Pocket 

Guide to

Transportation

 Research & Innovative Technology Administration

Bureau of 

Transportation 

Statistics

2008
For additional copies of this guide or information 

about the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and 

its products and services, contact:

Product Orders

Phone 202-366-DATA

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

 www.orders@bts.gov

Information Service

Phone: 800-853-1351

Email: answers@bts.gov

Printed February 2008
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

Bureau of

Transportation

Statistics

Steven D. Dillingham, Ph.D.

Director

Acknowledgments

Produced under the

direction of:

Deborah Johnson

Assistant Director for 

Transportation Analysis

Project Manager

Long X. Nguyen

Contributors

David Chesser

Chester Ford

Xiaoli Han

Getachew Mekonnen

William Moore

Lorisa Smith

Charles Tennyson

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) 248,791 299,398

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

Total civilian labor force (thousand) 125,840 151,428

Real gross domestic productb (trillion) $7.1 $11.3

Median household incomeb,c $36,668 $41,350

Average household incomeb,c $39,073 $51,929 

Average household expenditures b,c $35,257 $42,204 

Number of households (thousand) 93,347 114,384

Life expectancy at birth (years) 75.4 77.8 (2004)

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.

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

Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2002 and 2007, available 

at www.census.gov as of October 2007. GDP—USDOC, Bureau of Economic Analysis, available at www.bea.gov as of October 2007. Population, 

number of households, median and average household income—

USDOC, Census, available at www.census.gov as of October 2007. 

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 2007.

 Context 1990 2006

 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

 (2005) 46,871 miles of Interstate highway

 115,502 miles of other National Highway 

System roads

 3,849,259 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

 (2005) 95,664 miles by Class I freight railroads in the 

United Statesb

 15,388 miles by regional freight railroads

 29,197 miles by local freight railroads

 22,007 miles by Amtrak (passenger)c

Mode Components
System Extent and Use 3

Urban transit Directional route-milesd 

 (2005) Bus: 168,639e

 Trolley bus: 429 

 Commuter rail: 4,450 

 Heavy rail: 1,601 

 Light rail: 1,091 

 Stations 

Commuter rail: 1,164 

 Heavy rail: 1,042 

 Light rail: 730 

Water Navigable channels: 26,000 miles

 (2005) Ferry routes: 639 directional route-miles

Commercial waterway facilitiesa

Great Lakes: 600 deep-draft, 154 shallow-draft

 Inland: 2,321 shallow-draft

 Ocean: 4,398 deep-draft, 1,926 shallow-draft

 Locks: 257

Pipeline Miles of oil pipe

 (2005) Crude lines: 60,043

 Product lines: 71,310

Miles of gas pipe

 Transmission: 296,400

 Distribution: 1,117,800

a

 See Glossary for defi nitions. b There are also 1,368 miles of railroad 

operated within the U.S. Class I freight railroad system that are owned 

by Canadian railroads. c

 The Amtrak mileage includes the 745 miles of 

trackage it owns and route-miles operated on freight railroad tracks. 

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: Various sources, as cited in USDOT, RITA, BTS, National Transportation 

Statistics, available at http://www.bts.gov; Association of American Railroads, 

Railroad Facts, 2006 (Washington, DC: 2006); USDOT, Federal Highway 

Administration, Highway Statistics 2005 (Washington, DC: 2006), table HM-18; 

Oil & Gas Journal, Sept. 11, 2006; USDOT, Federal Transit Administration, 2005 

National Transit Summaries and Trends, tables 21, 23, and 24, available at http://

www.ntdprogram.com/ntdprogram/pubs.htm; USDOT, RITA, BTS, “Airport 

Activity Statistics of Certifi cated Air Carriers, Summary Tables, 12 Months Ending Dec. 31, 2006,” 2006; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water 

Resources, Navigation Data Center, The U.S. Waterway System Facts, February 

2007 (Alexandria, VA: 2007).

Mode Components

1-1—continued
Total all bridges 572,205 589,674 597,340 599,893

 Urban 108,770 133,384 146,041 151,102

 Rural 463,435 456,290 451,299 448,791

Structurally defi cient 

 bridges, total 137,865 86,692 73,784 72,264

 Urban 16,847 U 12,585 12,882

 Rural 121,018 U 61,199 59,382

Functionally obsolete 

 bridges, total 100,355 81,510 80,317 81,257

 Urban 30,266 29,398 32,292 33,096

 Rural 70,089 52,112 48,025 48,161

Key: U = unavailable.

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; the 

following is a link to Chapter 3 of the report: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

policy/2006cpr/pdfs/chap3.pdf.

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 August of that year.

Source: 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 2007.

 Mode 1990 2000 2006 2007

1-2

Condition of U.S. Highway Bridges: 1990–2007

4 Pocket Guide to Transportation
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 43 

percent of U.S. deaths due to unintentional injury involve 

transportation. Roughly 95 percent of transportation 

fatalities arise from motor vehicle crashes. 

Air

 Large U.S. air carriera 39 92 22 P50

 Commuter air carriera 65 0 P2

 On-demand air taxia 51 71 18 P16

 General aviationa 767 596 R563 P698

Highwayb 44,599 41,945 R43,510 42,642

Pipeline, gas and 

 hazardous liquid 9 38 R16 19

Railroadc 599 512 R

529 P543

Transitd 339 295 R236 213

Waterborne

 Vessel related, commercial ship 85 53 45 48

 Nonvessel-relatede

, commercial ship 101 134 35 39

 Recreational boating 865 701 697 710

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: P = preliminary; R = revised.

Sources: Various sources, as cited in USDOT, RITA, BTS, National 

Transportation Statistics, table 2-1, available at http://www.bts.gov, as of 

September 2007. 2005—Highway: USDOT, National Highway Traffi c 

Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, personal 

communication, August 2007; Transit: USDOT, Volpe Center, personal 

communication, August 2007; Recreational boating: U.S. Department 

of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Boating Statistics 2006, available at 

http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/stats.htm as of September 2007.

 Safety 2

 Mode 1990 2000 2005 2006

2-1

Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 1990–2006

Safety 5
6 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Passenger car occupants 17,800 39.6 

Light-truck occupants 12,721 28.3 

Motorcycle riders 4,810 10.7 

Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles 4,784 10.7 

Large-truck occupants 805 1.79 

Pedalcyclists struck by motor vehicles 773 1.72 

Other and unknown motor vehicle occupants 739 1.65 

Recreational boating 710 1.58 

General aviationa 698 1.55 

Railroad trespassers (excl. grade crossings)b 520 1.16 

Other nonoccupants struck by motor vehiclesc 183 0.41 

Grade crossings, not involving motor vehiclesb, d 64 0.14 

Air carriers 50 0.11 

Waterborne transportation (vessel-related) 48 0.11 

Waterborne transportation (nonvessel-related) 39 0.09 

Private grade crossings, with motor vehiclesb 38 0.08 

Heavy-rail transit (e.g., rail subway) 32 0.07 

Bus occupants (school, intercity, transit) 27 0.06 

Rail employees on duty and contractorsb

 19 0.04 

Air taxi 16 0.04 

Gas distribution pipelines 16 0.04 

Light-rail transit 13 0.03 

Gas transmission pipelines 3 0.01 

Passengers on railroad trains 2 0.004 

Commuter air 2 0.004 

Hazardous liquid pipelines 0 0.000 

Total, all modese 44,912 100 

Other counts, redundant with above

Crashes involving large trucksf 4,995

Public grade crossings, with motor vehiclesb 266

a

 Includes 154 persons aboard a Brazilian air carrier killed in a crash with a U.S. 

registered corporate jet over Brazil. b

 Includes fatalities outside trains. c

 Includes all nonoccupant fatalities in motor vehicle (MV) crashes, except 

pedalcyclists and pedestrians. d

 Public grade crossing fatalities involving 

motor vehicles are included in MV counts. e

 Unless otherwise noted, 

includes fatalities outside vehicles. f

 Includes large truck occupants, other 

vehicle occupants, and non occupants.

Sources: Various sources as cited in USDOT, RITA, BTS, National Transportation 

Statistics, table 2-4, available at http://www.bts.gov.

 Category Number %

2-2

Distribution of Transportation Fatalities: 2006
Safety 7

2-3

Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes by Number of

Vehicles and by Alcohol Involvement: 2006

Occupants 36,902 14,861 40

 Single-vehicle crashes 18,909 9,433 50

 Two-vehicle crashes 15,013 4,508 30

 More than two-vehicle

 crashes 2,980 920 31

Pedestrians 4,784 2,367 49

 Single-vehicle crashes 4,327 2,108 49

 Multiple-vehicle crashes 457 258 56

Pedalcyclists 773 302 39

 Single-vehicle crashes 732 285 39

 Multiple-vehicle crashes 41 17 41

Others/unknown 183 72 39

Total 42,642 17,602 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, October 2007.

 

 Fatalities Alcohol 

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

2-4

Fatality Rates for Selected Modes: 1985–2005

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: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway 

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

Traffi c Safety Facts 2005 tables 7-10, as of July 2006. 

Air carriers and general aviation—USDOT, Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National 

Transportation Statistics, tables 2-9 and 2-14, available at http://www.bts.

gov as of October 2007.

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

Light-truck occupants

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

1985 1990 1995 2005

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Large-truck occupants

2000 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

Motorcycle riders

Smoothed

Actual

Per 100,000 aircraft departures

0

3

6

9

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

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
Safety 9

2-5

Injured Persons by Transportation Mode: 1990–2006

Air

 Large U.S. air carrier 29 29 13 9

 Commuter air carrier 11 7 0 1

 On-demand air taxi 36 12 R

20 16

 General aviation 409 309 R

269 261

Highwaya

 3,230,666 3,188,750 R2,699,000 2,575,000

Pipeline, gas and 

 hazardous liquid 76 81 R

47 32

Railroadb 22,736 10,424 R

8,382 7,168

Transitc 54,556 56,697 18,131 18,327

Waterborne

 Vessel-related 

 commercial ship 175 R

150 140 177

 Nonvessel relatedd

 commercial ship U R

607 504 594

 Recreational

 boating 3,822 4,355 3,451 4,474

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.

Sources: Except as noted, various sources, as cited in U.S. Department of 

Transportation (USDOT), Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics,

table 2-2, available at http://www.bts.gov. 2006 commercial ship—U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Data Administration 

Division (G-MRI-1), personal communication, Aug. 28, 2007.

 Mode 1990 2000 2005 2006
2-6

Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents, 

Injuries, and Fatalities: 1990–2006

Highway 7,297 12,869 15,063 R13,457 17,145

 Accident related 249 253 329 R322 303

 Injuries 311 296 164 R

175 192

 Fatalities 8 7 16 24 6

Rail 1,279 1,155 1,058 R745 704

 Accident related 48 50 62 R51 44

 Injuries 73 71 82 R692 24

 Fatalities 0 0 0 10 0

Air 297 817 1,419 1,654 2,410

 Accident related 0 0 3 9 7

 Injuries 39 33 5 78 2

 Fatalities 0 0 0 0 0

Water 7 12 17 R69 68

 Accident related 0 0 0 0 0

 Injuries 0 0 0 0 15

 Fatalities 0 0 0 0 0

Liquid 180 188 146 R139 110

 Injuries 7 11 4 2 2

 Fatalities 3 3 1 2 0

Natural gas 

 distribution 109 97 154 R170 134

 Injuries 52 43 59 38 25

 Fatalities 6 16 22 14 16

Natural gas 

 transmission 89 64 80 R181 143

 Injuries 17 10 18 7 5

 Fatalities 0 2 15 0 3

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.

Sources: USDOT, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Hazardous Materials Information System Database. 1990 

data—available at http://hazmat.dot.gov/pubs/biennial/ 96_97biennial.rpt.

pdf as of December 2005. 1995–2006 data—available at http://hazmat.

dot.gov/pubs/inc/data/2006/2006frm.htm as of November 2007. Pipeline 

data—USDOT, PHMSA, Offi ce of Pipeline Safety, available at http://ops.

dot.gov/stats/stats.htm as of November 2007.

 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006

 Pipeline 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006

10 Pocket Guide to Transportation
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, 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: 1997–2006

500

400

300

200

100

0

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

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 2006, available at 

http://www.imo.org/home.asp as of May 2007.

Security 11
12 Pocket Guide to Transportation

3-2

Prohibited Items Intercepted at U.S. Airport 

Screening Checkpoints: 2003–2006

Other cutting 

 instruments 2,973,413 3,567,731 R3,276,691 163,408

Knives 1,961,849 2,058,652 R1,822,752 1,607,014

Incendiaries and 

 explosive/fl ammable

 materials 494,123 693,649 R

398,830 110,135

Clubs 25,139 28,813 20,531 12,295

Box cutters 20,991 22,350 R21,315 15,998

Firearms 683 650 2,217 2,053

Other 638,414 717,754 R10,345,260 11,800,215

Total 

 prohibited items 6,114,612 7,089,599 R15,887,596 13,711,118

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. 

Effective Apr. 14, 2005, lighters were added to the list of prohibited items.

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

and certain sporting goods. The jump in number of other prohibited items 

in 2005 is a result of the inclusion of lighters as prohibited items as of 

Apr. 14, 2005.

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

Administration, personal communication, November 2007.

 Items 2003 2004 2005 2006
Security 13

3-3

U.S. Petroleum Production and 

Consumption: 1975–2006

25

20

15

10

5

0

Million barrels per day

Total consumption

Transportation consumption

Total production

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Note: 2006 data are preliminary.

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

Annual Energy Review 2006 (Washington, DC: September 2007), tables 

5.1 and 5.13a-d.
14 Pocket Guide to Transportation

3-4

Transportation’s Share of

U.S. Petroleum Use: 1975–2006

0

3

6

9

12

15

Million barrels per day

Transportation

Industry

Buildings

1975 1995 2000 2005 1980 1985 1990

Utilities

Note: 2006 data are preliminary.

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

Annual Energy Review 2006 (Washington, DC: September 2007), tables 

5.13a–d.
Security 15

3-5

U.S. Oil Imports: 1980–2006

Notes: OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 

members are Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, 

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. 

Former members Ecuador (until 1992) and Gabon (until 1994) are 

included in 1990 and prior years.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Admin istration, 

Monthly Energy Review, September 2007, tables 3.3d and 3.3h, available 

at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/petro.html as of September 2007.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 2005 2006

Total OPEC Total Non-OPEC

Thousand barrels per day, average
3-6

Major Suppliers of U.S. Imported Crude Oil

and Petroleum Products: 1990–2006

(Thousand barrels per day, average; rank in 2006)

Canada 934 1,332 1,807 R2,181 2,303

Mexico 755 1,068 1,373 R1,662 1,700

Saudi Arabia 1,339 1,344 1,572 R1,537 1,461

Venezuela 1,025 1,480 1,546 R1,529 1,409

Nigeria 800 627 896 R1,166 1,119

Algeria 280 234 225 R478 650

Iraq 518 0 620 R531 553

Angola 237 367 301 R473 534

Russia 45 25 72 R410 370

U.S. Virgin Islands 282 278 291 R328 326

United Kingdom 189 383 366 R396 271

Norway 102 273 343 R233 195

Kuwait 86 218 272 R243 184

Colombia 182 219 342 196 155

Total, major 

suppliers 6,775 7,848 10,026 R11,364 11,230

 Total, all 

 U.S. imports 8,018 8,835 11,459 R13,714 13,612

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.

 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006

16 Pocket Guide to Transportation

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

Monthly Energy Review, September 2007, tables 3.1a, 3.3a–h, available at 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/petro.html as of September 2007.
 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: 1990–2005

(Millions)

Air

 Air carrier 3,963 5,664 6,552 6,714

 General aviation 4,548 N N N

Highway

 Passenger cars 1,408,266 1,600,287 R

1,699,890 1,689,965

 Other 2-axle, 

 4-tire vehiclesa 574,571 923,059 R

1,027,164 1,059,590

 Motorcycles 9,557 10,469 R10,122 10,770

 Busesb 5,726 7,590 R

6,801 6,646

 Trucks

 Single-unit 51,901 70,500 R

78,441 79,174

 Combination 94,341 135,020 R

142,370 143,662

Rail c

 Transitd 561 648 697 P715

 Commuter 213 271 295 P

303

 Intercity/Amtrake 301 368 308 P

265

 Class 1 freight 26,159 34,590 37,071 P

37,712

Other transitf 324 833 982 P

1,085

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: N = data are nonexistent; P = preliminary; R = revised.

Sources: Except as noted, various sources, 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 September 2007.

2005 transit, commuter, and other transit: American Public Transportation 

Association, 2007 Public Transportation Fact Book, table 11, available at 

http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ as of September 2007.

 Mode 1990 2000 2004 2005
18 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-2

Number of Aircraft, Vehicles, 

Railcars, and Vessels: 1990–2005

Air

 Air carrier 6,083 8,055 8,186 8,225

 General aviation 198,000 217,533 219,426 224,352

Highway

 Automobiles 133,700,496 133,621,420 136,430,651 136,568,083

 Other 2-axle,

 4-tire vehiclesa 48,274,555 79,084,979 91,845,327 95,336,839

 Buses (municipally 

 owned transit and 

 commercial, federal, 

 and school buses) 626,987 746,125 795,274 807,053

 Motorcycles 4,259,462 4,346,068 R

5,767,934 6,227,146

 Trucks

 Single-unit 4,486,981 5,926,030 6,161,028 6,395,240

 Combination 1,708,895 2,096,619 2,010,335 2,086,759

Rail—Passenger

 Amtrak—Cars 1,863 1,894 1,211 1,186

 Amtrak Locomotives 318 378 276 258

 Commuter railcars

 and locomotives 5,007 5,498 6,228 P

6,392

 Transitb 11,332 12,168 12,480 P

12,775

Rail—freight:

 Class I–Freight cars 658,902 560,154 473,773 474,839

 Class I–Locomotives 18,835 20,028 22,015 22,779

 Other freight cars 553,359 820,642 814,147 837,461

Waterborne

 Nonself-propelled

 vessels (barges)c,d 31,209 33,152 31,296 32,052

 Self-propelled vesselsc,d 8,236 8,202 8,994 8,976

 Oceangoing shipsd

 

 (1,000 gross tons 

 and over) 636 454 412 357

 Recreational boats 

 (numbered boats) 10,996,253 12,782,143 12,781,476 12,942,414

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 

only. c

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

Key: P = preliminary; R = revised.

Sources: Except as noted, various sources, 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 September 2007.

 Mode 1990 2000 2004 2005
 Mobility 19

4-3

Passenger-Miles: 1990–2005

(Millions)

Air

 Air carrier 345,873 516,129 557,893 583,689

 General aviation 13,000 15,200 U U

Highway

 Passenger cars 2,281,391 2,544,457 R

2,685,827 2,670,145

 Other 2-axle, 

 4-tire vehiclesa 999,754 1,467,664 R

1,780,771 1,836,988

 Busesb 121,398 160,919 R

144,188 140,910

 Motorcycles 12,424 11,516 R

12,855 13,677

Rail

 Transitc 12,046 15,200 15,930 P16,118

 Commuter 7,082 9,402 9,719 P

9,473

 Intercity/Amtrakd 6,057 5,498 5,511 5,381

Other transite 841 1,631 1,874 P

2,485

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; 

1980 data include ferryboat and “other transit” only.

Key: P = preliminary; R = revised; U = unavailable.

Sources: Various sources, as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of 

Transpor tation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 1-37, 

available at http://www.bts.gov as of September 2007.

 Mode 1990 2000 2004 2005
20 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-4

U.S. Domestic Freight Ton-Miles 

by Mode: 1990–2005

(Billions)

Total 3,622 4,329 R4,542 4,538 25.3

 Air 10.4 15.8 16.5 15.7 51.0

 Truck 848.8 1,192.8 R1,281.6 1,293.3 52.4

 Railroad 1,064.4 1,546.3 1,684.5 1,733.8 62.9

 Water 833.5 645.8 621.2 591.3 –29.1

 Pipeline 864.8 927.9 938.0 903.8 4.5

Key: R = revised.

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 2007.

 Percent

 change

 Mode 1990 2000 2004 2005 1990–2005

4-5

Travel Between the United States 

and Foreign Countries: 2000–2005

Overseas

overnight

North 

American

overnight

North 

American 

same-day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Total

Millions of visitors

2000 2004 2005 

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

Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Offi ce of 

Travel and Tourism Industries, Total International Travelers Volume to and 

from the U.S. 1996–2006, available at http://tinet.ita.doc.gov as of October 

2007. North American same-day, Canada—Statistics Canada, International 

Travel 2005, 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 2007.
 Mobility 21

4-6

Households by Number of Vehicles: 2006

 1 vehicle

(33.2%)

 0 

vehicles

(8.8%)

 2 vehicles

(38.0%)

 3+ vehicles

(20.0%)

Note: Data covers 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, 2006 

American Community Survey, annual issues, available at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html as of September 2007.
22 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-7a

Top 20 World Airports by Passenger Movements1

: 

2005 and 2006 

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

1 Atlanta, GA (Hartsfi eld) 85,907 84,847 -1.2

2 Chicago, IL (O'Hare) 76,510 77,028 0.7

3

London, England 

(Heathrow) 67,915 67,530 -0.6

4 Tokyo, Japan (Narita) 63,282 65,811 4.0

5

Los Angeles, CA 

(Los Angeles) 61,489 61,041 -0.7

6

Dallas/Ft Worth, TX 

(Dallas/Ft. Worth) 59,176 60,226 1.8

7

Paris, France 

(Charles de Gaulle) 53,798 56,850 5.7

8

Frankfurt, Germany 

(Frankfurt) 52,219 52,811 1.1

9

Beijing, China 

(Beijing Capital) 41,004 48,655 18.7

10 Denver, CO (Denver) 43,388 47,325 9.1

11

Las Vegas, NV 

(McCarran) 43,990 46,193 5.0

12

Amsterdam, Netherlands 

(Schiphol) 44,163 46,066 4.3

13 Madrid, Spain (Barajas) 41,940 45,501 8.5

14

Hong Kong, China 

(Hong Kong) 40,270 43,858 8.9

15

New York, NY 

(John F. Kennedy) 41,885 43,762 4.5

16

Bangkok, Thailand 

(Suvarnabhumi) 38,985 42,800 9.8

17

Houston, TX 

(George Bush) 39,685 42,550 7.2

18

Phoenix, AZ 

(Phoenix Sky Harbor) 41,214 41,437 0.5

19

Newark, NJ 

(Newark Liberty) 34,000 36,724 8.0

20

Detroit, MI 

(Wayne County) 36,389 35,973 -1.1 1

 Passenger movements include enplanements and deplanements, with 

in-transit passengers counted once. Both domestic and international 

passenger movements are included. General aviation passengers are 

excluded.

Source: Airports Council International. Airports include those participating in the ACI annual traffi c statistics collection as of July 18, 2007. 

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 Jan 15, 2008.

 2006 City % change

 rank airport 2005 2006 2005–2006
 Mobility 23

4-7b

Top 20 U.S. Gateways for Nonstop International 

Air Travel: 2005 and 2006

(Thousands of international passengersa

)

1 New York (JFK), NY R18,469 19,351 4.8

2 Los Angeles, CA R16,836 16,498 –2.0

3 Miami, FL 14,621 14,852 1.6

4 Chicago (O’Hare), IL 11,013 11,516 4.6

5 Newark, NJ R9,128 9,926 8.7

6 Atlanta, GA R7,295 8,302 13.8

7 San Francisco, CA R7,839 8,164 4.1

8 Houston (Bush), TX R6,570 7,147 8.8

9 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX R5,051 5,216 3.3

10

Washington 

(Dulles), DC 4,792 5,176 8.0

11 Honolulu, HI 4,410 4,049 –8.2

12 Boston, MA 3,902 3,776 –3.2

13 Detroit, MI 3,823 3,685 –3.6.

14 Philadelphia, PA R

3,693 3,515 –4.8

15 Guam Island, GU 2,456 2,649 7.9

16

Minneapolis-St. Paul, 

MN R2,595 2,476 –4.6

17 Fort Lauderdale, FL R2,187 2,420 10.7

18 Seattle-Tacoma, WA R2,285 2,260 –1.1

19 San Juan, PR 2,039 2,137 4.8

20 Orlando, FL R2,179 2,075 –4.8

Total, top 20 U.S. 

 international airports R131,182 135,191 3.1

Top 20, 

 percentage of total R87.4 87.6

Total, all U.S. 

 international airports R150,110 154,351 2.8

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 2007.

 2006 Gateway % change

 rank airport 2005 2006 2005–2006
24 Pocket Guide to Transportation

4-8

U.S.-Mexican Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2006

(Thousands)

Total for all U.S.-Mexico crossings

 Personal vehicles 88,296

 Personal vehicle passengers 179,255

 Buses 263

 Bus passengers 3,187

 Train passengers 22

 Pedestrians 46,251

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 17,135

 El Paso, TX 15,602

 Brownsville, TX 6,968

 Hidalgo, TX 6,480

 Calexico, CA 6,110

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 31,869

 El Paso, TX 28,000

 Laredo, TX 14,244

 Brownsville, TX 14,023

 Hidalgo, TX 12,632

Buses—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 101

 Otay Mesa, CA 45

 Laredo, TX 37

 Hidalgo, TX 27

 El Paso, TX 15

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 1,060

 Laredo, TX 878

 Otay Mesa, CA 313

 El Paso, TX 240

 Nogales, AZ 217

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

 El Paso, TX 11

 Eagle Pass, TX 5

 Nogales, AZ 3

 Calexico East, CA 2

 Otay Mesa/San Ysidro, CA 0.5

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

 San Ysidro, CA 7,812

 Nogales, AZ 7,726

 El Paso, TX 7,500

 Laredo, TX 4,246

 Calexico, CA 4,049

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

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 

2007.

 Entering the U.S.
 Mobility 25

4-9

U.S.-Canadian Border Land-Passenger Crossings: 2006

(Thousands)

Total for all U.S.-Canada crossings

 Personal vehicles 30,038

 Personal vehicle passengers 62,986

 Buses 129

 Bus passengers 3,499

 Train passengers 245

 Pedestrians 534

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 6,026

 Detroit, MI 5,634

 Blaine, WA 2,597

 Port Huron, MI 1,976

 Calais, ME 1,174

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 13,515

 Detroit, MI 9,932

 Blaine, WA 5,276

 Port Huron, MI 4,107

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 2,921

Buses—top 5 gateways

 Detroit, MI 36

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 30

 Blaine, WA 13

 Skagway, AK 10

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 8

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

 Detroit, MI 912

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 885

 Blaine, WA 453

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 294

 Skagway, AK 145

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

 Skagway, AK 74

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 38

 Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 34

 Blaine, WA 32

 Port Huron, MI 16

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 346

 Sumas, WA 29

 Calais, ME 22

 International Falls, MN 20

 Point Roberts, WA 15

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

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 

2007.

 Entering the U.S.
26 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Airport Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers Rank

Total

enplaned

passengers

%

change

1996–2006

Atlanta, GA 2 30,407 1 40,777 34

Chicago (O’Hare), IL 1 30,526 2 34,538 13

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 3 26,640 3 28,351 6

Los Angeles, CA 4 22,799 4 23,112 1

Denver, CO 6 15,246 5 22,481 47

Las Vegas, NV 9 14,166 6 21,152 49

Phoenix, AZ 7 14,808 7 20,362 38

Houston (Bush), TX 14 11,622 8 19,706 70

Detroit, MI 8 14,117 9 17,291 22

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 12 12,616 10 17,135 36

Newark, NJ 11 12,952 11 16,272 26

Orlando, FL 16 10,847 12 15,859 46

Philadelphia, PA 24 8,572 13 15,049 76

New York (JFK), NY 19 9,704 14 15,041 55

Charlotte, NC 18 10,008 15 14,677 47

Seattle, WA 15 11,487 16 14,291 24

San Francisco, CA 5 16,308 17 13,907 –15

Miami, FL 12 11,908 18 12,955 9

New York

 (La Guardia), NY 20 9,594 19 12,472 30

Boston, MA 17 10,654 20 12,275 15

Top 20 airports 309,906 387,706 25

 All airports 592,891 703,377 19

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

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

Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Schedule T-3 data, special 

tabulation, October 2007.

 1996 2006

4-10

Top 20 U.S. Passenger Airports: 1996 and 2006

(Thousands of enplaned passengers on U.S. large certifi cated air carriers)
 Mobility 27

4-11

Major U.S. Airports On-Time Arrival Performance: 

2005 and 2006

Airport

On-Time

rank %

On-Time

rank %

Cincinnati, OH 2 82.7 1 83.1

Salt Lake City, UT 1 83.5 2 82.8

Phoenix, AZ 7 81.1 3 80.3

Baltimore, MD 8 80.2 4 80.0

Orlando, FL 19 77.5 5 79.9

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 16 78.2 6 79.7

Houston (Bush), TX 6 81.3 7 78.8

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 3 82.5 8 78.7

Denver, CO 20 77.0 9 78.7

Tampa, FL 11 79.5 10 78.4

St. Louis, MO 4 82.3 11 78.0

Oakland, CA 12 79.2 12 78.0

Chicago (Midway), IL 5 81.5 13 77.7

San Diego, CA 28 71.1 14 77.6

Fort Lauderdale, FL 9 80.1 15 76.7

Portland, OR 18 77.8 16 76.5

Los Angeles, CA 14 78.7 17 76.4

Las Vegas, NV 24 74.0 18 76.3

Washington 

(Reagan National), DC 17 78.1 19 76.3

Miami, FL 10 79.9 20 76.1

Detroit, MI 13 79.1 21 75.6

Charlotte, NC 15 78.5 22 75.3

Washington (Dulles), DC 23 74.5 23 73.9

Pittsburgh, PA 26 71.9 24 71.9

Seattle, WA 25 72.5 25 71.8

Atlanta, GA 21 75.1 26 70.4

Boston, MA 27 71.8 27 70.4

San Francisco, CA 29 70.3 28 69.4

Philadelphia, PA 22 74.9 29 68.2

New York (JFK), NY 30 66.7 30 64.2

Chicago (O’Hare), IL 31 64.1 31 62.6

New York (LaGuardia), NY 32 66.7 32 64.2

Newark, NJ 33 64.1 33 62.6

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, http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/

airline_ontime_tables as of November 2007.

 2005 2006
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: 2004–2007

On-time performance

 Total (weighted) 70.7% 69.8% 67.8% 68.6%

 Short distance 

 (<400 miles)a 75.2% 73.6% 72.8% 72.2%

 Long distance

 (>400 miles) 40.7% 42.1% 29.9% 39.5%

Hours of delay

by cause 

 Amtrakb R28,323 25,549 23,968 22,902

 Host railroadc 61,256 64,097 71,387 72,565

 Otherd R5,582 5,613 6,166 6,187

Totale 95,162 95,260 101,522 101,655

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.

Key: R = revised.

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 2007.

 2004 2005 2006 2007
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: 2005

South Louisiana, LA 212.2 Long Beach, CA 5,200

Houston, TX 211.7 Los Angeles, CA 4,375

New York, NY and NJ 152.1 New York, NY 3,581

Huntington-Tristate, 

WV-OH-PA 83.9 Oakland, CA 1,561

Long Beach, CA 79.9 Tacoma, WA 1,545

Beaumont, TX 78.9 Charleston, SC 1,514

Corpus Christ, TX 77.6 Savannah, GA 1,486

New Orleans, LA 65.9 Seattle, WA 1,443

Baton Rouge, LA 59.3 Norfolk, VA 1,436

Texas City, TX 57.8 Houston, TX 1,290

Mobile, AL 57.7 Honolulu, HI 856

Los Angeles, CA 54.9 Miami, FL 778

Lake Charles, LA 52.7 San Juan, PR 726

Tampa, FL 49.2 Port Everglades, FL 591

Plaquemines, LA, 

Port of 47.9 Jacksonville, FL 582

Duluth-Superior, MN 

and WI 44.7 Baltimore, MD 487

Valdez, AK 44.4 Anchorage, AK 293

Baltimore, MD 44.1 New Orleans, LA 177

Pittsburgh, PA 43.6 Wilmington, DE 162

Philadelphia, PA 39.4 Boston, MA 160

Total, top 20 1,558 28,241

Total, all ports 2,528 30,059

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 2005, Part 5, National Summaries, table 5-2, 

available at http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/wcsc.htm, as of September 2007. 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 September 2007.

 Port by Short tons Port by Full TEUs

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

4-15

Top 20 World Container Ports: 2004 and 2005

(Thousands of full and empty TEUs)

2 1 Singapore Singapore 23,192

1 2 Hong Kong China 22,427

3 3 Shanghai China 18,084

4 4 Shenzhen China 16,197

5 5 Busan South Korea 11,843

6 6 Kaohsiung Taiwan 9,471

7 7 Rotterdam Netherlands 9,287

9 8 Hamburg Germany 8,088

10 9 Dubai

United Arab 

 Emirates 7,619

8 10 Los Angeles United States 7,485

12 11 Long Beach United States 6,710

11 12 Antwerp Belgium 6,482

14 13 Quingdao China 6,307

13 14 Port Kalang Malaysia 5,544

17 15 Ningbo China 5,208

18 16 Tianjin China 4,801

15 17

New York/

 New Jersey United States 4,785

** 18 Guangzhou China 4,685

16 19 Tanjung Pelepas Malaysia 4,177

20 20 Laem Chabang Thailand 3,834

** Guangzhou was unranked among the world’s top 20 container ports in 

2004.

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

TEU. 

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

Rankings: 2004 and 2005(Container Traffi c), available at 

http://www.aapa-ports.org/ as of October 2007.

 Rank Rank 

(2004) (2005) 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 2006, 

transportation-related goods and services contributed $1.4 

trillion to the $13.2 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

5 Economy

5-1 

U.S. Gross Domestic Product by 

Major Societal Function: 2006

Housing

(25.5%)

Health care

 (17.3%)

 Food

(11.5%)

Transportation-

 relateda

 (10.6%)

Education

 (7.4%)

Recreation

 (6.9%)

 Otherb

(20.9%)

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 from data in 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 September 2007.
Economy 33

5-2

Average Household Expenditures by

Major Spending Category: 2006

(Current dollars)

Apparel and 

services 

(4%) Othera

(15%) Personal 

insurance 

and pensions 

(11%) 

Health 

care 

(6%) 

Housing

(34%)

Food 

(13%) 

Transportation

(18%) 

$8,508 

 Private vehicle expenditures = $8,003

 Vehicle purchases = $3,421

 Gasoline and motor oil = $2,227

 Other vehicle expenditures = $2,355

 Public transportation 

 expenditures = $505

 Airline fares = $335

 Ship fares = $55

 Mass transit fares = $51

 Taxi fares = $22

 Intercity train fares = $16

 Local transportation on 

 out-of-town trips = $13

 Intercity bus fares = $11

 School bus = $2

a

 Includes entertainment, personal care products and services, education, 

tobacco products and smoking, and miscellaneous.

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

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

Expenditure Survey, 2006; and personal communication, October 2007.
34 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-3

Transportation Services Index (TSI): 1990–2007

(Seasonally adjusted)

60

80

100

120

1990 2000 2005 1995

Chained-type index: 

2000 = 100 (Yearly average based)

TSI passenger

TSI freight

TSI total

Notes: 2007 data are through July. May–July 2007 data are preliminary. The 

TSI total is a single index measure of monthly output of for-hire transportation services in the United States using 2000 as the base year. 

Source: Compiled by U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and 

Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

special calculation, September 2007, avaliable at: http://www.bts.gov/xml/

tsi/src/index.xml. 
Economy 35

5-4

Employment in Transportation and Selected

Transportation-Related Industriesa

: 1990–2006

(Thousands)

Total U.S. labor force 

 (Nonfarm) 109,487 131,785 R133,463 136,174 

Total transportation related 

 labor forceb 12,084 R13,678 13,109 13,198 

Transportation as a percent 

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

For-hire transport & 

 warehousing 3,476 4,410 R4,361 4,466 

 Air 529 614 501 487

 Water 57 56 61 64

 Railroad 272 232 228 225

 Transit/ground

 passenger transportation 274 372 389 394

 Pipeline 60 46 38 39

 Trucking 1,122 1,406 R

1,398 1,437

 Support activities 364 537 R552 571

 Scenic/sightseeing 

 transportation 16 28 R

29 27

 Couriers/messengers 375 605 R571 585

 Warehousing/storage 407 514 R595 636

Related services & 

 construction 5,256 6,177 6,011 6,007

Automotive repair services/

 parking; automotive equipment

 rental/leasing; gasoline stations 1,800 2,125 R2,059 2,053

Highway, street, bridge 

 construction 289 340 R351 349

Dealers or wholesalers of motor

 vehicles, parts, petroleum, 

 supplies, equipment 1,993 R2,361 2,396 2,392

Travel arrangement/

 reservation services 250 299 224 227

Ambulatory health care services 99 173 R206 216

Postal service 825 880 774 770

Transportation-related 

 manufacturingc 2,681 2,446 R2,135 2,127

Governmentb 673 646 602 599

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.

Source: Various sources as cited in USDOT, RITA, BTS, National Transportation Statistics, table 3-19b, available at http://www.bts.gov as of September 

2007.

 1990 2000 2005 2006
36 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-5

Value of U.S.–International Merchandise Trade by 

Mode of Transportation: 2006

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Total 1,037,143 100.0 1,855,119 100.0 2,892,262 100.0

Water 308,356 29.7 971,100 52.3 1,279,456 44.2

Air 336,536 32.4 394,458 21.3 730,993 25.3

Truck 257,310 24.8 276,348 14.9 533,657 18.5

Rail 39,749 3.8 89,122 4.8 128,871 4.5

Pipeline 2,887 0.3 53,921 2.9 56,808 2.0

Other, 

unknown, & 

miscellaneous 92,305 8.9 70,171 3.8 162,477 5.6

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: Compiled by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Research 

and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation 

Statistics (BTS), May 2007. Total, water and air data—U.S. Department of 

Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights, December 2006. Truck, rail and pipeline—

USDOT, RITA, BTS, Transborder Freight Data 2006; and special calculation, 

September 2006. Other, unknown and miscellaneous data: 

special tabulation, May 2007.

 Modal Modal Total Total

 Exports % Imports % trade modal %
Economy 37

5-6

Weight of U.S.–International Merchandise Trade 

by Mode of Transportation: 2006

(Thousands of short tons)

Total 579,851 100.0 1,392,726 100.0 1,972,577 100.0

Water a 420,090 72.4 1,102,999 79.1 1,523,089 77.1

Air 3,359 0.6 4,495 0.3 7,854 0.4

Truckb 91,462 15.8 100,042 7.2 191,504 9.7

Railb 54,960 9.5 95,144 6.8 150,104 7.6

Pipelineb 5,484 0.9 89,428 6.4 94,912 4.8

Other, 

unknown, & 

miscellaneousb 4,497 0.8 617 0.0 5,114 0.3

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 Census Bureau trade-based data to allow for a complete modal 

comparison among the different freight transportation modes. b

 BTS estimated the export weight 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 export weights for surface modes are not currently reported. 

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: Compiled by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), October 2007. Water and air data—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 

U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights, December 2006. Total, truck, 

rail, pipeline, other and unknown data—USDOT, RITA, BTS, Transborder 

Freight Data 2006; and special calculation, October 2007.

 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: 2006

NAFTA trade, total 100.0 100.0

Trucka 61.6 29.2

Raila 14.9 19.5

Pipelinea 6.6 13.9

Air 4.1 0.0

Water 8.1 37.0

Other and unknowna 4.7 0.3

U.S.-NAFTA imports, total 100.0 100.0

Truck 55.1 21.1

Rail 17.8 20.0

Pipeline 10.7 18.8

Air 2.5 0.0

Water 11.0 39.9

Other and unknown 2.9 0.1

U.S.-NAFTA exports, total 100.0 100.0

Trucka 70.6 48.1

Raila 10.9 18.4

Pipelinea 0.8 2.6

Air 6.4 0.1

Water 4.1 30.2

Other and unknowna 7.2 0.6 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: Value based on millions of U.S. dollars; weight based on millions of 

short tons. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

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

with Canada and Mexico, our partners in this agreement.

Sources: Compiled by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of 

Transportation Statistics (BTS), October 2007. Water and air data—U.S. 

Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, 

FT920 U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights, December 2006. 

Total, truck, rail, pipeline, other and unknown data—USDOT, RITA, 

BTS, Transborder Surface Freight Data 2006; and special calculation, 

October 2007.

 Value Weight

 Mode (percent) (percent)
Economy 39

5-8

Top 20 U.S. Foreign Trade Freight Gateways 

by Value of Shipments: 2006

(Billions of current dollars)

1 Los Angeles, CA (w)P 26.3 143.7 170.0

2 New York, NY and NJ (w)P 33.2 116.1 149.3

3

John F. Kennedy 

 International, NY (a) 68.4 79.4 147.8

4 Detroit, MI (l) 72.8 64.5 137.2

5 Long Beach, CA (w)P 21.4 113.3 134.7

6 Laredo, TX (l) 45.8 58.2 104.0

7 Houston, TX (w)P 41.9 60.9 102.9

8 Los Angeles Intl., CA (a) 41.0 38.0 79.1

9 Chicago, IL (a) 31.3 46.7 78.1

10 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (l) 35.5 40.0 75.5

11 Port Huron, MI (l) 25.5 44.9 70.3

12 San Francisco Intl., CA (a) 29.5 34.3 63.8

13 Charleston, SC (w)P 16.1 39.1 55.1

14 El Paso, TX (l) 21.0 25.7 46.7

15 Anchorage, AK (a) 11.5 33.2 44.6

16 Norfolk, VA (w)P 17.4 27.1 44.5

17 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (a) 17.5 24.1 41.6

18 Savannah, GA (w)P 13.6 26.1 39.7

19 Baltimore, MD (w)P 9.6 27.0 36.6

20 Seattle, WA (w)P 8.6 26.0 34.6

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 2007. Water—U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, special tabulation, November 

2007. Land—U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative 

Tech nology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transborder Freight Data, November 2007.

 Rank Gateway Exports Imports Total
40 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-9

U.S. Trade in Transportation-Related 

Commodities: 2006

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Motor vehicles and 

 parts (87) 92,703 215,379 308,082 –122,676

Aircraft, spacecraft, 

 and parts (88) 66,753 17,592 84,345 49,161

Ships, boats, and 

 fl oating structures (89) 2,700 1,555 4,255 1,145

Railway or tramway 

 locomotives and 

 parts (86) 2,714 1,744 4,458 970

Total, 

 transportation 

 commodities 164,870 236,270 401,140 –71,400

Total, all commodities 1,037,143 1,855,119 2,673,095 –817,976

Transportation 

 commodities

 share of trade 15.9% 12.7% 15.0% 8.7%

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

the Harmonized Schedule of Commodity Codes.

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, U.S. International Trade Commission, Interactive Tariff and Trade DataWeb, available at http://dataweb.

usitc.gov as of September 2007.

 Commodity Total 

 and code Exports Imports trade Balance
Economy 41

5-10

New Passenger Car and Light Truck Sales:

Model Years 1985–2007

0

Millions of vehicles

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Cars

Light trucks

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 2007 data are projected sales from the automotive companies. 

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

Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2007, Table E-1 to E-15, 

available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm as of September 2007.
42 Pocket Guide to Transportation

5-11

Government Transportation Revenues by Mode

and Level of Governmenta

: 1995–2003

(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 67,544 90,980 91,182 92,080

 Federal: 

 Highway Trust Fundb 22,200 34,985 33,068 34,191

 State and local 45,344 55,995 58,114 57,889

Transitc 11,600 11,196 15,229 13,698

Railroadd 36 1 0 0

Air total 14,518 22,297 24,543 24,212

 Federal: Airport and 

 Airway Trust Fund 6,291 10,544 11,282 10,597

 State and local 8,227 11,754 13,261 13,615

Water total 3,832 4,058 3,937 4,279

 Federal: water receiptse 1,909 1,551 1,252 1,349

 State and local 1,923 2,507 2,635 2,930

Pipelined 35 40 57 57

General supporte 7 25 25 9

Total, all modes 97,573 128,597 134,973 134,335

 Federal 30,478 47,146 45,684 46,203

 State and local 67,095 81,451 89,290 88,133

a

 All data are not comparable to those published in earlier editions because 

of changes in the methodology of estimation.

b

 Includes both Highway and Transit Accounts of the Highway Trust Fund. 

c

 Includes state and local government only.

d

 Includes federal only.

e

 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.

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 nontransportation purposes, 

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

transportation programs, and 

3) proceeds from borrowing. 

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transpor tation Statistics, Government 

Transportation Financial Statistics 2007.

 1995 2000 2002 2003
Economy 43

5-12

Government Transportation Expenditures by 

Mode and Level of Governmenta

: 1995–2003

(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 90,075 119,847 133,538 138,500

 Federal 1,685 2,216 2,620 3,166

 State and local 88,391 117,720 130,918 135,334

Transit total 25,460 34,828 41,604 41,555

 Federal 1,277 3,677 4,508 4,560

 State and local 24,183 31,150 37,095 36,995

Rail total 1,065 762 1,309 1,219

 Federal 1,023 748 1,265 1,197

 State and local 42 14 44 22

Air total 19,250 22,525 37,025 34,185

 Federal 10,807 9,285 20,675 17,019

 State and local 8,443 13,240 16,350 17,166

Water total 6,623 7,634 8,038 11,775

 Federal 4,314 4,493 4,467 5,900

 State and local 2,309 3,141 3,571 5,875

Pipeline total 24 46 48 65

 Federal 12 28 27 45

 State and local 12 18 22 20

General support 757 670 2,113 10,763

 Federal 751 662 2,101 10,751

 State and local 6 8 12 12

Total, all modes 143,254 186,311 223,657 238,061

 Federal 19,869 21,020 35,662 42,637

 State and local 123,385 165,291 188,013 195,423

a

 All data are not comparable to those published in earlier editions because 

of changes in the methodology of estimation.

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.

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

Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics 2007.

 1995 2000 2002 2003
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 

inreases in U.S. pop ulation, Gross Domestic Product, and 

vehicle-miles traveled. Only ammonia among criteria pollutants remains above its 1990 level. 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 1985–2007

30

35

25

20

15

10

5

0

Miles per gallon

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Light trucks

Cars

Notes: Dimensionally, fuel economy is miles divided by gallons. Then, 

presented with more than one fuel economy value, an approach to 

averaging the values is to compute the result by determining the 

total miles traveled and dividing that by the total gallons used.

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

Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2007, Table A-2, available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm as of September 2007.
Environment 45

6-2

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 

Energy Use: 1985–2006

Commercial

Residential

Transportation

Industrial

150

250

350

450

550

Million metric tons of carbon

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Notes: 2006 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 Gases in the 

United States, Appendix E, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov, as of 

December 2005. 1990–2006—USDOE, EIA, U.S. Carbon Dioxide from 

Energy Sources 2007 Flash Estimate, available at http://www.eia.doe.

gov/oiaf/1605/fl ash/fl ash.html as of September 2007.
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 R2,602 823

Mitigation 

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

Key: R = revised.

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.

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 2005 2006
Environment 47

6-4

Index of Key Air Pollutant Emissions from 

U.S. Transportation: 1990–2006

Index: 1990 = 1.0

Key: PM-10 and PM-2.5 = airborne particulates of less than 10 microns or 

2.5 microns, respectively.

Notes: Data include emissions from onroad mobile sources only. EPA 

revised the emissions estimation methodology for onroad mobile 

sources. EPA discontinued lead emissions estimated in 2001.

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

Internet website http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/trends/index.html as of 

September 2007.

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

1990 1995 2000 2005

Carbon monoxide

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1990 1995 2000 2005

Nitrogen oxides

1990 1995 2000 2005

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Volatile organic compounds

PM-10 PM-2.5

1990 1995 2000 2005 0.4

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

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

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 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).

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

Ship in Baltimore Harbor

Dennis Roos, Sr.

Back cover

Passenger train

National Railroad Passenger 

Corporation (Amtrak)
U.S. Department of Transportation