 1,682,671

 Other 2-axle, 

 4-tire vehiclesa 574,571 923,059 1,041,051 1,089,013

 Motorcycles 9,557 10,469 10,454 12,401

 Busesb 5,726 7,590 6,980 6,994

 Trucks

 Single-unit 51,901 70,500 78,496 80,331

 Combination 94,341 135,020 144,028 142,706

 Total highway 2,144,362 2,746,925 2,989,430 3,014,116

Rail c

 Transitd 561 648 715 726

 Commuter 213 271 303 315

 Intercity/Amtrake 301 368 265 264

 Class 1 freight 26,159 34,590 37,712 38,955

Other transitf 324 833 1,085 1,136

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

 Car-miles. d Includes 

light and heavy rail only. e

 Fiscal year data. f Includes demand response, ferryboat, and other transit not specifi ed.

Key: R = revised.

Note: Highway data for 2005 are revised.

Sources: Air Carrier—Bureau of Transportation Statistics, General Aviation-

-National Transportation Safety Board, Highway—Federal Highway Administration, Class I and Intercity Rail—Association of American Railroads, Transit 

and Commuter Rail—American Public Transit Association as cited in U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 1-32, available at http://www.bts.gov as of October 2008.

 Mode 1990 2000 R 2005 2006
18 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-2

Number of Aircraft, Vehicles, 

Railcars, and Vessels: 1990–2006

Air

 Air carrier 6,083 8,055 8,225 U

 General aviation 198,000 217,533 224,352 221,943

Highway

 Automobiles 133,700,496 133,621,420 136,568,083 135,399,945

 Other 2-axle,

 4-tire vehiclesa 48,274,555 79,084,979 95,336,839 99,124,775

 Buses (municipally 

 owned transit and 

 commercial, federal, 

 and school buses) 626,987 746,125 807,053 821,959

 Motorcycles 4,259,462 4,346,068 6,227,146 6,686,147

 Trucks

 Single-unit 4,486,981 5,926,030 6,395,240 6,649,337

 Combination 1,708,895 2,096,619 2,086,759 2,169,670

Rail—Passenger

 Amtrak—Cars 1,863 1,894 1,186 1,191

 Amtrak Locomotives 318 378 258 319

 Commuter railcars

 and locomotives 5,007 5,498 6,392 6,403

 Transitb 11,332 12,168 12,755 12,853

Rail—freight:

 Class I–Freight cars 658,902 560,154 474,839 475,415

 Class I–Locomotives 18,835 20,028 22,779 23,732

 Other freight cars 553,359 820,642 837,406 871,092

Waterborne

 Nonself-propelled

 vessels (barges)c,d 31,209 33,152 32,052 32,211

 Self-propelled vesselsc,d 8,236 8,202 8,976 8,898

 Oceangoing shipsd

 

 (1,000 gross tons 

 and over)

636 454 357 286

 Recreational boats 

 (numbered boats) 10,996,253 12,782,143 12,942,414 12,746,126 a

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

motor vehicles that are not passenger cars. b

 Includes light and heavy rail 

transit only. c

 See Glossary for defi nitions. d U.S.-fl ag vessels. 

Key: R = revised, U = unavailable.

Note: Other Freight Cars data for 2005 are revised. Transit and Commuter Rail 

data for 2006 are preliminary.

Sources: Air—Federal Aviation Administration, Highway—Federal Highway 

Administration, Rail—Amtrak and Association of American Railroads, Transit—

American Public Transit Association, Waterborne—U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers 

and U.S. Coast Guard as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and 

Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National 

Transportation Statistics, table 1-11, available at http://www.bts.gov as of January 

2009.

 Mode 1990 2000 R2005 2006
 Mobility 19

4-3

Passenger-Miles: 1990–2006

(Millions)

Air

 Air carrier 345,873 516,129 583,758 590,633

 General aviation 13,000 15,200 U U

Highway

 Passenger cars 2,281,391 2,544,457 2,699,305 2,658,621

 Other 2-axle, 

 4-tire vehiclesa 999,754 1,467,664 1,804,848 1,887,997

 Busesb 121,398 160,919 147,992 148,285

 Motorcycles 12,424 11,516 13,277 15,750

Rail

 Transitc 12,046 15,200 16,118 16,587

 Commuter 7,082 9,402 9,473 10,361

 Intercity/Amtrakd 6,057 5,498 5,381 5,410

Other transite 841 1,631 2,091 2,221

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

 Includes light and heavy rail only.

d

 Fiscal year data. Amtrak began operations in 1971.

e Includes demand response, ferryboat, and other transit not specifi ed.

Key: R = revised, U = unavailable.

Note: Highway and other transit data are revised for 2005.

Sources: Air Carrier—Bureau of Transportation Statistics, General 

Aviation—Eno Transportation Foundation, Highway—Federal Highway Administration, Class I and Intercity Rail—Association of American Railroads, Transit and Commuter Rail—American Public Transit 

Association as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research 

and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation 

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 1-37, available at http://

www.bts.gov as of October 2008.

 Mode 1990 2000 R2005 2006
20 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-4

U.S. Domestic Freight Ton-Miles 

by Mode: 1990–2006

(Billions)

Total 3,622 4,329 4,575 4,638 28.0

 Air 10.4 15.8 15.7 15.4 47.4

 Truck 848.8 1,192.8 1,291.5 1,294.5 52.5

 Railroad 1,064.4 1,546.3 1,733.8 1,852.8 74.1

 Water 833.5 645.8 591.3 561.6 -32.6

 Pipeline 864.8 927.9 942.4 913.2 5.6

Key: R = revised.

Note: Air, Truck, and Pipeline data are revised for 2005.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National 

Transportation Statistics, table 1-46b, available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of October 2008.

 Percent

 change

 Mode 1990 2000 R2005 2006 1990–2006

4-5

Travel Between the United States 

and Foreign Countries: 2000, 2005, 2006

Overseas

overnight

North 

American

overnight

North 

American 

same-day

Total

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Millions of visitors

2000 2005 2006 

Source: Overseas overnight and North American overnight—U.S. 

Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Offi ce of 

Travel and Tourism Industries, 2007 United States Resident Travel Abroad, 

available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov as of October 2008. North American 

same-day, Canada—Statistics Canada, International Travel, 2006, Catalogue 66-201-XIE. North American same-day, Mexico—North American 

Transportation Statistics Database, Table 9-1c, available at http://nats.sct.

gob.mx as of October 2008.
 Mobility 21

4-6

Households by Number of Vehicles: 2007

 1 vehicle

(33.1%)

 0 

vehicles

(8.7%)

 2 vehicles

(38.1%)

 3+ vehicles

(20.1%)

Note: Data cover the household population and exclude the population 

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 

American Community Survey, annual issues, available at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html as of October 2008.
22 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-7a

Top 20 World Airports by Passenger Movementsa

: 

2006 and 2007 

(Thousands of passengers enplaned, deplaned, and in-transit at airport)

1 Atlanta, GA (Hartsfi eld) 84,847 89,379 5.3

2 Chicago, IL (O'Hare) 76,283 76,178 -0.1

3

London, England 

(Heathrow) 67,530 68,068 0.8

4 Tokyo, Japan (Narita) 66,089 66,823 1.1

5

Los Angeles, CA 

(Los Angeles) 61,041 61,896 1.4

6

Paris, France 

(Charles de Gaulle) 56,850 59,922 5.4

7

Dallas/Ft Worth, TX 

(Dallas/Ft. Worth) 60,227 59,786 -0.7

8

Frankfurt, Germany 

(Frankfurt) 52,811 54,162 2.6

9

Beijing, China 

(Beijing Capital) 48,655 53,584 10.1

10 Madrid, Spain (Barajas) 45,770 52,123 13.9

11 Denver, CO (Denver) 47,327 49,863 5.4

12

Amsterdam, Netherlands 

(Schiphol) 46,066 47,795 3.8

13 New York, NY (JFK) 42,629 47,717 11.9

14

Hong Kong, China 

(Hong Kong) 43,858 47,042 7.3

15

Las Vegas, NV 

(McCarran) 45,519 46,961 3.2

16 Houston, TX (G. Bush) 42,550 42,998 1.1

17

Phoenix, AZ 

(Phoenix Sky Harbor) 41,436 42,185 1.8

18

Bangkok, Thailand 

(Suvarnabhumi) 42,800 41,210 -3.7

19

Changi, Singapore 

(Changi) 35,033 36,702 4.8

20 Orlando, FL (Orlando) 34,640 36,480 5.3 a

 Passenger movements include enplanements and deplanements, with intransit 

passengers counted once. Both domestic and international passenger movements are included. General aviation passengers are excluded.

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Airports include those participating in the ACI annual traffi c statistics collection as of July 29, 2008. Airports are ranked based on 2007 data.

Source: Airports Council International, Annual Traffi c Data, available at 

http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/display/main/aci_content07_c.

jsp?zn=aci&cp=1-5-54-55_666_2__ as of Oct. 7, 2008.

 2007 City % change

 rank airport R2006 2007 2006–2007
 Mobility 23

4-7b

Top 20 U.S. Gateways for Nonstop International 

Air Travel: 2006 and 2007

(Thousands of international passengersa

)

1 New York (JFK), NY 19,450 21,443 10.2

2 Los Angeles, CA 16,500 16,869 2.2

3 Miami, FL 14,852 15,586 4.9

4 Chicago (O’Hare), IL 11,517 11,539 0.2

5 Newark, NJ 9,895 10,538 6.5

6 Atlanta, GA 8,482 9,113 7.4

7 San Francisco, CA 8,164 8,601 5.3

8

Houston (G. Bush), 

TX 7,147 7,476 4.6

9

Washington (Dulles), 

DC 5,184 5,773 11.4

10 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX 5,288 5,105 -3.5

11 Detroit, MI 3,695 3,830 3.7

12 Boston, MA 3,776 3,808 0.8

13 Honolulu, HI 4,050 3,757 -7.2

14 Philadelphia, PA 3,517 3,611 2.7

15 Fort Lauderdale, FL 2,420 2,883 19.1

16 Guam Island, GU 2,699 2,780 3.0

17 Seattle-Tacoma, WA 2,302 2,576 11.9

18

Minneapolis-St. Paul, 

MN 2,487 2,522 1.4

19 Las Vegas, NV 1,988 2,229 12.1

20 Orlando, FL 2,073 2,214 6.8

Total, top 20 U.S. 

 international airports 135,487 142,251 5.0

Top 20, 

 percentage of total 87.2 88.1 1.0

Total, all U.S. 

 international airports 155,394 161,468 3.9

a

 International passengers are residents of any country traveling nonstop to and 

from the United States on U.S. and foreign carriers.

Key: R = revised.

Note: The data cover all passengers arriving and departing from U.S. airports 

on nonstop commercial international fl ights with 60 seats or more.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Offi ce of Airline Information, T-100 Segment Data, October 2008.

 2007 Gateway % change

 rank airport R2006 2007 2006–2007
24 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-8

U.S.-Mexican Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2007

(Thousands)

Total for all U.S.-Mexico crossings

 Personal vehicles 81,788

 Personal vehicle passengers 164,534

 Buses 265 

 Bus passengers 3,389

 Train passengers 20

 Pedestrians 49,539

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 15,696

 El Paso, TX 14,062

 Hidalgo, TX 6,835

 Brownsville, TX 6,477

 Calexico, CA 5,747

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 28,390

 El Paso, TX 23,675

 Laredo, TX 13,368

 Hidalgo, TX 13,305

 Brownsville, TX 13,063

Buses—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 98

 Otay Mesa, CA 47

 Laredo, TX 37

 Hidalgo, TX 29

 El Paso, TX 19

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

 Laredo, TX 899

 San Ysidro, CA 875

 El Paso, TX 442

 Hidalgo, TX 310

 Otay Mesa, CA 297

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

 El Paso, TX 10.5

 Eagle Pass, TX 5.9

 Nogales, AZ 2.4

 Calexico East, CA 0.7

 Otay Mesa/San Ysidro, CA 0.5

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

 El Paso, TX 8,454

 San Ysidro, CA 7,757

 Nogales, AZ 7,723

 Calexico, CA 5,291

 Laredo, TX 4,625

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Border Crossing/

Entry Data, available at http://www.bts.gov/itt/ as of October 2008.

 Entering the U.S.
 Mobility 25

4-9

U.S.-Canadian Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2007

(Thousands)

Total for all U.S.-Canada crossings

 Personal vehicles 29,763

 Personal vehicle passengers 58,248

 Buses 136

 Bus passengers 3,685

 Train passengers 233

 Pedestrians 441

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 5,977

 Detroit, MI 5,472

 Blaine, WA 2,763

 Port Huron, MI 1,704

 Calais, ME 1,033

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 14,372

 Detroit, MI 9,560

 Blaine, WA 5,187

 Port Huron, MI 3,523

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 1,923

Buses—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 38

 Detroit, MI 34

 Blaine, WA 14

 Skagway, AK 11

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 8

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 1,143

 Detroit, MI 871

 Blaine, WA 337

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 307

 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 165

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

 Skagway, AK 81

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 40

 Blaine, WA 32

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 21

 Detroit, MI 9

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 277

 Sumas, WA 33

 Calais, ME 29

 Point Roberts, WA 15

 International Falls, MN 14

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Border 

Crossing/Entry Data, available at http://www.bts.gov/itt/ as of October 

2008.

 Entering the U.S.
26 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-10

Top 20 U.S. Passenger Airports: 1997 and 2007

(Thousands of enplaned passengers on large certifi cated air carriers)

Airport Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers

%

change

1997–2007

Atlanta, GA 1 32,693 1 42,082 29

Chicago (O'Hare), IL 2 31,154 2 33,428 7

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 3 27,294 3 27,991 3

Los Angeles, CA 4 22,352 4 23,707 6

Denver, CO 6 16,002 5 23,350 46

Las Vegas, NV 12 13,689 6 21,466 57

Phoenix, AZ 8 14,331 7 20,564 43

Houston (G. Bush), TX 13 12,695 8 19,925 57

Detroit, MI 7 14,822 9 17,246 16

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 9 13,864 10 16,792 21

Newark, NJ 11 13,800 11 16,608 20

New York (JFK), NY 20 9,757 12 16,599 70

Orlando, FL 15 11,701 13 16,573 42

Charlotte, NC 18 10,358 14 16,167 56

Seattle, WA 16 11,688 15 14,912 28

San Francisco, CA 5 16,820 16 14,730 -12

Philadelphia, PA 21 9,716 17 14,307 47

Miami, FL 14 12,097 18 13,399 11

Boston, MA 17 10,463 19 12,449 19

New York (La Guardia), 

NY 19 9,868 20 11,959 21

Top 20 airports 315,166 394,255 25

 All airports 570,928 717,847 26

Note: Airports are ranked based on 2007 data. Philadelphia, PA, was not in the 

top 20 in 1997.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Schedule T-3 data, special tabulation, October 2008.

 1997 2007
 Mobility 27

4-11

Major U.S. Airports’ On-Time Arrival 

Performance: 2006 and 2007

Airport

On-Time

rank %

On-Time

rank %

Salt Lake City, UT 2 82.8 1 80.0

Oakland, CA 11 78.4 2 79.7

Houston (G. Bush), TX 14 77.7 3 78.7

Chicago (Midway), IL 12 78.0 4 78.4

San Diego, CA 13 78.0 5 78.4

Phoenix, AZ 3 80.3 6 77.9

Baltimore, MD 4 80.0 7 77.6

Las Vegas, NV 18 76.5 8 76.8

Cincinnati, OH 1 83.1 9 76.7

Orlando, FL 5 79.9 10 76.5

Tampa, FL 9 78.7 11 76.5

Los Angeles, CA 17 76.7 12 76.4

Portland, OR (PDX) 16 77.3 13 76.2

Denver, CO 8 78.7 14 75.8

St. Louis, MO (STL) 10 78.6 15 74.9

Atlanta, GA 25 71.9 16 74.4

Detroit, MI 21 76.3 17 73.7

Fort Lauderdale, FL 15 77.6 18 73.4

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 6 79.7 19 72.6

Washington (Dulles), DC 23 75.6 20 72.4

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 7 78.8 21 72.0

Washington (Reagan 

National), DC 19 76.4 22 71.7

Seattle, WA 24 73.9 23 71.4

Charlotte, NC 22 76.1 24 71.3

Miami, FL 20 76.3 25 71.0

San Francisco, CA 27 70.4 26 69.8

Boston, MA 26 71.8 27 69.7

Philadelphia, PA 28 70.4 28 66.5

Chicago (O’Hare), IL 30 68.2 29 65.9

New York (JFK), NY 29 69.4 30 62.8

Newark, NJ 32 62.6 31 59.5

New York (LaGuardia), NY 31 64.2 32 58.5

Key: R = revised.

Note: On-time fl ights arrive within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival time.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Airline On-Time 

Performance Data, December 2007 issue, available at http://www.bts.gov/

programs/airline_information/airline_ontime_tables as of October 2008.

 R2006 2007
28 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-12

Roadway Delay and Congestion Cost per 

Peak Travelera

 in Urban Areas: 1995 and 2005

1995

delay per

peak 

traveler

2005

delay per

peak 

traveler

Percentage

change

1995–2005

Annual

growth 

rate

1995–2005

Very large areas 43 54 25.6 2.3

Large areas 30 37 23.3 2.1

Medium areas 21 28 33.3 2.9

Small areas 13 17 30.8 2.7

85-area average 36 44 22.2 2.0

1995

cost per

peak 

traveler

2005

cost per

peak 

traveler

Percentage

change

1995–2005

Annual

growth 

rate

1995–2005

Very large areas 620 1,014 63.5 5.0

Large areas 426 683 60.3 4.8

Medium areas 297 512 72.4 5.6

Small areas 175 318 81.7 6.2

85-area average 505 824 63.2 5.0

a

 A peak traveler is estimated to travel from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

to 7:00 p.m.

Key: 

Very large = over 3 million population (e.g., New York-Northern New Jersey). 

Large = 1 million–3 million population (e.g., San Diego). 

Medium = selected areas with 500,000–1 million population (e.g., Charlotte). 

Small = selected areas under 500,000 population (e.g., Colorado Springs).

Note: See Glossary for defi nitions of delay and congestion cost.

Source: Texas Transportation Institute, 2007 Urban Mobility Report, Tables by 

Population Groups, available at http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/ 

as of September 2007.

 Annual Roadway Delay per Peak Traveler

(Hours per year)

 Annual Roadway Congestion Cost per Peak Traveler

(Current dollars)
 Mobility 29

4-13

Amtrak On-Time Performance Trends

and Hours of Delay by Cause: 2005–2008

On-time performance

 Total (weighted) 69.8% 67.8% 68.6% 71.2%

 Short distance 

 (<400 miles)a 73.6% 72.8% 72.2% 73.6%

 Long distance

 (>400 miles) 42.1% 29.9% 39.5% 52.0%

Hours of delay

by cause 

 Amtrakb 25,549 23,968 22,902 23,223

 Host railroadc 64,097 71,387 72,565 64,724

 Otherd 5,613 6,166 6,187 6,618

Totale 95,260 101,522 101,655 94,566

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 

when operating on tracks of a host railroad (e.g., track- and signal-related 

delays, power failures, freight and commuter train interference, routing 

delays). d Includes delays not attributable to Amtrak or host railroads 

(e.g., customs and immigration, law enforcement action, weather, or waiting 

for scheduled departure time). e Numbers may not add to totals due to 

rounding.

Notes: All percentages are based on Amtrak’s fi scal year (Oct. 1–Sept. 

30). Host railroad is a freight or commuter railroad over which many 

Amtrak trains operate for all or part of their trips.

Amtrak trips are considered delayed based on the following chart:

Trip length 

(miles)

Arrival time

delay (minutes)

0–250

251–350

351–450

451–550

> 551

10

15

20

25

30

Source: Amtrak, personal communication, October 2008.

 2005 2006 2007 2008
30 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-14

Top 20 U.S. Water Ports by Shipment Weight & 

Top 20 U.S. Water Ports by Container TEUs: 2006

South Louisiana, LA 225.5 Los Angeles, CA 5,572

Houston, TX 222.1 Long Beach, CA 5,043

New York,/New 

Jersey 157.6

New York,/New 

Jersey 3,812

Long Beach, CA 84.4 Oakland, CA 1,579

Beaumont, TX 79.5 Savannah, GA 1,574

Corpus Christ, TX 77.6 Norfolk Harbor, VA 1,492

Huntington-Tristate, 

WV-OH-PA 77.2 Charleston, SC 1,483

New Orleans, LA 76.9 Seattle, WA 1,380

Los Angeles, CA 66.0 Tacoma, WA 1,380

Mobile, AL 59.8 Houston, TX 1,317

Lake Charles, LA 58.4 Honolulu, HI 890

Baton Rouge, LA 56.3 Miami, FL 740

Plaquemines, LA, 

Port of 55.9 San Juan, PR 690

Texas City, TX 48.9 Port Everglades, FL 633

Duluth-Superior, MN 

and WI 47.0 Jacksonville, FL 512

Tampa, FL 46.2 Baltimore, MD 483

Baltimore, MD 42.4 Anchorage, AK 277

Pittsburgh, PA 42.0 New Orleans, LA 185

Paulsboro, NJ 39.2 Portland, OR 183

Philadelphia, PA 38.6 Wilmington, DE 170

Total, top 20 1,602 29,396

Total, all ports 2,681 31,320

Note: Includes exports, imports, and domestic shipments. See table 5-8 for 

top 20 freight gateways by value of shipments.

TEUs = 20-foot equivalent units. One 20-foot container equals one TEU.

Sources: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United 

States, Calendar Year 2006, Part 5, National Summaries, table 5-2, available 

at http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/wcsc.htm as of October 2008. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Container Traffi c for U.S. Ports and 

all 50 States and U.S. Territories, Port TEUs, available at http://www.iwr.usace.

army.mil/ndc/wcsc/wcsc.htm as of October 2008.

 Port by Short tons Port by Full TEUs

shipment weight (millions) container TEUs (thousands)
 Mobility 31

4-15

Top 20 World Container Ports: 2005 and 2006

(Thousands of full and empty TEUs)

1 1 Singapore Singapore 24,792

2 2 Hong Kong China 23,539

3 3 Shanghai China 21,710

4 4 Shenzhen China 18,469

5 5 Busan South Korea 12,039

6 6 Kaohsiung Taiwan 9,775

7 7 Rotterdam Netherlands 9,655

9 8 Dubai

United Arab 

Emirates 8,923

8 9 Hamburg Germany 8,862

10 10 Los Angeles United States 8,470

13 11 Qingdao China 7,702

11 12 Long Beach United States 7,289

15 13 Ningbo China 7,068

12 14 Antwerp Belgium 7,019

18 15 Guangzhou China 6,600

14 16 Port Klang Malaysia 6,326

16 17 Tianjin China 5,950

17 18

New York/New 

Jersey United States 5,093

19 19 Tanjung Pelepas Indonesia 4,770

21 20

Bremen/

Bremerhaven Germany 4,450

Note: TEUs = 20-foot equivalent units. One 20-foot container equals one 

TEU. 

Source: American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), World Port 

Rankings: 2005 and 2006 (Container Traffi c), available at http://www.aapaports.org/ as of October 2008.

 Rank Rank 

(2005) (2006) Port Country TEUs
32 Pocket Guide to Transportation

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 2007, 

transportation-related goods and services contributed $1.45 

trillion to the $13.81 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

5 Economy

5-1 

U.S. Gross Domestic Product by 

Major Societal Function: 2007

Housing

(24.3%)

Health care

 (17.4%)

 Food

(11.6%)

Transportation-

 relateda

 (10.5%)

Education

 (7.6%)

Recreation

 (7.0%)

 Otherb

(21.5%)

a

 Includes all consumer and government purchases of goods (e.g., vehicles 

and fuel) and services (e.g., auto insurance) and exports related to transportation. b

 Includes all other categories (e.g., entertainment, personal 

care products and services, and payments to pension plans).

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, calculated based 

on data from U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 

National Income and Product Account Tables, available at http://www.bea.gov/

national/nipaweb/Index.asp as of October 2008.
Economy 33

5-2

Average Household Expenditures by

Major Spending Category: 2007

(Current dollars)

Apparel and 

services 

(4%) Othera

(16%) Personal 

insurance 

and pensions 

(11%) 

Health 

care 

(6%) 

Housing

(34%)

Food 

(12%)

Transportation

(18%) 

$8,758 

 Private vehicle expenditures = $8,220

 Vehicle purchases = $3,244

 Gasoline and motor oil = $2,384

 Other vehicle expenditures = $2,592

 Public transportation 

 expenditures = $538

 Airline fares = $360

 Ship fares = $53

 Mass transit fares = $55

 Taxi fares = $24

 Intercity train fares = $21

 Local transportation on 

 out-of-town trips = $13

 Intercity bus fares = $10

 School bus = $1

a

 Includes entertainment, personal care products and services, education, 

tobacco products and smoking, and miscellaneous.

Note: Numbers do not add to totals due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer 

Expenditure Survey, 2007; and personal communication as of November 

2008.
34 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-3

Transportation Services Index (TSI): 1990–2008

(Seasonally adjusted)

1990 2000 2005 1995

60

80

100

120

Chained-type index: 

2000 = 100

TSI passenger

TSI freight

TSI total

Notes: May–August 2008 data are preliminary. The TSI total is a monthly 

measure of the volume of services provided by for-hire transportation 

industries in the United States using 2000 as the base year. 

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), 

special calculation, avaliable at http://www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml as 

of October 2008. 
Economy 35

5-4

Employment in Transportation and Selected 

Transportation-Related Industriesa

 : 1990-2007

(Thousands)

Total U.S. labor force 

 (Nonfarm) 109,487 131,785 136,086 137,623 

Total transportation related 

 labor forceb 12,086 13,638 13,205 13,213

Transportation as a percent 

 of total U.S. labor force 11 10 10 10

For-hire transport & 

 warehousing 3,476 4,410 4,470 4,536

 Air 529 614 487 493 

 Water 57 56 63 64 

 Railroad 272 232 228 234 

 Transit/ground

 passenger transportation 274 372 399 410 

 Pipeline 60 46 39 40 

 Trucking 1,122 1,406 1,436 1,441

 Support activities 364 537 571 583 

 Scenic/sightseeing 

 transportation 16 28 28 29 

 Couriers/messengers 375 605 582 583 

 Warehousing/storage 407 514 638 659 

Related services & 

 construction 5,256 6,177 6,009 6,015

Automotive repair services/

 parking; automotive equipment

 rental/leasing; gasoline stations 1,800 2,125 2,057 2,054 

Highway, street, bridge 

 construction 289 340 348 345 

Dealers or wholesalers of motor

 vehicles, parts, petroleum, 

 supplies, equipment 1,993 2,360 2,392 2,398 

Travel arrangement/

 reservation services 250 299 226 227

Ambulatory health care services 99 173 217 229 

Postal service 825 880 770 762

Transportation-related 

 manufacturingc 2,681 2,447 2,128 2,069 

Governmentb 673 604 599 592 a Annual averages. Data are NAICS-based. (See Glossary for defi nition.) b

 Fiscal year data. 

Includes U.S. DOT and state and local highway personnel. c

 Includes transportation 

equipment; petroleum products; tires; rubber; plastics; search, detection, navigation, 

guidance, aeronautical, and nautical systems; and instrument manufacturing. 

Key: R = revised. Notes: In 2000, the data on dealers or wholesalers of motor vehicles have 

been revised. USCG employees are excluded from government for years 2000 and 

after.

Source: Total and transportation related labor force—Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

Government—Bureau of the Census as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

National Transportation Statistics, table 3-19b, available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/

national_transportation_statistics/ as of December 2008.

 1990 R2000 R2006 2007
36 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-5

Value of U.S.–International Merchandise Trade by 

Mode of Transportation: 2007

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Total 1,162,708 100.0 1,953,699 100.0 3,116,407 100.0

Water 375,152 32.3 1,023,796 52.4 1,398,949 44.9

Air 365,965 31.5 415,261 21.3 781,226 25.1

Truck 267,390 23.0 287,441 14.7 554,831 17.8

Rail 44,837 3.9 93,022 4.8 137,859 4.4

Pipeline 4,122 0.4 55,184 2.8 59,306 1.9

Other, 

unknown, & 

miscellaneous 105,243 9.1 78,994 4.0 184,237 5.9

Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Excludes intransit data (merchandise shipped from one foreign country to 

another via a U.S. port).

Imports—Excludes imports valued at less than $1,250. Import value is based on 

U.S. general imports, customs value basis.

Exports—Excludes exports valued at less than $2,500. Export value is FAS (free 

alongside ship) and represents the value of exports at the port of export, 

including the transaction price and inland freight, insurance, and other 

charges.

Sources: Water and air—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census 

Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights, December 2007, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/

Press-Release/ft920_index.html as of October 2008. Truck; rail; pipeline; 

and other, unknown, & miscellaneous—U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation 

Statistics, Transborder Freight Data, October 2008.

 Modal Modal Total Total

 Exports % Imports % trade modal %
Economy 37

5-6

Weight of U.S.–International Merchandise Trade 

by Mode of Transportation: 2007

(Thousands of short tons)

Total 618,901 100.0 1,334,117 100.0 1,953,018 100.0

Water a 469,761 75.9 1,047,791 78.5 1,517,552 77.7

Air 3,719 0.6 4,753 0.4 8,472 0.4

Truckb 96,015 15.5 97,069 7.3 193,085 9.9

Railb 42,465 6.9 93,050 7.0 135,515 6.9

Pipelineb 5,316 0.9 90,569 6.8 95,885 4.9

Other, 

unknown, & 

miscellaneousb 1,624 0.3 885 0.1 2,509 0.1

a

 The weight data for water transportation 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 U.S. Census Bureau trade-based data to allow for a 

complete modal comparison among the different freight transportation 

modes. b

 BTS estimates the weight of exports for truck, rail, pipeline, and 

other and unknown based on value-to-weight ratios from the import data 

by country, mode of transportation, and two-digit HS commodity code. 

This is necessary because weights for exports by surface modes are not 

currently collected.

Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Excludes intransit 

data (merchandise shipped from one foreign country to another via a U.S. 

port). Imports—Excludes imports valued at less than $1,250. Import value 

is based on U.S. general imports, customs value basis. Exports—Excludes 

exports valued at less than $2,500. Export value is FAS (free alongside 

ship) and represents the value of exports at the port of export, including 

the transaction price and inland freight, insurance, and other charges.

Sources: Water and air—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census 

Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights, December 2007, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/

Press-Release/ft920_index.html as of October 2008. Truck; rail; pipeline; 

and other, unknown, and miscellaneous—U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data; and special calculation, October 

2008.

 Modal Modal Total Total

 Exports % Imports % trade modal %
38 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-7

U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and 

Mexico by Mode Share: 2007

NAFTA trade, total 100.0 100.0

Trucka 61.0 28.9

Raila 15.2 20.3

Pipelinea 6.5 14.3

Air 4.1 0.1

Water 8.1 36.1

Other and unknowna 5.0 0.4

U.S.-NAFTA imports, total 100.0 100.0

Truck 54.9 21.0

Rail 17.8 20.2

Pipeline 10.5 19.6

Air 2.6 0.0

Water 11.0 39.0

Other and unknown 3.2 0.2

U.S.-NAFTA exports, total 100.0 100.0

Trucka 69.5 46.4

Raila 11.6 20.5

Pipelinea 1.1 2.6

Air 6.2 0.1

Water 4.3 29.6

Other and unknowna 7.4 0.8 a

 BTS estimated the export weight for truck, rail, pipeline, and other 

and unknown based on value-to-weight ratios from the import data 

because export weights for surface modes are not currently reported. 

Weight for water and air exports and imports are from the U.S. 

Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.

Notes: U.S. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) refers to 

U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico, our partners in this agreement.

Sources: Water and air—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census 

Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected 

Highlights, December 2007, available at http://www.census.gov/foreigntrade/Press-Release/ft920_index.html as of October 2008. Truck, rail, 

pipeline, and other and unknown—U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transborder Freight Data; and special calculation, October 

2008.

 Value Weight

 Mode (percent) (percent)
Economy 39

5-8

Top 20 U.S. Foreign Trade Freight Gateways 

by Value of Shipments: 2007

(Billions of current dollars)

1 Los Angeles, CA (w) P 29.9 150.4 180.2 

2 New York, NY and NJ (w) P 40.6 124.6 165.2 

3 JFK Intl. Airport, NY (a) 77.0 84.2 161.2 

4 Long Beach, CA (w) P 26.7 120.4 147.1 

5 Detroit, MI (l) 73.3 63.3 136.6 

6 Houston, TX (w) P 53.4 61.2 114.6 

7 Laredo, TX (l) 47.4 63.0 110.4 

8 Chicago, IL (a) 33.4 53.1 86.6 

9 Los Angeles Intl. Airport, CA (a) 41.6 38.0 79.6 

10 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (l) 38.6 40.0 78.6 

11 Port Huron, MI (l) 30.7 46.3 77.1 

12 San Francisco Intl. Airport, 

CA (a) 29.7 31.9 61.6 

13 Charleston, SC (w) P 19.8 41.1 60.9 

14 Savannah, GA (w) P 18.3 31.3 49.6 

15 Norfolk, VA (w) P 20.7 28.8 49.5 

16 El Paso, TX (l) 20.0 29.1 49.1 

17 Anchorage, AK (a) 10.7 34.5 45.3 

18 Baltimore, MD (w) P 14.0 28.0 42.0 

19 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (a) 18.1 23.4 41.5 

20 New Orleans, LA (a) 18.2 22.9 41.1 

Key: a = airport; l = land port; w = water port; P = preliminary.

Notes: Air gateways include a low level (generally less than 3% of the total 

value) of freight shipped through small user-fee airports located in the 

same area as the gateways listed. Air gateways not identifi ed by airport 

name (e.g., Chicago, IL) include major airport(s) in that area and small 

regional airports. Due to Census Bureau confi dentiality regulations, courier operations are included in airport totals for only JFK, Los Angeles, 

Chicago, and Anchorage.

Sources: Air—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, special tabulation, November 2008. Water—U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, Waterborne Commerce 

Statistics Center, special tabulation, November 2008. Land—U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, October 

2008.

 Rank Gateway Exports Imports Total
40 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-9

U.S. Trade in Transportation-Related 

Commodities: 2007

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Motor vehicles and parts 

(87) 106,994 214,467 321,461 -107,473

Aircraft, spacecraft, and 

parts (88) 75,952 21,844 97,796 54,108

Ships, boats, and fl oating 

structures (89) 3,160 1,923 5,083 1,237

Railway or tramway 

locomotives and parts 

(86) 2,752 1,669 4,421 1,083

Total, transportation 

commodities 188,858 239,903 428,761 -51,045

Total, all commodities 1,162,708 1,953,699 3,116,407 -790,991

Transportation 

commodities share of 

trade 16.2% 12.3% 13.8% 6.5%

Notes: The numbers in parentheses are the classifi cation categories from 

the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

Classifi cation category (87) also includes bicycles, wheelchairs, and baby 

carriages.

Total trade = exports plus imports. Balance = exports minus imports.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; based 

on data from U.S. Department of Commerce, Interactive Tariff and Trade 

DataWeb, available at http://dataweb.usitc.gov as of October 2008.

 Commodity Total 

 and code Exports Imports trade Balance
Economy 41

5-10

New Passenger Car and Light Truck Sales:

Model Years 1985–2008

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Cars

Light trucks

0

Millions of vehicles

2

4

6

8

10

12

Note: Data are based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defi nitions 

of light trucks (gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less). Model 

year 2008 data are projected sales from the automotive companies.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive 

Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2008, Table E-1 to E-15, 

available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm as of October 2008.
42 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-11

Government Transportation Revenues by Mode

and Level of Government: 1995–2006

(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 67,544 90,980 103,564 102,688

 Federal: Highway Trust

 Funda 22,200 34,985 38,747 39,191 

 State and local 45,344 55,995 64,817 63,497 

Transit totalb 8,575 10,670 12,512 15,117 

Railroadc 36 1 0 0 

Air total 14,518 22,298 25,645 27,072 

 Federal: Airport and 

 Airway Trust Funde 6,291 10,544 10,797 11,137 

 State and local 8,227 11,754 14,848 15,935 

Water total 3,832 4,058 5,070 5,536 

 Federal: water receiptsd 1,909 1,551 1,676 1,837 

 State and local 1,923 2,507 3,394 3,699 

Pipelinec 35 40 56 58 

General supportc 7 26 8 21 

Total, all modes 94,548 128,073 146,856 150,492 

 Federal 30,478 47,147 51,284 52,244 

 State and local 64,070 80,926 95,572 98,248 a

 Includes both Highway and Transit Accounts of the Highway Trust Fund 

(HTF). Also includes other receipts from motor fuel and motor vehicle 

taxes not deposited in the HTF. b

 Includes state and local government 

only. c

 Includes federal only. d Includes Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, 

St. Lawrence Seaway tolls, Inland Waterway Trust Fund, Panama Canal 

receipts through 2000, Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, Offshore Oil Pollution Fund, Deep Water Port Liability Fund, and excise taxes of the Boat 

Safety Program. e Receipts from aviation user fee, and aviation security 

fees are also included.

Key: R = revised.

Note: Government transportation revenue consists of money collected by 

governments from transportation user charges and taxes to fi nance 

transportation programs. The following types of receipts are excluded: 

1) revenues collected from users of the transportation system that are 

directed to the general fund and used for non-transportation purposes, 

2) nontransportation general fund revenues that are used to fi nance 

transportation programs, and 3) proceeds from borrowing.

Local government receipts from motor fuel, motor vehicle, and toll 

highway charges are not included in 2006. Transit and general support 

revenue are revised for 1995 and 2000.

Source: U. S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Government 

Transportation Financial Statistics 2008.

 R1995 R2000 2005 2006
Economy 43

5-12

Government Transportation Expenditures by 

Mode and Level of Government: 1995–2006

(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 90,075 119,911 147,325 99,784

 Federal 1,685 2,190 2,661 2,972

 State and local 88,391 117,720 144,664 96,812

Transit total 25,460 34,828 41,900 44,097

 Federal 1,277 3,677 450 83

 State and local 24,183 31,150 41,450 44,014

Rail total 1,049 778 1,472 1,548

 Federal 1,023 765 1,437 1,528

 State and local 26 13 35 20

Air total 19,250 22,525 40,328 41,195

 Federal 10,807 9,285 22,366 22,802

 State and local 8,443 13,240 17,962 18,393

Water total 6,623 7,634 10,307 10,888

 Federal 4,314 4,493 6,411 6,603

 State and local 2,309 3,141 3,896 4,286

Pipeline total 24 46 82 91

 Federal 12 28 58 66

 State and local 12 18 24 25

General support 775 653 1,673 1,795

 Federal 769 645 1,659 1,783

 State and local 6 8 14 12

Total, all modes 143,256 186,374 243,086 199,397

 Federal 19,886 21,084 35,041 35,836

 State and local 123,369 165,290 208,045 163,562

Key: R = revised.

Notes: Federal expenditure includes direct federal spending, excluding 

grants to state and local governments. State and local expenditure 

includes outlays from all sources of funds including funds from federal 

grants, except railroad and pipeline modes. State and local expenditure 

for rail and pipeline modes include outlays that are funded by federal 

grants only. The part of expenditure that may be funded by other funding sources of state and local governments are not covered due to lack 

of data. 

Water mode does not include outlays for civilian transportationrelated activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction, 

operation, and maintenance of channels, harbors, locks, and dams, and 

protection of navigation. Local government outlays for highway are not 

included in 2006.

Federal highway expenditure has been revised for 2000. In addition, 

railroad and general support expenditure have been revised for 1995 

and 2000.

Sources: U. S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics 2008.

 R1995 R2000 2005 2006
44 Pocket Guide to Transportation

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 in the United States, such 

as particulates, have declined since 1980 despite signifi cant 

increases in U.S. population, Gross Domestic Product, and 

vehicle-miles traveled. However, carbon dioxide emissions 

from transportation fuel use have risen.

6 Environment

6-1

New Passenger Car and Light Truck Fuel Economy

Averages: Model Years 1985–2008

30

35

25

20

15

10

5

Miles per gallon

0

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Light trucks

Cars

Notes: Fuel economy is miles divided by gallons. Whenever there is more 

than one fuel economy value, dividing the total miles traveled by the 

total gallons consumed provides the average fuel economy.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive 

Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2008, Table A-2, 

available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm as of October 2008.
Environment 45

6-2

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 

Energy Use: 1985–2007

Commercial

Residential

Transportation

Industrial

150

250

350

450

550

650

Million metric tons of carbon

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Notes: 2007 data are preliminary. One ton of carbon equals 3.667 tons 

of carbon dioxide gas. Electric utility emissions are distributed across 

sectors.

Sources: 1985–1989—U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), Energy 

Information Administration (EIA), Emissions of Greenhouse Gasses in 

the United States, appendix E, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/

oiaf/1605/1605aold.html as of December 2005. 1990–2007—USDOE, 

EIA, U.S. Carbon Dioxide from Energy Sources 2008 Flash Estimate, available 

at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/fl ash/fl ash.html as of October 2008.
46 Pocket Guide to Transportation

6-3

Wetlands Impacted and Mitigated Under the 

Federal-Aid Highway Program: 2000–2006

Acres:

Impacted 2,041 1,905 1,942 1,278 847 1,139 591

Mitigated 7,671 4,017 5,198 3,431 1,763 3,741 1,414

Gained (net) 5,630 2,112 3,256 2,153 916 2,602 823

Mitigation 

 ratio 3.8:1 2.1:1 2.7:1 2.7:1 2.1:1 3.3:1 2.4:1

Notes: 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.

Acres gained data have been revised for 2005.

Source: 2000-2004—U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Highway Administration Wetland 

Mitigation Performance Measure for Federal-Aid Highway Projects Fiscal 

Year 2004, available at http://fhwa.dot.gov/environment/perform/wetrpt04.

htm. 2005-2006—USDOT, FHWA, personal communication, August 2007.

 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 R2005 2006
Environment 47

6-4

Index of Key Air Pollutant Emissions from 

U.S. Transportation: 1990–2007

(Index: 1990 = 1.0)

Key: PM-10 = airborne particulates of less than 10 microns, PM-2.5 = airborne particulates of less than 2.5 microns.

Notes: The indexes are calculated using data on emissions from highway 

vehicles only. Particle matters include PM without condensibles.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Clearinghouse for Inventories and Emissions Factors (CHIEF), Current Emission Trends Summaries, 

available at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends/index.html as of October 

2008.

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0

1990 1995 2000 2005

Carbon monoxide

0.4

0.2

0

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1990 1995 2000 2005

Nitrogen oxides

1990 1995 2000 2005

0.4

0.2

0

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Volatile organic compounds

PM-10

PM-2.5

1990 1995 2000 2005

0.4

0.2

0

0.6

0.8

1.2

1.0

PM-10; PM-2.5

1990 1995 2000 2005

Sulfur Dioxide

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1990 1995 2000 2005 0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

Ammonia
48 Pocket Guide to Transportation

 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 railroads—Railroads earning adjusted annual operating revenues for three consecutive years of $250,000,000 or 

more.

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).

Contracted service (purchased transportation)—

Transportation service provided to a public transit agency or 

governmental unit from a public or private transportation provider based on a written contract. 

Delay—The extra travel time (hours) spent traveling at congested 

speeds rather than free-fl ow speeds (60 mph on freeways and 

35 mph on principal arterials) divided by the number of persons making a trip during the peak period (6:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. 

and 3:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.).

Demand-response transit—A nonfi xed-route, nonfi xedschedule form of transportation that operates in response to 

calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator 

or dispatcher.

Directional route-miles—The sum of the mileage in each 

direction over which transit vehicles travel while in revenue 

service.

Directly operated service—Transportation service provided 

directly by a transit agency, using their employees to supply the 

necessary labor to operate the revenue vehicles. 
Glossary 49

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, 

choices, cooperation, and coordination of various modes.

Large certifi cated air carrier—Carriers operating aircraft with 

a maximum passenger capacity of more than 60 seats or a 

maximum payload of more than 18,000 pounds. These carriers 

are also grouped by annual operating revenues: 1) majors—

more than $1 billion; 2) nationals—between $100 million 

and $1 billion; 3) large regionals—between $20 million and 

$99,999,999; and 4) medium regionals—less than $20 million.

Long-distance travel—As defi ned in the Bureau of 

Transportation Statistics National Household Travel Survey, 

long-distance trips are trips of 50 miles or more from home 

to the farthest destination traveled and include the return 

component as well as any overnight stops and stops to change 

transportation mode.

Light-rail transit––Urban transit rail operated on a reserved 

right-of-way that may be crossed by roads used by motor 

vehicles and pedestrians.
50 Pocket Guide to Transportation

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 passenger and dry cargo vessels, and ferries.

Short-ton—A unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds.

Standard Industrial Classifi cation (SIC)—SIC (fi rst used 

in 1937) groups establishments by primary activity to ease 

data collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis. SIC was 

intended to promote greater uniformity and comparability in 

data presentations by government, industry, and research institutions. SIC classifi es industries by composition and structure 

of the economy.

Ton-miles—A unit of measure equal to the movement of one 

ton over one mile.

Truck: 

Single unit—A large truck on a single frame with at least 2 

axles and 6 tires. Excludes “other 2-axle, 4-tire vehicles” noted 

above.

Combination—A power unit (truck or truck tractor) and 

one or more trailing units.

Vehicle-mile—One vehicle traveling one mile.
Statistics 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.

Photo Credits

Front cover

Traffi c - L. Henk

Truck - BTS Staff

Cargo ship - BTS Staff

Airplane - Daniel Duchon

Back cover

Highway - BTS Staff

Train tracks - BTS Staff

Pipeline - Kevin Abbott

Taxis - BTS Staff
U.S. Department of Transportation