Pocket

Guide to

Transportation

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

2003
Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Our mission: To lead in developing transportation data

and information of high quality and to advance their 

effective use in both public and private transportation 

decisionmaking.

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high quality will support every significant transportation

policy decision, thus advancing the quality of life and the 

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BTS03-01

January 2003
Bureau of 

Transportation 

Statistics

U.S. Department of

Transportation

Pocket Guide to

Transportation
U.S. Department of

Transportation

Norman Y. Mineta

Secretary

Michael P. Jackson

Deputy Secretary

Bureau of

Transportation

Statistics

Rick Kowalewski

Acting Director

William J. Chang

Associate Director for

Information Systems

John V. Wells

Chief Economist

Produced under the

direction of:

Wendell Fletcher

Assistant Director for

Transportation Analysis

Project Manager

Kay Drucker

Editor

Marsha Fenn

Layout

Lorisa Smith

Contributors

Felix Ammah-Tagoe

David Chesser

Chester Ford

Xiaoli Han

Getachew Mekonnen

Lisa Randall

Joy Sharp

Peg Young

Jie Zhang

Acknowledgments
1

Transportation Safety 4

Transportation System Extent and Use 2

Resident population (thous.) 226,542 284,797

Total area (thous. sq. mi.)a 3,619 3,718 (1990)

Total civilian labor force (thous.) 106,940 141,815

Real gross domestic productb $4.9 trillion $9.2 trillion

Median household incomeb,d $32,661 (1984) $38,426

Average household incomeb,c,d $34,189 (1984) $43,362

Average household expendituresb,c,d $32,020 (1984) $36,070

Number of households (thous.) 80,776 R105,480 (2000)

Average life expectancy (years) 73.7 P76.9 (2000)

a 1980 data include the Great Lakes and inland and coastal water. 1990 data

include inland water only.The Census Bureau tabulates area data for the

decennial census years only. b Expressed in 1996 chained dollars (see Glossary for definition).

c Earliest year available is 1984. d BTS computations, Nov. 15, 2002.

Key: P = preliminary data; R = revised.

Sources: Population, area, number of households—U.S. Department of

Commerce (USDOC), Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of United States:

2000, available at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html; GDP—

USDOC, BEA; median household income—USDOC, Census, available at

www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/ie1.html; average household

income and expenditures, employment—U.S. Department of Labor, BLS,

available at http://www.bls.gov/cex; life expectancy—Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, available at www.cdc.gov.

America’s transportation system has changed along

with the nation’s society and economy. The following

table puts those changes in perspective:

Mobility 16

Transportation and the Economy 30

Transportation and the Environment 40

Glossary 44

Context 1980 2001

Transportation Security 10

Contents
2 Pocket Guide to Transportation

The U.S. transportation system is an extensive, interrelated network of public and private 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.This system links regions and connects small

and large cities and urban and rural areas.

1 Transportation System Extent and Use

Table 1

The Transportation Network: 2001

Highway Public roads

46,717 miles of Interstate highway

114,700 miles of other National Highway System

roads

3,801,849 miles of other roads

Air Public-use airports

5,315 airports

Airports serving large certificated carriers

29 large hub areas (72 airports), 445 million enplaned

passengers (see Glossary for "hub" definition)

31 medium hub areas (52 airports), 95 million

enplaned passengers 

55 small hub areas (72 airports), 36 million enplaned

passengers

598 nonhub areas (622 airports), 16 million enplaned

passengers

Rail Miles of railroad operateda

97,631 miles by Class I freight railroads in the United

Statesb

17,439 miles by regional freight railroads

27,563 miles by local freight railroads

22,741 miles by Amtrak (passenger) (2000)

Mode Components
Urban transit Directional route-milesc

Bus: 160,506 (2000)

Trolley bus: 471

Commuter rail: 5,209

Heavy rail: 1,572

Light rail: 892

Stations

Commuter rail: 1,155

Heavy rail: 1,019

Light rail: 628

Water 26,000 miles of navigable waterways

(2000) Ferry routes: 487

Commercial waterway facilitiesd

Great Lakes: 611 deep-draft

143 shallow-draft

Inland: 2,367 shallow-draft

Ocean: 4,079 deep-draft

2,109 shallow-draft

Locks: 276

Pipeline Oil

Crude lines: 76,658 miles of pipe 

Product lines: 87,123 miles of pipe 

Gas (2000)

Transmission: 250,000 miles of pipe 

Distribution: 1,110,000 miles of pipe 

a Amtrak mileage is included in rail categories, except for track they own in

the Northeast Corridor and Michigan. b There are also 311 miles of railroad operated by U.S. Class I freight

railroads in Canada and Mexico. c Directly operated service. Does not include contracted service.

d See Glossary for definition of commercial waterway facilites.

Sources: Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 1-1; Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, 2002

(Washington, DC: 2002); USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Highway

Statistics 2001 (Washington, DC: 2002); Oil & Gas Journal, Sept. 16, 2002;

USDOT, Federal Transit Administration, personal communication, special calculations from National Transit Database, Nov. 18, 2002; USDOT, BTS,

Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Air Carriers, Summary Tables, 12 Months

Ending Dec. 31, 2001 (Washington, DC: 2003).

Transportation System Extent and Use 3

Mode Components
Large air carriera 146 1 39 92 531

Commuter air carriera N 37 R7 5 13

On-demand air taxia N 105 51 71 60

General aviationa 1,310 1,239 767 592 553

Highwayb 52,627 51,091 44,599 R41,945 42,116

Railroadc 785 584 599 512 548

Transit d N N 339 295 U

Commercial ship

Vessel 178 206 85 32 U

Nonvessele 420 281 101 87 U

Recreational boating 1,418 1,360 865 701 U

Gas and hazardous

liquid pipeline 30 19 9 38 7

a Includes people on planes and on the ground. For large air carriers, fatalities resulting from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks include only

those persons onboard aircraft. b Includes occupants, nonoccupants, and motor vehicle 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, demandresponsive, van pool, and automated guideway. e Fatalities unrelated to vessel accidents, e.g., individual falling overboard

and drowning.

Key: N = data do not exist or are not cited because of reporting changes; R = revised; U = unavailable.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 2-1.

4 Pocket Guide to Transportation

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 45

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

transportation. Roughly 95 percent of these transportation

fatalities arise from motor vehicle crashes.

2 Transportation Safety

Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001

Table 2

Fatalities by Transportation Mode
Passenger car occupants R20,699 46.7

Light-truck occupants R11,526 26.0

Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles R4,763 10.7

Motorcyclists R2,897 6.5

Large-truck occupants R754 1.7

Recreational boating 701 1.6

Pedalcyclists struck by motor vehicles R693 1.6

General aviation 594 1.3

RR trespassers (excluding grade crossings)a 463 1.0

Unknown and other motor vehicle occupants R450 1.0

Other nonoccupants struck by motor vehiclesb R141 0.32

Air carriers 92 0.21

Waterborne transportation (nonvessel) 87 0.20

Heavy rail transit ( e.g., subway) 80 0.18

Air taxi 71 0.16

Grade crossings, not involving motor vehiclesc 64 0.14

Private grade crossings, with motor vehicles 55 0.12

Waterborne transportation (vessel-related) 32 0.07

Light-rail transit 30 0.07

RR employees on duty and contractors 25 0.06

Bus occupants (school, intercity, and transit) 22 0.05

Gas distribution pipelines 22 0.05

RR-related, not otherwise specified 20 0.05

Gas transmission pipelines 15 0.03

Transit buses, not related to accidentsd 8 0.02

Commuter air 5 0.01

Passengers on railroad trains 4 <0.01

Hazardous liquid pipelines 1 <0.01

Totale R44,314 100.0

Other counts, redundant with abovef

Large-truck occupants and nonoccupants 5,282

Public grade crossings, with motor vehicles 306

Commuter rail (included in RR categories) 87

Transit buses, accident-related 82

Outside planes in crashes 13

Demand-responsive transit (accident-related) 8

a Includes fatalities outside trains. b Includes all nonoccupant fatalities

except pedalcyclists and pedestrians. c Public grade-crossing fatalities involving motor vehicles are included in counts for motor vehicles. d Includes homicides and suicides. e Unless otherwise specified, includes fatalities outside the vehicle. f In the above, fatalities at

grade crossings with motor vehicles are included under relevant

motor vehicle modes. Commuter rail fatalities are counted under RR.

For transit bus and demand-responsive transit, occupant fatalities are

counted under “bus” and nonoccupant fatalities are counted under

"pedestrians," "pedalcyclists," or other motor vehicle categories.

Key: R = revised; RR = railroad.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 2-4.

Transportation Safety 5

Category Number Percent

Table 3

Distribution of Transportation Fatalities: 2000
Number Alcohol

of vehicles Fatalities involvement Percent

6 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Table 4

Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes by Number of

Vehicles and Alcohol Involvement: 2001

Occupants 36,386 14,759 40.6

Single-vehicle crashes 17,747 9,005 50.7

Two-vehicle crashes 15,578 4,748 30.5

More than two-vehicle

crashes 3,061 1,006 32.9

Pedestrians 4,882 2,369 48.5

Single-vehicle crashes 4,461 2,117 47.5

Multiple-vehicle crashes 421 252 59.9

Pedalcyclists 728 281 38.6

Single-vehicle crashes 705 268 38.0

Multiple-vehicle crashes 23 12 52.2

Others/unknown 120 39 32.5

Total 42,116 17,448 41.4

Note:A fatal crash is considered alcohol-related if either a driver or a

nonmotorist had a measurable or estimated blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 grams per deciliter or above.

Source: USDOT, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, personal

communication, Sept. 10, 2002.
Transportation Safety 7

Figure 1

Fatalities in Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes

Source: USDOT, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National

Center for Statistics and Analysis, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

database, personal communication, as of Sept. 10, 2002.

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

Total fatalities

Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes

Number

1985 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2001
8 Pocket Guide to Transportation

1980 1985 1990 1995 2001 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

1980 1985 1990 1995 2001 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

1978 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Per 100 million vehicle-miles

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Per 100 million vehicle-miles

10

20

30

40

50

60 Per 100 million vehicle-miles

4

Per 100,000 aircraft departures Per 100,000 aircraft-hours flown

Smoothed

Actual

Passenger car occupants Light-truck occupants

Large-truck occupants Motorcycle riders

Air carriers (actual and smoothed fatality rates)a General aviation

a For air carriers, the data were dampened, or smoothed, to reduce the

month-to-month fluctuations.This dampening was performed using an

exponential smoothing model, with a weight of 0.95. Departure data,

and hence the denominator of the rates, are not strictly comparable

between pre- and post-1977 eras.

For large air carriers, fatalities resulting from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist

attacks include only those persons onboard aircraft.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

chapter 2.

Figure 2

Fatality Rates for Selected Modes
Transportation Safety 9

Air carrier a 107 19 29 R27 P16

Commuter air

carrierb N 14 11 R7 P4

On-demand 

air taxi c N 43 36 R12 P23

General aviationd 715 681 409 R310 P322

Highway e N N R3,230,666 R3,189,000 3,032,672

Railroadf 17,934 58,696 22,736 10,424 9,739

Transit g N N 54,556 56,697 U

Commercial ship 

Vessel accidents 105 180 175 125 U

Nonvessel 

accidentsh U U U 564 U

Recreational 

boating 780 2,650 3,822 4,355 U

Gas and hazardous

liquid pipeline 254 192 76 81 46

a All scheduled and nonscheduled service operating under 14 CFR 121.

Since Mar. 20, 1997, 14 CFR 121 includes only aircraft with 10 or more

seats formerly operated under 14 CFR 135. b All scheduled service operating under 14 CFR 135. Before Mar. 20, 1997,

14 CFR 135 applied to aircraft with 30 seats or less. Since Mar. 20,

1997, 14 CFR 135 includes only aircraft with less than 10 seats. c Nonscheduled service operating under 14 CFR 135.

d All operations other than those operating under 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR

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

occupants, bus occupants, pedestrians, pedalcyclists, occupants of

unknown vehicle types, and other nonmotorists. f Injuries resulting from train accidents, train and nontrain incidents, and

occupational illness. Includes Amtrak. g Injuries resulting from all reportable incidents, not just from accidents.

Includes commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail, motorbus, demandresponsive, van pool, and automated guideway. h Injuries unrelated to vessel accidents, e.g., an individual getting a cut while

onboard a vessel.

Key: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised; U = unavailable.

Note: Each mode may use different reporting criteria for injuries.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,

National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), table 2-2.

Table 5

Injured Persons by Transportation Mode

Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001
Persons screened

(millions) 993 1,145 1,263 1,812 1,320

Firearms detected 2,913 R2,549 2,390 1,937 1,071

Handguns 2,823 2,490 2,230 1,643 1,008

Long guns (rifles) 90 59 160 294 63

Persons arrested

Carrying firearms/

explosives 1,310 1,336 1,194 600 362

Giving false information 42 18 68 61 90

a Includes operators with a U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal

Aviation Administration operating certificate engaged in scheduled

passenger or public charter passenger operations and airports at

which these operations are conducted.

Sources:

1985—USDOT, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Semiannual Report to

Congress on the Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program, July 1–

December 31, 1985 (Washington, DC: May 1986).

1990–2001—USDOT, FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security Policy and

Planning, Annual Report to Congress on Civil Aviation Security (Washington,

DC: Annual issues), and personal communications, May 27, 1999, Mar. 29,

2000, Aug. 7, 2001, and Sept. 13, 2002.

10 Pocket Guide to Transportation

1985 1990 1995 2000 2001

Table 6

Airlinea Passenger Screening Results

Ensuring security of all transportation modes, facilities,

and the people who use them is a national priority.

While much of the national focus since September 2001

has been on aircraft and airports, attention is also being

directed at other modes; including rail, water, highways,

and pipelines.The U.S. transportation sector remains

almost entirely dependent on petroleum as an energy

source and more than 55 percent of the petroleum used

in the United States is now imported.

3 Transportation Security
Transportation Security 11

Figure 3

Worldwide Civil Aviation Hijackings

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

Note:There were no hijackings in the United States from 1992

through 2000.

Source: USDOT,Transportation Security Administration, Criminal Acts

Against Civil Aviation, available at http://www.tsadot.gov/briefing_room/

pubs_reports/index.shtm, as of October, 2002.

0

10

30

50

Foreign registered

U.S. registered

Number of air carrier hijackings

Figure 4

International Piracy and 

Armed Robbery at Sea

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Source: United Nations International Maritime Organization, Monthly

Circulars and Annual Reports 1995–2002, available at http://www.imo.

org, as of October 2002.

0

100

300

500 Number of incidents
12 Pocket Guide to Transportation

10

15

20

Total consumption

Transportation consumption

Total production

Million barrels per day

Figure 5 

U.S. Petroleum Production and 

Consumption

Note: 2001 data are not final.

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

Energy Review 2001 (Washington, DC: October 2002), tables 5.1 and 5.12c.

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001
Transportation Security 13

Figure 6

Transportation’s Share of

U.S. Petroleum Use

0

4

8

12

16

20

Transportation

Industry

Buildings

Utilities

Million barrels per day

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2001

Note: Data through 1988 for utilities are for consumption at electric

utilities only. Data from 1989 forward include consumption at independent power producers in addition to electric utilities and are

preliminary numbers. 2001 data are not final.

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

Annual Energy Review 2001 (Washington, DC: October 2002), table

5.12a–d.
14 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Figure 7

U.S. Oil Imports

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Key: OPEC = Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

(Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela).

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

Monthly Energy Review, January 2000, tables 3.3d and 3.3h, available at

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/, as of February 2002.

0

1,500

3,000

4,500

6,000

7,500

Total OPEC Total non-OPEC

Thousand barrels per day
Transportation Security 15

Table 7

Major Suppliers of U.S. Crude Oil 

and Petroleum Products

(Rank in 2000; thousand barrels per day, average)

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Canada 846 455 770 934 1,332 1,807

Saudi Arabia 715 1,261 168 1,339 1,344 1,572

Venezuela 702 481 605 1,025 1,480 1,546

Mexico 71 533 816 755 1,068 1,373

Nigeria 762 857 293 800 627 896

Iraq 2 28 46 518 0 620

United Kingdom 14 176 310 189 383 366

Norway 17 144 32 102 273 343

Colombia 9 4 23 182 219 342

Angola 75 42 110 237 367 301

Virgin Islands R406 388 247 282 278 291

Kuwait 16 27 21 86 218 272

Algeria 282 488 187 280 234 225

Total,

major suppliers 3,917 4,884 3,628 6,729 7,823 9,954

Total, all 

U.S. imports 6,056 6,909 5,067 8,018 8,835 11,459

Note:The country of origin for petroleum products may not be the country of origin for the crude oil used to produce the products. Refined

products imported from western European refining areas may have

been produced from Middle Eastern crude oil.

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

Monthly Energy Review, January 2002, tables 3.3a–3.3h, available at

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/mer/petro.html, as of November 2002.
Passenger travel (2001)P

Trips

Annualized daily trips per persona 1,581

Daily trips per persona 4.3

Miles

Annualized daily miles per persona 15,529

Daily miles per persona 43

Domestic freight transportation (2000)

Tons per person, annually 50.3

Ton-miles per person, annually 13,846

a Persons aged 5 and over.

Key: P = preliminary.

Notes: Data used for passenger travel are from the preliminary National

Household Travel Survey (NHTS) travel-day file and include trips of all

lengths made by respondents on a single day; about 95 percent of

these daily trips were 30 miles or less. Calculations are based on preliminary weighted estimates from the 2001 NHTS.

Sources: Passenger—USDOT, Federal Highway Administration and Bureau

of Transportation Statistics, National Household Travel Survey, available at

http://nhts.ornl.gov, as of January 2003.

Freight—USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and U.S. Department

of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Commodity Flow Survey

(Washington, DC: 1999); plus additional estimates prepared by BTS,

October 2002.

16 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Number

Table 8

Per Capita Passenger Travel and

Freight Transportation

The U.S. transportation network makes possible a

high degree of personal mobility and freight activity.

The data in this section show growth in local travel and

freight shipments over time. Factors influencing this

growth include, among others: greater vehicle availability,

reduced travel costs, population increases, congestion,

the economy, and consumer income.

34 Mobility
Mobility 17

Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001

Table 9

Number of Aircraft, Railcars,Vehicles, and Vessels

Air carriers 2,679 3,808 6,083 8,055 8,497

General aviation 131,743 211,045 R196,800 217,533 U

Passenger carsa 89,243,557 121,600,843 133,700,496133,621,420 137,633,467

Motorcycles 2,824,098 5,693,940 4,259,462 4,346,068 4,903,056

Other 2-axle,

4-tire vehicles 14,210,591 27,875,934 48,274,555 79,084,979 84,187,636

Trucks: Single-unit 3,681,405 4,373,784 4,486,981 5,926,030 5,703,500

Combination 905,082 1,416,869 1,708,895 2,096,619 2,154,174

Busesb 377,562 528,789 626,987 746,125 749,548

Passenger rail:

Amtrak—Cars N 2,128 1,863 1,894 U

Locomotives N 419 318 378 U

Commuter railcars

and locomotives N 4,500 4,415 P5,073 U

Transitc 10,548 10,654 11,332 P12,168 U

Class I rail:

Freight cars 1,423,921 1,168,114 658,902 560,154 499,860

Locomotives 27,077 28,094 18,835 20,028 19,745

Other freight cars 360,260 542,713 553,359 820,642 814,276

Nonself-propelled

vessels (barges)d,e 19,377 31,662 31,209 33,152 U

Self-propelled vesselse 6,455 7,126 8,236 8,202 U

Oceangoing shipse

(1,000 gross tons 

and over) 1,579 864 636 R454 443

Recreational boatsf R5,128,345 8,577,857 10,996,253 12,782,143 12,884,166

a In July 1997, the USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, reassigned some

vehicles from “passenger car” to “other 2-axle, 4-tire.” b Includes

municipally-owned transit, commercial, federal, and school buses.

c Includes light and heavy rail only. d See glossary. e U.S.-flag vessels. f Numbered boats. Key: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary;

U = unavailable; R = revised.

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

Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002); table 1-9; air carriers 2000–2001—

Aerospace Industries Association, Aerospace Facts & Figures (Washington DC:

2002/2003), "Active U.S. Air Carrier Fleet"; 2001 Class I rail—Association of

American Railroads, Class I Railroad Statistics, available at http://www.aar.org/

AboutTheIndustry/AboutThe Industry.asp, as of Oct. 2002; oceangoing ships

2000–2001—USDOT, Maritime Administration, Office of Statistical &

Economic Analysis, personal communication, 2002; recreational boats 2001—

U.S. Coast Guard, personal communication, 2002.
18 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001

Air carriers 2,068 2,523 3,963 R5,664 5,550

General aviation 3,207 5,204 R4,548 aN aN

Passenger cars 916,700 1,111,596 R1,408,266 R1,600,287 1,619,422

Motorcycles 2,979 10,214 9,557 R10,469 9,529

Other 2-axle,

4-tire vehiclesb 123,286 290,935 574,571 R923,059 937,839

Trucks:

Single-unit 27,081 39,813 51,901 R70,500 72,286

Combination 35,134 68,678 94,341 R135,020 135,400

Busesc 4,544 6,059 5,726 R7,590 6,986

Raild:

Transite 441 403 561 p648 U

Commuter N 179 213 p271 U

Class 1 freight 29,890 29,277 26,159 34,590 U

Intercity/Amtrakf 690 235 301 368 U

Other transitg N 15 324 p833 U a

The Federal Aviation Administration has estimated vehicle-miles for general

aviation aircraft through 1997, relying in part on hours-flown survey

data.Vehicle-miles estimates for subsequent years are not yet available.

b In July 1997, the USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, reassigned

some vehicle-miles from “passenger car” to “other 2-axle, 4-tire.”

c Includes municipally-owned transit, commercial, federal, and school buses.

d Car-miles.

e Includes light and heavy rail only.

f Fiscal year data.Amtrak began operations in 1971.

g Includes demand-responsive, ferry boat, and other transit not specified;

1980 data include “other transit” only.

Key: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised.

Sources:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 1-32.

2001 air carriers—USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Air Carrier

Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues).

Table 10

Vehicle-Miles

(Millions)
Mobility 19

Mode 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001

Table 11

Passenger-Miles

(Millions)

Air carriers 108,442 204,368 345,873 R516,129 486,506

General aviation 9,100 14,700 13,000 U U

Passenger cars 1,750,897 2,011,989 2,281,391 R2,544,457 2,574,882

Motorcycles 3,277 12,257 12,424 R11,516 10,482

Other 2-axle,

4-tire vehiclesa 225,613 520,774 999,754 R1,467,664 1,491,164

Busesb N N 121,398 R160,919 148,113

Rail:

Transitc N 10,939 12,046 P15,200 U

Commuter 4,592 6,516 7,082 P9,402 U

Intercity/

Amtrakd 6,179 4,503 6,057 5,498 U

Other transite N 390 841 P1,631 U

a In July 1997, the USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, reassigned some

vehicles from “passenger car” to “other 2-axle, 4-tire.”

b Includes municipally-owned transit, commercial, federal, and school buses.

c Includes light and heavy rail only.

d Fiscal year data.Amtrak began operations in 1971.

e Includes demand-responsive, ferry boat, and other transit not specified;

1980 data include ferry boat and “other transit” only.

Key: N = data do not exist; P = preliminary; R = revised; U = unavailable.

Sources:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), table

1-34.

2001 air carriers—USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Air Carrier

Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual December issues).
20 Pocket Guide to Transportation

0

10

20

30

40

50 1977 1983 1990 1995 2001

15

13

9 8 9

35 34 33 32 33 34 34

38

40

38

16

19 19 19 20

Percent

0 vehicles 1 vehicle 2 vehicles 3+ vehicles

Sources: USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Nationwide Personal

Transportation Survey, Our Nation’s Travel (Washington, DC: 1997).

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing

Survey, 1999 and 2001.

Figure 8

Households by Number of Vehicles
Total Total %

enplaned enplaned change

Rank Airport passengers Rank passengers 1991–2001

1 Atlanta (Hartsfield), GA 36,384 4 17,691 105

2 Chicago (O'Hare), IL 28,626 1 26,053 10

3 Dallas/Ft.Worth,TX 25,198 2 22,834 10

4 Los Angeles, CA 22,873 3 18,335 25

5 Phoenix (Sky Harbor), AZ 16,540 7 10,981 51

6 Denver, CO 16,397 6 12,461 32

7 Las Vegas (McCarran), NV 16,121 14 9,011 79

8 Minneapolis, MN 15,648 12 9,207 70

9 Houston

(Intercontinental),TX 15,640 18 7,850 99

10 Detroit (Wayne 

County), MI 15,467 8 9,800 58

11 San Francisco, CA 13,863 5 14,038 –1

12 Newark, NJ 13,823 9 9,742 42

13 St. Louis 

(Lambert-St. Louis), MO 12,864 10 9,453 36

14 Seattle,WA 12,705 21 7,723 65

15 Orlando, FL 12,620 19 7,755 63

16 Miami, FL 11,505 11 9,350 23

17 Philadelphia, PA 10,387 24 6,553 59

18 New York (LaGuardia), NY 10,311 13 9,195 12

19 Charlotte (Douglas), NC 10,226 22 7,679 33

20 Boston (Logan), MA 10,017 15 8,917 12

Top 20 airports 327,216 234,674 39.4

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

Sources: Total enplaned passengers: 1991—USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics (BTS), Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Air Carriers: Summary

Tables,Twelve Months Ending December 31, 1991 (Washington, DC: 1992).

2001—USDOT, BTS, Airport Activity Statistics of Certificated Air Carriers: Summary

Tables,Twelve Months Ending December 31, 2001 (Washington, DC: 2002).

Airport ranking: 1991—USDOT, FAA Statistical Handbook, Calendar Year 1990

(Washington, DC: 1990). 2001—USDOT, BTS, Airport Activity Statistics of

Certificated Air Carriers: Summary Tables,Twelve Months Ending December 31,

2001 (Washington, DC: 2002).

Mobility 21

Table 12

Top 20 U.S. Passenger Airports

(Thousands of enplaned passengers on large certificated air carriers)

2001 1991
Table 13

U.S.-Canadian Border Land-Passenger Gateways: 2001

(Thousands)

22 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Land gateway Entering the U.S.

All U.S.-Canadian land gateways

Personal vehicles 34,308

Personal vehicle passengers 74,971

Buses 169

Bus passengers 4,456

Train passengers 254

Pedestrians 750

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

Detroit, MI 7,585

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 7,396

Blaine,WA 2,892

Port Huron, MI 2,199

Calais, ME 1,233

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 16,571

Detroit, MI 15,157

Blaine,WA 6,927

Port Huron, MI 4,699

Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 2,902

Buses—top 5 gateways

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 53

Detroit, MI 40

Blaine,WA 17

Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 10

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 9

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 1,619

Detroit, MI 990

Blaine,WA 382

Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 291

Port Huron, MI 141

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 53

Blaine,WA 43

Champlain-Rouses Point, NY 35

Skagway,AK 34

Port Huron, MI 33

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY 415

Sumas,WA 99

Calais, ME 49

Portland, ME (pedestrian/ferry combination crossing) 33

International Falls, MN 27

Source: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, special tabulation,

2002; based on U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs Service,

Office of Field Operations, Operations Management database, as of

April 2002.
23

All U.S.-Mexican land gateways

Personal vehicles 89,527 

Personal vehicle passengers 209,106 

Buses 288 

Bus passengers 3,367 

Train passengers 19 

Pedestrians 51,501 

Personal vehicles—top 5 gateways

El Paso,TX 16,136 

San Ysidro, CA 15,002 

Hidalgo,TX 7,550 

Brownsville,TX 7,548 

Laredo,TX 7,454 

Personal vehicle passengers—top 5 gateways

El Paso,TX 39,200 

San Ysidro, CA 33,004 

Hidalgo,TX 17,714 

Laredo,TX 17,282 

Brownsville,TX 16,952 

Buses—top 5 gateways

San Ysidro, CA 103 

Otay Mesa, CA 58 

Laredo,TX 40 

Hidalgo,TX 33 

Brownsville,TX 14 

Bus passengers—top 5 gateways

San Ysidro, CA 897 

Laredo,TX 721 

Hidalgo,TX 659 

Otay Mesa, CA 458 

El Paso,TX 195 

Train passengers—top 5 gateways

Eagle Pass,TX 7 

Tecate, CA 5 

Nogales,AZ 3 

El Paso,TX 2 

Calexico East, CA 2 

Pedestrians—top 5 gateways

San Ysidro, CA 11,436 

El Paso,TX 7,201 

Calexico, CA 7,120 

Laredo,TX 5,061 

Nogales,AZ 4,875 

Source: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, special tabulation, 2002;

based on U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Customs Service, Office of

Field Operations, Operations Management database, as of April 2002.

Mobility

Table 14

U.S.-Mexican Border Land-Passenger Gateways: 2001

(Thousands)

Land gateway Entering the U.S.
24 Pocket Guide to Transportation

1990 2000 Percentage Annual

delay per delay per change growth rate

person person 1990–2000 1990–2000

Very large areas 28 35 24 2.2

Large areas 12 22 88 6.5

Medium areas 6 14 120 8.2

Small areas 4 7 88 6.5

75-area average 19 27 40 3.4

Table 15

Roadway Hours of Delay and Congestion Cost per

Person in 75 Metropolitan Areas: 1990 and 2000

Annual Roadway Delay per Person

(Hours per year)

1990 2000 Percentage Annual

cost per cost per change growth rate

person person 1990–2000 1990–2000

Very large areas 388 648 67 5.3

Large areas 169 424 151 9.6

Medium areas 88 273 210 12.0

Small areas 40 115 188 11.1

75-area average 267 507 90 6.6

Note:

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

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

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

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

TTI estimates delay indirectly by using traffic volumes and methodology

developed by the Federal Highway Administration for estimating the

effects of roadway incidents.

TTI estimates cost by taking into account fuel cost, value of time, and commercial vehicle operating cost.

Source:Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), 2002 Urban Mobility Report

(College Station,TX: 2002), "Mobility Data" spreadsheet available at http://

mobility.tamu.edu/ums/study/mobility_data, as of December 2002.

Estimated Annual Congestion Cost per Person

(Current dollars)
Table 16

Amtrak On-Time Performance Trends 

and Hours of Delay by Cause

On-time performance

Total system 69% 81% 76% 76% 78%

Short distance 

(<400 miles) 71% 82% 82% 81% 81%

Long distance 

(>=400 miles) 64% 78% 53% 57% 56%

Hours of delay 

by causea

Amtrakb N N 3,565 5,527 20,187

Freightc N N 4,244 11,224 33,718

Otherd N N 4,316 8,497 14,718

Totale N N 12,126 25,248 68,623

a Amtrak changed its method for reporting delays in 2000. Therefore, 2000

data are not comparable to prior years. b Includes equipment malfunctions, train servicing in stations, and passenger-related delays. c Includes maintenance of way/slow orders, freight train interference, signal

delays. d Includes passenger train interference, waiting for connections, running 

time, weather-related delays, and miscellaneous. e Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Key: N = data do not exist.

Notes: All percentages are based on Amtrak's fiscal year (Oct. 1–Sept. 30).

Amtrak trips are considered delayed based on the following chart:

Trip length Arrival time

(miles) delay (minutes)

0–250 10

251–350 15

351–450 20

451–550 25

> 551 30

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 1-66.

Mobility 25

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
% change

Rank Airport Percent Rank Percent 1991–2001

1 Seattle-Tacoma Int.,WA 30.7 7 20.7 10.0

2 San Francisco Int., CA 28.7 1 27.4 1.3

3 New York LaGuardia, NY 28.4 16 18.7 9.7

4 New York JFK Int., NY 27.8 4 21.9 5.9

5 Philadelphia Int., PA 27.4 17 18.3 9.1

6 Chicago O'Hare Int., IL 27.1 10 19.6 7.5

7 Boston Logan Int., MA 26.8 3 22.5 4.3

8 Los Angeles Int., CA 25.8 2 24.0 1.8

9 Newark Int., NJ 25.0 6 21.4 3.6

10 Miami Int., FL 24.4 9 19.7 4.7

11 Ft. Lauderdale Int., FL 23.8 13 19.1 4.7

12 Portland Int., OR 23.3 20 17.0 6.3

13 Washington 

Reagan Natl., DC 23.3 26 14.9 8.4

14 San Diego Int., CA 23.1 14 19.1 4.0

15 Washington Dulles Int., VA 22.7 25 15.1 7.6

16 Denver Int., CO 22.5 5 21.7 0.8

17 Atlanta

Hartsfield Int., GA 22.5 8 20.0 2.5

18 Tampa Int., FL 22.2 22 16.7 5.5

19 Las Vegas 

McCarran Int., NV 21.5 18 17.0 4.5

20 Orlando Int., FL 21.3 19 17.0 4.3

Notes:The 32 largest airports (of which only the top 20 are shown in this

table) each handled more than 1% of all domestically enplaned passengers in 2001. Denver International, CO, started operations in February

of 1995. Prior to 1995, Denver Metropolitan Aviation Operations took

place at Stapleton International Airport. 1991 data are based on delay

information from Stapleton International Airport.

Data are collected from U.S. carriers. For comparison purposes, Pan Am

and Midway are excluded from 1991, and American Eagle and Aloha

are excluded from 2001.

Source: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline

Information data, special tabulation, Nov. 15, 2002.

26 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Table 17

U.S. Passenger Airports with the Highest

Percentage of Flight Delays

(Percentage of scheduled flights canceled, diverted, or arriving

at least 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time)

2001 1991
Mobility 27

Table 18

Top 20 U.S.Water Ports by Weight

(Millions of tons)

2000 1990

Total Total % change

Rank Port tons Rank tons 1990–2000

1 South Louisiana, LA 215.9 1 194.2 11.2

2 Houston,TX 186.6 3 126.2 47.9

3 New York, NY & NJ 137.2 2 140.0 –2.0

4 New Orleans, LA 90.0 6 62.7 43.5

5 Corpus Christi,TX 81.3 7 62.0 31.1

6 Beaumont,TX 76.9 23 26.7 188.0

7 Huntington-Tristate,

WV-OH-PAa 76.9 N N N

8 Long Beach, CA 69.9 10 52.4 33.4

9 Baton Rouge, LA 65.2 5 78.1 –16.5

10 Plaquemine, LA 59.7 8 56.6 5.5

11 Texas City,TX 58.1 12 48.1 20.8

12 Pittsburgh, PA 53.9 19 35.5 51.8

13 Mobile,AL 53.7 15 41.1 30.7

14 Lake Charles, LA 53.0 16 40.9 29.6

15 Los Angeles, CA 48.1 13 46.4 3.7

16 Valdez,AK 48.1 4 96.0 –49.9

17 Tampa, FL 46.5 11 51.6 –9.9

18 Norfolk Harbor,VA 42.3 9 53.7 –21.2

19 Duluth-Superior,

MN & WI 41.7 17 40.8 2.2

20 Baltimore, MD 40.8 18 39.5 3.3

Totalb 1,468.9 1,292.5 13.6 a Huntington-Tristate,WV-OH-PA, is a newly defined port since the release

of the 1990 data. b For purposes of comparison, Huntington-Tristate,

WV-OH-PA, is excluded.

Key: N = data are nonexistent.

Note: See table 18 for top 20 freight gateways by value.

Sources: 1990––U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the

United States, Calendar Year 1990, Part 5, National Summaries (New Orleans,

LA: 1993), table 5-2.

2000—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United

States, Calendar Year 2000, Part 5, National Summaries, available at

http://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcsc/wcsc.htm, table 5-2.
28 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Figure 9

Index of U.S. Domestic Freight Ton-Miles

by Mode: 1980–2000

0

100

200

300

400

Air carrier

Intercity truck

Class I rail

Oil pipeline

Water

Index: 1980 = 100

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Sources: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation

Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), table 1-44.
Mobility 29

% Average annual

1980 2000 change growth rate

Air carrier 5 15 230.9 6.2

Intercity truck 555 a1,142 105.8 3.7

Class I rail 919 1,466 59.5 2.4

Water 

transportation 922 646 –29.9 –1.8

Oil pipeline 588 a627 4.9 0.2

Total 2,988 3,896 30.4 1.3

a Intercity truck and pipeline ton-miles data for 2000 are estimates based

on their respective average annual growth rate from 1990 to 1999.

Note:Ton-miles are based on short tons.

Sources: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation

Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), table 1-44.

Ton-miles (billions) 1980–2000

Table 19

U.S. Domestic Freight Ton-Miles

by Mode: 1980–2000
30 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 2001, transportation-related goods and services contributed $1,047 billion to a $10.08 trillion U.S. Gross

Domestic Product.

Figure 10

U.S. Gross Domestic Product by 

Major Societal Function: 2001

Housing

(24.3%)

Health care

 (15.3%)

 Food

(12.2%)

Transportation-

 relateda

 (10.2%)

Education

 (7.5%)

Recreation

 (6.9%)

 Otherb

(23.5%)

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: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, calculated from data in

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of

Current Business, October 2002.

5 Transportation and the Economy
31

Average income (before taxes) $47,507

Average expenditures $39,518

Apparel and services (4%) Othera

(15%) Personal

insurance 

and pensions

(9%)

Health 

care

(6%)

Housing

(33%)

Food 

(13%)

Transportation

(19%)

$7,633

Private vehicle expenditures = $7,233

Vehicle purchases = $3,579

Gasoline and motor oil = $1,279

Other vehicle expenditures = $2,375

Public transportation 

expenditures = $400

Airline fares = $255

Mass transit fares = $51

Ship fares = $24

Intercity train fares = $23

Taxi fares = $23

Local transportation on

out-of-town trips = $12

Intercity bus fares = $11

School buses = $2

Transportation and the Economy

Figure 11

Average Household Expenditures by

Major Category: 2001

(In current dollars)

a Includes entertainment, personal care products and services, education,

tobacco products and smoking, and miscellaneous.

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

Expenditure Survey, 2002.
32 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Total 731,026 100.0 1,141,959 100.0 1,872,985 100.0

Water 198,841 27.2 519,607 45.5 718,448 38.4

Air 251,494 34.4 267,107 23.4 518,602 27.7

Truck 191,918 26.3 203,507 17.8 395,425 21.1

Rail 23,362 3.2 69,255 6.1 92,617 4.9

Pipeline 517 0.1 25,910 2.3 26,428 1.4

Other,

unknown, &

miscellaneous 64,894 8.9 56,573 5.0 121,466 6.5

Notes:

Numbers may not sum to total due to rounding.

Water—Excludes intransit data (merchandise shipped from one foreign country to another via a U.S. water port).

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

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

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 USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), May

2002. Water and air data—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census

Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Exports of Merchandise, CD-ROM and U.S.

Imports of Merchandise, CD-ROM, December 2001. Total, truck, rail, pipeline,

other and unknown data—USDOT, BTS,Transborder Surface Freight Data

2002.

Table 20

Value of U.S. International Merchandise Trade by

Mode of Transportation: 2001

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Modal Modal Total Total

Exports % Imports % trade modal %
Transportation and the Economy 33

Total 480,505 100.0 1,162,399 100.0 1,642,904 100.0

Water 360,830 75.1 915,079 78.7 1,275,909 77.7

Air 2,704 0.6 3,464 0.3 6,169 0.4

Truck 88,804 18.5 91,639 7.9 180,443 11.0

Rail 22,271 4.6 75,033 6.5 97,304 5.9

Pipeline 3,904 0.8 75,399 6.5 79,303 4.8

Other,

unknown, &

miscellaneous 1,991 0.4 1,784 0.2 3,775 0.2

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

unknown based on value-to-weight ratios from the import data.This was

necessary, because export weights for surface modes are not currently

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

Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.

Notes:

Numbers may not sum to total due to rounding.

Water—Excludes intransit data (merchandise shipped from one foreign 

country to another via a U.S. water port).

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

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

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 USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), May

2002. Water and air data—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census

Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Exports of Merchandise, CD-ROM and U.S.

Imports of Merchandise, CD-ROM, December 2001. Total, truck, rail, pipeline,

other and unknown data—USDOT, BTS,Transborder Surface Freight Data

2002; and special calculation, May 2002.

Table 21

Weight of U.S. International Merchandise 

Trade by Mode of Transportation: 2001

(Millions of short tons)

Modal Modal Total Total

Exportsa % Imports % tradea modal %
34 Pocket Guide to Transportation

NAFTA trade, totala 100.0 100.0 

Truck 64.4 31.5

Rail 15.1 17.0

Pipeline 4.3 13.9

Air 6.0 0.1

Water 4.8 37.4

Other and unknown 5.4 0.2

U.S. NAFTA imports, total 100.0 100.0 

Truck 58.4 22.9

Rail 19.9 18.8

Pipeline 7.4 18.9

Air 4.3 <0.05

Water 5.9 39.3

Other and unknown 4.0 0.1

U.S. NAFTA exports, totala 100.0 100.0 

Truck 72.4 51.3 

Rail 8.8 12.9 

Pipeline 0.2 2.3 

Air 8.2 0.2 

Water 3.3 33.0 

Other and unknown 7.1 0.3

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

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

was necessary, because export weights for surface modes are not

currently reported.Weight for water and air exports and imports

are from U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.

Note: Value based on millions of U.S. dollars; weight based on millions of

short tons.

Sources: Compiled by USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS),

May 2002. Water and air data—U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S.

Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, U.S. Exports of Merchandise, CDROM and U.S. Imports of Merchandise, CD-ROM, December 2001. Total,

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

Surface Freight Data 2002; and special calculation, May 2002.

Value Weight

Mode (percent) (percent)

Table 22

U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and 

Mexico by Mode: 2001
Transportation and the Economy 35

Table 23

Top 20 Foreign Trade Freight Gateways by 

Value of Shipments: 2001

(Billions of current dollars)

1 JFK International, NY (a) 50.1 66.5 116.6

2 Los Angeles, CA (w) 17.4 86.8 104.2

3 Long Beach, CA (w) 16.7 78.0 94.7

4 Detroit, MI (l) 49.2 42.8 92.0

5 New York, NY and NJ (w) 22.7 63.2 85.9

6 Laredo,TX (l) 34.7 44.9 79.6

7 Los Angeles 

Internatl.Airport, CA (a) 34.0 29.9 63.9

8 San Francisco Internatl.

Airport, CA (a) 32.3 29.6 62.0

9 Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY (l) 29.4 31.1 60.5

10 Huron, MI (l) 17.3 38.4 55.6

11 Chicago, IL (a) 19.9 25.0 44.9

12 Houston,TX (w) 19.5 25.0 44.5

13 El Paso,TX (l) 15.9 22.0 37.9

14 Charleston, SC (w) 12.5 20.9 33.4

15 Seattle,WA (w) 5.3 23.3 28.6

16 New Orleans, LA (a) 13.8 13.5 27.4

17 Oakland, CA (w) 7.7 17.2 25.0

18 Norfolk Harbor,VA (w) 11.3 13.6 24.9

19 Miami Internatl.Airport, FL (a) 15.4 7.2 22.6

20 Anchorage,AK (a) 5.1 16.8 21.9

Key: a = air; l = land port/border crossing; w = water port.

Notes:Trade excludes imports of less than $1,250 and exports of less

than $2,500. Air: Includes a low level (generally less than 2%–3% of

the total value) of small user-fee airports located in the same region.

Air gateways not identified by airport name (e.g., Chicago, IL) include

major airport(s) in that area and small regional airports. Due to

Census Bureau confidentiality regulations, courier operations are

included in airport totals for JFK, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago,

and Miami. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.Water

data are preliminary. See table 14 for top water ports by weight.

Sources: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS); based on: Air—

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

special tabulation, May 2002. Water—USDOT, Maritime Administration,

Office of Statistical and Economic Analysis, personal communication, May

2002. Land—USDOT, BTS,Transborder Surface Freight Data, 2002, as of May

2002.

Rank Gateway Exports Imports Total
36 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Motor vehicles and 

parts (87) 58,750 159,341 218,091 –100,592

Aircraft, spacecraft,

and parts (88) 44,705 21,098 65,804 23,607

Ships, boats, and 

floating structures (89) 1,899 1,206 3,105 693

Railway or tramway 

locomotives and 

parts (86) 1,506 1,357 2,863 149

Total,

transportation goods 106,860 183,003 289,863 –76,143

Total, all goods 731,026 1,141,959 1,872,985 –410,933

Transportation goods 

share of trade 14.6% 16.0% 15.5% 18.5%

Note: Numbers in parenthesis—classification categories are based on

Harmonized Schedule of Commodity Codes.

Source: USDOT, 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

December 2002.

Table 24

U.S.Trade in Transportation-Related

Commodities: 2001

(Millions of current U.S. dollars)

Commodity Total

and code Exports Imports trade Balance
Transportation and the Economy 37

Table 25

Employment in For-Hire Transportation and

Selected Transportation-Related Industriesa

(Thousands)

1970 1980 1990 2000 2001

Total transportation and related

industries employment 5,999 8,535 10,133 11,672 U

For-hire transport 

sector total 2,726 3,175 3,715 4,653 U

Air 352 453 968 R1,280 1,266

Local and inter-urban 

passenger transit 280 266 338 477 479

Pipelineb 50 236 223 150 U

Railroad 634 532 279 R237 234

Transportation services 115 198 336 R470 463

Trucking and warehousing 1,083 1,280 1,395 R1,847 1,848

Water 212 211 177 R194 192

Equipment manufacturing

total 1,949 1,995 2,073 R1,931 1,835

Other related industries

total 613 2,694 3,672 R4,442 4,473

Automotive and home 

supply stores U 261 337 R408 410

Automotive repair

services and parking;

gasoline service stations c613 1,132 1,561 R1,886 1,905

Highway and street 

construction U U 239 R281 289

Motor vehicles/parts/supplies,

new/used car dealers, and 

other automotive retailers U 1,301 1,535 R1,868 1,869

Government employmentd

total 711 671 673 646 654 aAnnual averages.

b Includes liquid and natural gas transmission pipelines.

c Includes gasoline service stations only.

d Data are for fiscal years and include permanent and temporary civilian

and military transportation-related personnel.

Key: R = revised; U = unavailable.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002),

table 3-19.
38 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Table 26 

Government Transportation Revenues by Mode

and Level of Government

(Millions of current dollars)

1980 1990 1995 1999 2000

Highway total 25,268 49,945 66,743 88,668 87,800

Federal:

Highway Trust Fund— Highway Accounta 7,647 13,453 19,377 33,823 30,347

State 16,287 32,644 42,415 48,784 P51,073

Local 1,334 3,848 4,952 6,061 P6,380

Transit total 2,397 7,193 9,352 13,186 12,674

Federal:

Highway Trust Fund— Mass Transit Account – 1,977 2,813 5,478 4,625

State 362 1,074 1,257 1,404 P1,524

Local 2,035 4,142 5,283 6,304 P6,525

Air total 4,100 10,119 13,954 21,079 21,627

Federal:Airport and 

Airway Trust Fundb 2,274 4,945 6,291 11,089 10,544

State 190 556 695 744 P852

Local 1,636 4,617 6,968 9,246 P10,231

Water total 1,211 2,487 3,567 3,923 3,682

Federal: water receiptsc 391 999 1,644 1,568 1,175

State 249 355 479 651 P693

Local 572 1,133 1,444 1,704 P1,813

Pipeline total – 10 35 30 40

Federal: Pipeline 

Safety Fund – 10 35 30 40

General support total – – 7 8 25

Federal: Emergency 

Preparedness Fund – – 7 8 25

Total, all modes 32,977 69,753 93,659 126,895 125,847

Federal 10,312 21,384 30,166 51,996 46,756

State 17,088 34,629 44,846 51,584 P54,142

Local 5,577 13,740 18,647 23,315 P24,949 a Since 1983, some Highway Trust Fund fuel tax has gone to transit.

b A requirement that 10% of passenger ticket taxes and other taxes paid by

airport and airway users be transferred to this trust fund expired in

December 1996.

c Includes Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, St. Lawrence Seaway tolls, Inland

Waterway Trust Fund, Panama Canal receipts, Oil Spill Liability Trust

Fund, Offshore Oil Pollution Fund, Deep Water Port Liability Fund, and

excise taxes of the Boat Safety Program.

Key: – = no activity or a value of zero; P = preliminary.

Note: Data for 2000 are preliminary. Numbers may not add to totals due to

rounding.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics, available at

www.bts.gov.
Transportation and the Economy 39

Table 27

Government Transportation Expenditures by Mode

and Level of Government From Own Funds

(Millions of current dollars)

Highway total 34,553 62,563 79,309 95,494 103,838

Federal 11,706 15,452 20,078 23,589 27,657

State and local 22,847 47,112 59,232 71,905 P76,181

Transit total 8,949 19,261 26,162 29,027 31,827

Federal 3,307 3,832 4,474 4,265 5,337

State and local 5,642 15,429 21,688 24,762 P26,490

Rail total 2,497 541 1,043 565 781

Federal 2,474 534 1,034 546 755

State and local 23 7 9 19 P26

Air total 5,673 12,568 16,960 21,789 20,820

Federal 3,762 7,305 10,389 10,722 9,556

State and local 1,911 5,263 6,571 11,067 P11,264

Water total 4,477 5,480 6,628 7,682 7,942

Federal 3,308 3,537 4,380 4,565 4,810

State and local 1,168 1,943 2,247 3,117 P3,132

Pipeline totala – 26 43 30 27

Federal – 9 19 30 27

State and local – 17 24 U U

General 

support totalb 259 R191 R396 R258 R259

Federal, general 

support 259 R191 R396 R258 R259

Total, all modes 56,407 100,629 R130,542 R154,845 165,494

Federal 24,815 R30,859 R40,769 R43,975 R48,401

State and local 31,592 69,770 89,772 110,871 P117,093

a Includes gas and liquid pipeline.

b General support includes administrative and operating expenditures of

the USDOT, the Interstate Commerce Commission, Office of the

Inspector General, the Research and Special Programs Administration,

and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Key: – = no activity or a value of zero; P = preliminary; R = revised;

U = unavailable.

Note: Data for 2000 are preliminary. Numbers may not add to totals due

to rounding.

Source:Various sources, as cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics, available at

www.bts.gov.

1980 1990 1995 1999 2000
40 Pocket Guide to Transportation

While transportation enhances the quality of our lives,

it also generates undesired environmental impacts

that can lead to human health problems and ecological

damage. Overall, most transportation air emissions, such as

carbon monoxide and particulates, have declined since 1980

despite significant increases in U.S. population, Gross

Domestic Product, and vehicle-miles traveled. Only nitrogen

oxides, which contribute to the formation of ground-level

ozone, and ammonia remain above their 1990 level.

Figure 12

New Passenger Car and Light Truck Fuel Economy

Averages: Model Years 1978–2001

0

10

15

20

25

30 Miles per gallon

Cars

Light trucks

Source: USDOT, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive

Fuel Economy Program: Annual Update Calendar Year 2001, September 2001,

table II-6, available at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies, as of

October 2002.

1978 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

6 Transportation and the Environment
Transportation and the Environment 41

Figure 13

New Passenger Car and Light Truck Sales:

Model Years 1978–2001

0

6

9

12 Millions

Cars

Light trucks

1978 1980 1985 1990 1995 2001

Notes: Data are based on Environmental Protection Agency definitions

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

2001 data are preliminary.

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

Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2001," appendix F,

September 2001, available at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fetrends.htm, as of

November 2002.
42 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Figure 14

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 

Energy Use

150

250

350

450

550

Million metric tons of carbon

Commercial

Residential

Transportation

Industrial

1980 1985 1990 1995 2001P

Key: P = preliminary.

Notes: One ton of carbon equals 3.667 tons of carbon dioxide gas.

Electric utility emissions are spread across end-user sectors.

Source: 1980–1989—Appendix E available at www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/

1605/ggrpt/appendixes.html. 1990–2001—U.S. Department of Energy,

Energy Information Administration, U.S. Carbon Dioxide from Energy

Sources 2001 Flash Estimate, available at www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/

1605a.html.
Transportation and the Environment 43

Figure 15

Index of Key Air Pollutant Emissions 

from U.S.Transportation

Index: 1975 = 1.0, 1990 = 1.0 for PM-2.5 and ammonia

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

PM-10

PM-2.5

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

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

2.5 microns in diameter, respectively.

Notes:Transportation emissions include all onroad mobile sources and

the following nonroad mobile sources: recreational vehicles and boats,

airport service equipment, aircraft, commercial marine vessels, and

railroads. Other nonroad sources, e.g., farming equipment, are not

included. Lead estimates include onroad mobile sources only.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning

and Standards, National Air Pollutant Trends, available at www.epa.gov/ttn/

chief/trends/index.html, as of September 2002.

Carbon monoxide Nitrogen oxides

Volatile organic compounds PM-2.5; PM-10

Ammonia Lead
44 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Glossary

Air carrier—Certificated provider of scheduled and nonscheduled services.

Chained dollars—A method to measure real changes in dollar

values between years that uses chain-type indices, rather than

constant dollars.The method first 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 in excess of $250 million (based on 1991 dollars).

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.

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.

Demand-responsive transit—A nonfixed-route, nonfixedschedule 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.

Draft—The depth of water a vessel draws, loaded or unloaded.

General aviation—Civil aviation operations other than those air

carriers holding a Certificate 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 definition of

hub used here should not be confused with air line usage of

the term to describe “hub and spoke” route structures, or

other definitions of hubs used by the Federal Aviation

Administration focusing on traffic at individual airports.

Intermodal—Transportation activities involving more than one

mode of transportation, including transportation connections,

choices, cooperation and coordination of various modes.

Large certificated 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.

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.

Light truck—Trucks of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or less, including pickups, vans, truck-based station wagons, and sport utility vehicles.

Metric ton—A unit of weight equal to 2,204.6 pounds.

Nonself-propelled vessels—Includes dry cargo and tank

barges and railroad car floats that operate in U.S. ports and

waterways.

Other 2-axle, 4-tire vehicles—Includes vans, pickup trucks,

and sport utility vehicles. Does not include passenger cars.

Glossary 45
46 Pocket Guide to Transportation

Particulates—Carbon particles formed by partial oxidation and

reduction of the 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.

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.
U.S. Department of Transportation