Transportation

Statistics
Annual Report
2022

Free Copy
Not Meant for Sale
Transportation Statistics
Annual Report
2022

Free Copy
Not Meant for Sale

i
To obtain free copies of the Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022 and other BTS
publications, please refer to the following resources:

Mail U.S. Department of Transportation

Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Attn: Product Orders
1200 New Jersey Avenue
Washington, DC 20590

Internet https://www.bts.gov/tsar

BTS Information Service

Ask-A-Librarian http://transportation.libanswers.com/

Phone 202-366-DATA (3282)

Recommended Citation

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation

Statistics Annual Report 2022 (Washington, DC: 2022). https://doi.org/10.21949/1528354

ii
Acknowledgments

Bureau of Transportation Statistics Major Contributors

Patricia Hu Michael Bronzini
Director Bingsong Fang
Theresa Firestine
Rolf R. Schmitt Wendell Fletcher
Deputy Director John Fuller
Produced under the direction of: David Greene
Ramond Robinson Paul Kent
Director, Office of Transportation Analysis Alan Pisarski
Steve Polzin
Project Manager Christopher Rick
Long Nguyen Joanne Sedor

Editor Other Contributors

William H. Moore Justina Beard
Stacey Bricka
Visual Information Specialists
Matthew Chambers
Aaron Baunee
Taylor Daily
Kalle Culotta
Mitchell Fisher
Hannah Hocevar
Mindy Liu
Sari Kimmel
Robert Nazareth
Mikki Stacey
Daniel Palumbo
Alpha Wingfield
Xiaoyuan Sun
Hoa Thai
Miles Weule Chandler

Special thanks to all our colleagues throughout the U.S. Department of Transportation who provided
data used in this report and critical review of the narrative.

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Quality Assurance Statement
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) provides high quality information to serve government,
industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies
are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information.
BTS reviews quality issues on a regular basis and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure
continuous quality improvement.

Notice
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the
interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for its contents or use
thereof.

iv
Introduction

Transportation is fundamental to the vibrancy of unprecedented changes in transportation

the Nation and creates both the economy and supply, demand, and performance in a matter of
the quality of life. It enables people to engage months. At the same time, ongoing technological
in productive pursuits, carry out commerce, change, shifting national priorities, and cultural,
and experience the social interactions that are demographic, and economic challenges have
fundamental to people’s happiness and success. altered expectations of what is important to report
Transportation affects and is affected by a full to transportation stakeholders. To adjust to the
spectrum of societal elements: colossal changes, data needs have become
more foundational to decision-making. Emerging
● The built and natural environment,
patterns, such as a better understanding of
● The economy, the impact of telework and eCommerce on
● People’s health and safety, and transportation; identifying the roles of ride-hailing
services, E-scooters, and E-bikes in providing
● The social interactions that underpin
mobility; measuring supply chain performance;
our culture, all of which are impacted by
and reporting on equity, sustainability, and climate
transportation and the infrastructure and
are critical concerns identified in the FY 2022-
services that provide it.
26 USDOT Strategic Plan and are among the
Recognizing the importance of transportation current challenges of providing data to support
and the importance of objective statistics for transportation decision-making.
transportation decision-making, Congress
requires the Director of the Bureau of The U.S. Department of Transportation
Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. and many other organizations, such as the
Department of Transportation (USDOT) to Transportation Research Board of the National
provide the Transportation Statistics Annual Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and
Report (TSAR) each year to Congress and the Medicine and the University Transportation
President.1 BTS published the first TSAR in 1994. Centers program overseen by USDOT, are
This 28th TSAR edition documents the conduct of actively exploring new measures and methods
the duties of BTS as called out in the statute. of gathering data to support transportation.
More frequent and timely data collection,
Historically, transportation trends generally more geographic detail, and leveraging digital
change unassumingly from year to year. However, communications and data tools to speed the
the COVID-19 pandemic, first recognized as a collection and processing of data are supporting
national emergency in March 2020, produced the advancements in data reporting.

1
49 U.S. Code § 6302.

v
Introduction

This report is organized into 7 chapters that

reflect the topics in BTS’s legislative mandate, Example of New Data Items
including some new data items. Aside from
this Introduction, the report components are
Included in TSAR 2022
Chapter 1 - State of the System, Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 - Passenger Travel and Equity:
Passenger Travel and Equity, Chapter 3 - Freight
● Consumer Expenditure Survey analysis of time
and Supply Chain, Chapter 4 - Transportation spent in travel, adding insight on spending on
Economics, Chapter 5 - Transportation Safety, intercity/international travel.
Chapter 6 - Energy and Sustainability and ● Extensive treatment of race and ethnicity
Chapter 7 - State of Transportation Statistics. aspects of travel.
The report also provides an update to the State ● New public and private sources providing
of Transportation Statistics and Recent BTS insight on telework.
Accomplishments. The box to the right displays
examples of the new data items in this report. Chapter 6 - Transportation Safety:
● NHTSA collected data on crashes involving
The concluding chapter on the state of advanced or automated driving systems that
transportation statistics documents lessons BTS were deployed within 30 seconds of a crash.
and its partners have learned from measuring ● Consumer Products Safety Commission
fast-evolving events and highlights changing (CPSC) information on injury, fatality, and
data needs in response to new legislation. hazard patterns for e-scooters, e-bikes, and
hoverboards.
A notable addition to this report is the ● Information on harassment and crime on
coverage of the effects that the Coronavirus passengers and operators.
(COVID-19) pandemic has had on all modes
of transportation—effects that BTS closely
monitors. BTS provides a wide range of Previous editions of the TSAR are available at
transportation statistics online, showing the www.bts.gov/tsar.
pandemic’s effects on passenger travel and
freight shipments. These measures are available
at https://www.bts.gov/covid-19.

BTS welcomes comment on the Transportation

Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) and the
Bureau’s other products. Comments, questions,
and requests for printed copies should be sent to
bts@dot.gov or to the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC,
20590.

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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................v
CHAPTER 1 State of the Transportation System .................................................................................1-1
Highways, Bridges, and Vehicles .............................................................................................................................. 1-3
Public Transit........................................................................................................................................................... 1-14
Aviation.................................................................................................................................................................... 1-17
Passenger Rail ........................................................................................................................................................ 1-22
Freight Railroads ..................................................................................................................................................... 1-25
Ports and Waterways .............................................................................................................................................. 1-28
Pipelines.................................................................................................................................................................. 1-31
Passenger Intermodal Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 1-33
Automated and Connected Highway Transportation Systems ................................................................................ 1-34
Automation Beyond Highways................................................................................................................................. 1-36
System Resiliency ................................................................................................................................................... 1-38
Cybersecurity........................................................................................................................................................... 1-39
Data Gaps ............................................................................................................................................................... 1-40
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 1-42
CHAPTER 2 Passenger Travel and Equity............................................................................................2-1
Population Change: A Driver of Long-Term Travel Trends ........................................................................................ 2-2
COVID-19 and the Disruption of Travel Trends......................................................................................................... 2-4
Equity Aspects of Local and Long-Distance Travel ................................................................................................. 2-11
Data Gaps ............................................................................................................................................................... 2-22
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 2-24
CHAPTER 3 Freight and Supply Chain .................................................................................................3-1
Low Water on the Mississippi Slows Critical Freight Flows....................................................................................... 3-2
Factors That Affect Freight Transportation Demand.................................................................................................. 3-6
Total Freight Movement............................................................................................................................................. 3-8
International Freight................................................................................................................................................. 3-16
U.S. North American Freight.................................................................................................................................... 3-16
Shifts in Containerized Freight ................................................................................................................................ 3-19
Changing Freight Distribution Practices and the Impact of e-Commerce................................................................3-23
Supply Chain Disruption and Freight Transportation Performance ......................................................................... 3-24
Additional Data Needs............................................................................................................................................. 3-28
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 3-30
CHAPTER 4 Transportation Economics ...............................................................................................4-1
Transportation’s Contribution to GDP........................................................................................................................ 4-2
Transportation as an Economic Indicator .................................................................................................................. 4-3
Transportation-Related Employment, Wages, Job Turnover, and Unemployment....................................................4-6
Transportation Expenditures and Revenues ........................................................................................................... 4-12
Transportation Investment....................................................................................................................................... 4-14
Cost of Transportation ............................................................................................................................................. 4-16
Data Gaps ............................................................................................................................................................... 4-21
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 4-23
CHAPTER 5 Transportation Safety........................................................................................................5-1
Fatalities and People Injured by Mode ...................................................................................................................... 5-2
Other Transportation Modes.................................................................................................................................... 5-10
On-the-Job Transportation-Related Facilities and Injuries ...................................................................................... 5-14
Harassment and Crime in Transportation Facilities and Vehicles ........................................................................... 5-14
Potential Contributing Factors to Transportation Crashes and Accidents ............................................................... 5-15
Countermeasures to Reduce Safety Risks.............................................................................................................. 5-20

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 Hazardous Materials Transportation........................................................................................................................ 5-25
Future Development of Innovations......................................................................................................................... 5-27
Transportation Safety Data Needs .......................................................................................................................... 5-28
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 5-30
CHAPTER 6 Energy and Sustainability.................................................................................................6-1
Energy Use Patterns and Trends .............................................................................................................................. 6-2
Reliance on Petroleum .............................................................................................................................................. 6-3
Energy Efficiency....................................................................................................................................................... 6-6
Transition to Clean Fuels and Vehicles ..................................................................................................................... 6-9
Transition to Clean Modes....................................................................................................................................... 6-15
Greehouse Gas Emissions and Air Quality ............................................................................................................. 6-16
Additional Effects on the Environment and Sustainability ....................................................................................... 6-20
Data Gaps ............................................................................................................................................................... 6-23
References .............................................................................................................................................................. 6-26
CHAPTER 7 State of Transportation Statistics ....................................................................................7-1
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................ 7-1
Passenger Transportation and Equity ....................................................................................................................... 7-1
Freight Transportation and Supply Chains ................................................................................................................ 7-2
Safety ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7-3
Transportation Financial Statistics............................................................................................................................. 7-4
Meeting State and Local Data and Analytical Needs................................................................................................. 7-4
Meeting Data Needs of Departmental Priorities ........................................................................................................ 7-5
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................. 7-6
APPENDIX A Legislative Responsibilities........................................................................................... A-1
APPENDIX B Glossary........................................................................................................................... B-1
APPENDIX C Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................................ C-1
APPENDIX D Why Fatality and Injury Data Differ by Source ............................................................. D-1
Fatality Data ............................................................................................................................................................. D-1
Injury and Property-Damage-Only Crashes ............................................................................................................. D-1
Timing of Data Releases .......................................................................................................................................... D-2

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List of Figures
Figure 1-1 National Highway System, Intermodal Connectors, and Principal Arterials: 2022 .....................................1-4
Figure 1-2 Percent Miles of the NHS with Poor Pavement: 2011, 2019, and 2020 .....................................................1-5
Figure 1-3 Rural vs. Urban High Function Roads with Poor Pavement Condition: 2011, 2019, and 2020..................1-6
Figure 1-4 Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled on NHS Roads With Poor Pavement Condition, Urban vs. Rural:
2011 and 2018–2020.................................................................................................................................. 1-7
Figure 1-5 Number of and Average Daily Traffic on Poor Condition Bridges: 2021.....................................................1-8
Figure 1-6 Bridges in Poor Condition in Rural Areas: 2021 ......................................................................................... 1-9
Figure 1-7 Licensed Drivers, Vehicle Registrations, Vehicle-Miles Traveled, and Population: 1985–2020 ...............1-10
Figure 1-8 Annual Hours of Delay per Commuter: 2010 and 2016–2020.................................................................. 1-12
Figure 1-9 Peak-Period Congestion on the High-Volume Truck Routes on the National Highway System,
2020 and Projected to 2045 ..................................................................................................................... 1-13
Figure 1-10 Average Truck Speed in MPH at Bottleneck Locations: 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 .............................1-14
Figure 1-11 Top 50 Urbanized Areas of Transit Ridership: 2021 ................................................................................. 1-16
Figure 1-12 Average Age of Urban Transit Vehicles: 2000, 2010, 2019, and 2020.....................................................1-17
Figure 1-13 Enplanements at the Top 50 U.S. Airports: 2021...................................................................................... 1-20
Figure 1-14 Percent On-Time Flight Departures and Arrivals: 2010–2021..................................................................1-21
Figure 1-15 Percent of Flight Delay by Delay Cause: 2010–2021............................................................................... 1-22
Figure 1-16 Average Daily Number of People Screened at TSA Checkpoints by Week: 2019–2022 .........................1-23
Figure 1-17 Busiest Amtrak Stations: 2021 ................................................................................................................. 1-24
Figure 1-18 Hours of Delay and On-time Performance of Amtrak: 2010–2020 ...........................................................1-25
Figure 1-19 U.S. Total Rail Non-Intermodal Carloads by Week: 2019–2022............................................................... 1-27
Figure 1-20 Class I Railroad System Mileage and Ton-Miles of Freight: 1960–2020 ..................................................1-27
Figure 1-21 Number of U.S.-Flagged Vessels by Age Group and Propelled Type: 2020 ............................................1-31
Figure 1-22 Ferry Passenger and Vehicle Boardings: 2019 ........................................................................................ 1-32
Figure 1-23 U.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipelines: 2021 .................................................................................... 1-33
Figure 1-24 Intermodal Passenger Facilities by Mode: 2022....................................................................................... 1-34
Figure 1-25 Levels of Automation ................................................................................................................................ 1-35
Figure 1-26 Automated Vehicle Legislation and Regulation by State: 2022................................................................ 1-38
Figure 2-1 Population Change Projection by Age Group by Decade: 2020–2030 and 2030–2040.............................2-3
Figure 2-2 COVID-19 Passenger Impact..................................................................................................................... 2-5
Figure 2-3 Long-Term Trend in Working at Home: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2019, and 2021.....................................2-6
Figure 2-4 Workers Working at Home by Income: 2019–2021.................................................................................... 2-6
Figure 2-5 Percentage of Workers Leaving Their Home County to Work: 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000,
2010, and 2021 .......................................................................................................................................... 2-8
Figure 2-6 Share of Households by Vehicles Owned 1960–2021 ............................................................................. 2-12
Figure 2-7 Workers in Households Without Vehicles by Number of Workers: 2021..................................................2-12
Figure 2-8 Long-Term Trend in Zero Vehicle Households: 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2021 ......................2-13
Figure 2-9 Transportation Share of Consumer Spending: 2000–2021 ......................................................................2-16
Figure 2-10 Transportation Spending by Earners: 2021.............................................................................................. 2-17
Figure 2-11 Demographic Patterns by Income Quintile: 2021..................................................................................... 2-18
Figure 2-12 Annual Transit Spending in the COVID-19 Period: 2019–2021................................................................2-20
Figure 3-1 Percent Tonnage by Mode Between States on the Upper Mississippi River System and Louisiana .........3-4
Figure 3-2 Waterborne Tonnage between States on the Upper Mississippi River System and Louisiana ..................3-5
Figure 3-3 Downbound Barge Grain Shipments.......................................................................................................... 3-6
Figure 3-4 October 2022 Downbound Grain and Agricultural Product Shares ............................................................3-7
Figure 3-5 Grain Barge Shipping Rates....................................................................................................................... 3-7
Figure 3-6 Trade Growth with Selected Top-Ten Trading Partners: 2016–2021..........................................................3-9
Figure 3-7 Domestic Shipment Value and Weight by Mode and Distance Bands: 2020 ........................................... 3-11
Figure 3-8 Tonnage of Top 10 Domestic Commodities by Mode: 2020 ..................................................................... 3-15
Figure 3-9 Value of Top 10 Domestic Commodities by Mode: 2020 .......................................................................... 3-15

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Figure 3-10 Top 25 U.S. International Freight Gateways by Freight Value: 2020........................................................3-17
Figure 3-11 Modal Shares of U.S. Trade with Canada and Mexico: 2021................................................................... 3-19
Figure 3-12 U.S. East Coast and West Coast Asian Containerized Freight Volumes: 2012–2021 .............................3-20
Figure 3-13 U.S. Top 20 Container Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index: 2021 ......................................................3-21
Figure 3-14 Foreign Direct Investment in Mexico by Top-5 Countries, 2016 Through Second Quarter of 2022 .........3-23
Figure 3-15 Growth of Retail and E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, 2011–2020 ...........................................3-24
Figure 3-16 Average Container Vessel Dwell Time for Top 25 U.S. Container Ports: 2019–June 2022......................3-25
Figure 3-17 Vessel Size and Call Trends and Average Container Throughput per Call, Ports of Los Angeles
and Long Beach: 2005–2015 ................................................................................................................... 3-26
Figure 3-18 U.S. Top 25 Container Ports Based on Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units.....................................................3-27
Figure 4-1 Shares of U.S. GDP: 2021 ......................................................................................................................... 4-3
Figure 4-2 Transportation Services Required to Produce One Dollar of Output by Sector: 2021 ...............................4-4
Figure 4-3 Industrial Production, Manufacturers’ Shipments, and Freight Transportation Services Index:
January 2012–September 2022 ................................................................................................................. 4-5
Figure 4-4 Freight Transportation Services Index and the Economic Growth Cycle ...................................................4-5
Figure 4-5 Transportation-Related Labor Force Employment in the United States: 2011–2021 .................................4-6
Figure 4-6 Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Race and Hispanic/Latino
Ethnicity: October 2012–October 2022 ...................................................................................................... 4-7
Figure 4-7 Percent of Total Employed by Race and Hispanic/Latino Ethnicity: October 2012–October 2022.............4-8
Figure 4-8 Employment and Wages in Select Transportation Occupations: 2021.....................................................4-10
Figure 4-9 Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector:
October 2012–October 2022.................................................................................................................... 4-11
Figure 4-10 Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector:
January 2012–October 2022.................................................................................................................... 4-12
Figure 4-11 Federal Transportation Expenditures by Mode: 2019............................................................................... 4-13
Figure 4-12 State and Local Transportation Expenditures by Mode: 2019.................................................................. 4-13
Figure 4-13 Overview of the Transportation Component of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.............................................................................................. 4-15
Figure 4-14 Sales Price of Transportation Fuel to End-Users: 1990–2021 .................................................................4-17
Figure 4-15 Producer Price Indices for Producers of Selected Transportation and Warehousing Services:
2011–2021................................................................................................................................................ 4-17
Figure 4-16 Consumer Price Index for Overall Transportation, Change from Same Month of the Previous
Year and Seasonally Adjusted Value: January 2019–October 2022 ........................................................ 4-18
Figure 4-17 Contribution of Transportation to Inflation Compared to Food, Shelter, and Medical Services:
January 2021–October 2022.................................................................................................................... 4-19
Figure 4-18 Truck Spot Rates in Dollars Per Mile and Price of Diesel Fuel per Gallon: January 2015–
November 2022........................................................................................................................................ 4-19
Figure 4-19 Downbound Grain Barge Rates: January 2012........................................................................................ 4-20
Figure 4-20 Freight Rates in Dollars per 40 foot container from Central China to U.S. West Coast:
February 2020–September 2022.............................................................................................................. 4-21
Figure 4-21 Contribution of Transportation and Related Services to Inflation Faced by Producers of Goods
and Services: January 2021–October 2022 ............................................................................................. 4-22
Figure 5-1 Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 2020 .................................................................................................... 5-3
Figure 5-2 VMT and Percentage Change in Fatalities by Month: 2019 and 2020 .......................................................5-8
Figure 5-3 Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities, by Rural or Urban Location: 2010–2020...................................................5-9
Figure 5-4 Fatality Rates per 100 Million VMT, by Rural or Urban Location: 2010–2020..........................................5-10
Figure 5-5 Transit Fatalities by Category: 2019, 2020, and 2021.............................................................................. 5-12
Figure 5-6 Fatalities, by Role, in Crashes Involving at Least One Driver with a BAC of 0.08 or Higher: 2020..........5-18
Figure 5-7 People Killed in Distracted-Driving Crashes: 2010–2020.........................................................................5-19
Figure 5-8 Percentages of Motorcyclists Killed Not Wearing a Helmet, by State Helmet Use Law: 2021.................5-23

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Figure 6-1 U.S. Consumption of Energy from Primary Sources by Sector: 1960–2021..............................................6-2
Figure 6-2 Transportation Energy Use by Mode: 2020................................................................................................ 6-3
Figure 6-3 Petroleum Use by Sector of the U.S. Economy: 1990–2021...................................................................... 6-4
Figure 6-4 U.S. Petroleum Use, Domestic Supply and Net Imports: 1950–2021 ........................................................ 6-4
Figure 6-5 Transportation Energy Use by Fuel Type: 1950–2021 ............................................................................... 6-5
Figure 6-6 Miles of Travel and Fuel Use by Light-duty Vehicles: 1965–2020..............................................................6-8
Figure 6-7 Energy Intensity of Certificated Air Carriers, All Services........................................................................... 6-9
Figure 6-8 Sales of Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles: 1999–2021.............................................. 6-11
Figure 6-9 Fast Charging Stations in the U.S. ........................................................................................................... 6-13
Figure 6-10 Natural Gas Use by Vehicles: 1997–2021................................................................................................ 6-14
Figure 6-11 Transportation Use of Biofuels: 1980–2021 ............................................................................................. 6-15
Figure 6-12 Transportation’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas: 2020.................................................................... 6-17
Figure 6-13 U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Consumption: 1975–2021.................................................6-18
Figure 6-14 National Average Air Pollutant Concentrations: 1990–2021.....................................................................6-19
Figure 6-15 Estimated National Average Emissions per Vehicle................................................................................. 6-20
Figure 6-16 Petroleum Spills Into Navigable Waterways: 2000–2021......................................................................... 6-22
Figure 6-17 Geography of Transportation Noise in the New York Metropolitan Region: 2020 ....................................6-24

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List of Tables
Table 1-1 Public Roads, Streets, and Bridges: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020.............................................................1-3
Table 1-2 Transit Vehicles and Ridership: Revenue Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020.........................................1-15
Table 1-3 U.S. Air Transportation System: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021 .................................................................1-18
Table 1-4 Passenger Rail Transportation System: Fiscal Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021.................................1-23
Table 1-5 Rail Transportation System: Fiscal Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021...................................................1-26
Table 1-6 Water Transportation System: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020 .................................................................... 1-29
Table 1-7 Select Waterway Transportation Characteristics and Performance Measures: 2010 and
2018–2020 ............................................................................................................................................... 1-30
Table 2-1 Net Domestic Migration by Region: 2019–2020 and 2020–2021...............................................................2-3
Table 2-2 Population Shifts: 2020–2021 .................................................................................................................... 2-4
Table 2-3 Mode of Transportation to Work Change: 2019–2021................................................................................ 2-7
Table 2-4 Intercity Travel Spending: 2019, 2020, and 2021....................................................................................... 2-9
Table 2-5 U.S. Border Land-Passenger Gateways: Entering the U.S.: 2019–2021...................................................2-9
Table 2-6 Top Ten International Visitors to the United States: 2019, 2020, and 2021..............................................2-10
Table 2-7 International Inbound and Outbound Travel: 2019–2021 ......................................................................... 2-11
Table 2-8 Comparisons of Major Racial and Ethnic Groups Using Traditional Major Modes: 2000, 2010,
2019, and 2021 ........................................................................................................................................ 2-13
Table 2-9 Non-Motorized Commuting: 2021............................................................................................................. 2-14
Table 2-10 Means of Transportation to Work by Gender: 2021.................................................................................. 2-14
Table 2-11 Travel Time to Work by Gender: 2019 and 2021...................................................................................... 2-15
Table 2-12 Selected COVID-19-Related Trends in Overall Spending: 2019–2021....................................................2-16
Table 2-13 Transportation Spending Per Person, Per Worker, Per Vehicle by Income: 2021....................................2-17
Table 2-14 Annual Expenditures for Major Economic and Transportation Categories: 2021.....................................2-19
Table 2-15 Purchased Intercity Transportation: 2019–2021....................................................................................... 2-21
Table 3-1 Gross Output of Freight System-Dependent Industry Sectors: 2016–2021 ...............................................3-8
Table 3-2 Freight Mode Weight and Value: 2017 and 2020 ..................................................................................... 3-10
Table 3-3 Top 10 Commodities by Weight and Value: 2020..................................................................................... 3-14
Table 3-4 Value of U.S.-International Freight Flows by Geography and Transportation Mode: 2021 ......................3-17
Table 3-5 International Freight Gateways and Their 2020 Rankings by Value.........................................................3-18
Table 3-6 World Bank Container Port Performance Index Rankings of Top-Ten U.S. Container Ports: 2021.......... 3-27
Table 4-1 Total Investment and Transportation Investment: 2021............................................................................4-16
Table 5-1 Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 2010 and 2016–2021 .......................................................................... 5-4
Table 5-2 Transportation Injuries by Mode: 2016–2020 ............................................................................................. 5-5
Table 5-3 Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration in Highway Crashes: 2010 and 2017–2020..............5-17
Table 5-4 Safety Belt and Motorcycle Helmet Use: 2010 and 2018–2021...............................................................5-21
Table 5-5 Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents: 2010 and 2017–2021 .....................................................5-26
Table 5-6 All Reported Hazardous Liquid and Gas Incidents: 2010–2021............................................................... 5-27
Table 6-1 Energy Intensities of Transportation Modes: 1980, 2000, and 2020 ..........................................................6-6
Table 6-2 U.S. Electricity Generation by Energy Source: 2010 vs. 2021 ................................................................... 6-8
Table 6-3 Estimates of Energy Use by E-Bikes and E-Scooters in the U.S.: 2021 ..................................................6-16
Table 6-4 Sources of U.S. Air Pollutant Emissions: 2021......................................................................................... 6-18
Table 6-5 Emission Rates of Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles: 2020........................................................................... 6-20

xii
CHAPTER 1
State of the Transportation System

Introduction
In 2020, the U.S. transportation system served business establishments with customers,
331 million U.S. residents residing in 122 million suppliers, and workers [USDOC CENSUS 2022].
households, including people who may not own
a vehicle or rarely travel, and millions of foreign From the 2008 recession to the onset of the
visitors (see Chapter 2 - Passenger Travel and COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the use
Equity). Transportation is used to commute to of the American transportation system grew
work, obtain goods and services, visit with family appreciably, while the supporting infrastructure
and friends, and travel for leisure and work. It remained largely built out and stagnant. The
also drives the economy, connecting 8.0 million transportation system needs resilience to
withstand traditional disruptions, such as

Highlights
● The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed or full deployment of driverless highway vehicles in
the availability and use of the U.S. transportation 2022, more widespread autonomous port systems
system. Schedules and ridership for commercial and ships, and the use of Positive Train Control in
airlines, Amtrak, transit systems, ocean vessel railroads.
services, and other forms of transportation ● Roads, Bridges, and Vehicles:
shrank to record lows beginning in March 2020
as passenger volumes and freight movement ○ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on
declined. Not until mid-2022 did traffic on most travel, vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in 2020
travel modes begin to return to pre-pandemic decreased 11 percent from 2019 to a level last
levels. seen in 2003.
● Transportation activity is often highly concentrated ○ Between 2011 and 2020, the percentage of
on portions of the network. For example, the more rural road mileage rated as rough remained
than 48,000-mile Interstate Highway System relatively stable. Only 5 percent of rural higher
in 2020 comprised 1 percent of total highway function roads (interstates and other arterial
lane-miles available but carried 25 percent of total highways) have a poor ride quality compared to
highway vehicle-miles of travel. about 20 percent of such roads in urban areas.
This is generally attributed to more activity and
● Automated vehicle development is advancing wear on urban than on rural roads.
across all transportation modes, with 39 state-level Continued »
jurisdictions actively engaged in permitting testing

1-1
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Highlights Continued
○ Urban roads have a larger share of VMT ● Passenger Rail: In FY 2021 Amtrak carried
on roads with poor pavement condition more than five times as many riders between
(14 percent) than rural roads (3 percent). Washington and New York City as all of the
○ Between 2010 and 2021, the number of the airlines combined, and more than twice as many
Nation’s bridges in poor condition declined by between New York City and Boston.
15,719, from about 10 to about 7 percent of all ● Freight Railroads: The COVID-19 pandemic
bridges. severely impacted freight railroad traffic and
○ New passenger car sales in the United States operations. As compared with 2019, in 2020 rail
declined from 5.3 million vehicles in 2018 carloads were down 13 percent, revenue ton-miles
to 3.4 million in 2020 due to shortages of down 10.8 percent, and total operating revenue
labor and vehicle components (especially dropped 11 percent. U.S. rail intermodal was down
electronics), resulting in reduced vehicle only 2 percent, due to a surge in imports and
production and increased vehicle prices. related port traffic.
● Congestion Conditions in Most U.S. Cities: ● Ports and Waterways: The pandemic caused an
In the COVID-19 initial pandemic year of 2020, overall drop of 6 percent in waterborne tonnage
highway congestion dropped from between 43 to handled, which was less than the decrease in
51 percent as compared to 2019. Annual hours traffic experienced by other transportation modes.
of delay per commuter dropped from 54 hours in The average 2020 dwell time of container vessels
2019 to 27 hours in 2020, a value not seen since at the top 25 U.S. container ports was 28.1 hours,
1989, more than three decades ago. down slightly from 28.2 hours in 2019.
● Public Transit: While 2020 saw little change ● Petroleum Pipelines: The crude petroleum
in public transit infrastructure, the COVID-19 and products pipeline systems carried 3.3 billion
pandemic caused transit ridership to plummet. barrels across the United States in the pandemic
Passenger trips dropped from 9.0 billion in 2019 to year of 2020, down 10 percent from 3.7 billion in
5.4 billion in 2020, a 40 percent reduction. 2019. Pipeline shipments recovered to 3.5 billion
barrels in 2021.
● Aviation:
● Disruptions to the Transportation System: In
○ Total passenger enplanements at U.S. 2020, there were a record-high 22 weather and
airports were down from 1.05 billion in 2019 to climate disaster events with losses exceeding
401 million in 2020, a drop of 62 percent and $1 billion each across the United States. These
less than the total reported two decades earlier. events included 7 tropical cyclones, 13 severe
Traffic rebounded in 2021 to about two-thirds of storms, 1 related to drought, and 1 due to
2019’s record-high enplanements. wildfires. Ten of the cyclone and severe storm
○ Air freight has been a bright spot during the events caused a total of 60 days of closure spread
pandemic, increasing 16.5 percent from 2019 across 25 maritime ports. While too much water
to 2021. disrupted transportation along the coasts, too little
○ Over the last decade, runway pavement water disrupted barge traffic on the Mississippi.
condition has been nearly constant, with
80 percent of pavements rated good,
18 percent fair, and 2 percent poor.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

extreme weather delays at the Nation’s ports performance of the U.S. transportation system.
and airports, as well as new disruptions, such as In most cases the latest data available are
cybersecurity threats. for the year 2020. A point of emphasis is the
changes in the transportation system brought
This chapter reviews the extent, usage, about by the COVID-19 pandemic, officially
condition, and physical and economic recognized as a national emergency in the
performance of the transportation system. The United States on March 14, 2020.
condition of the system is affected by wear from
use and damage from infrastructure age and
environmental forces, all of which vary by modal
Highways, Bridges, and Vehicles
components of the system. Performance is Expansive Infrastructure Required to Meet
affected by the physical and operational capacity Demand and Resiliency Needs
of infrastructure and services to handle demand,
extreme weather, or human-caused disruptions. Roads
The relationships of capacity and demand
In 2020, the U.S. road system had about
translate into economic costs of transportation
4.2 million centerline-miles1 and 8.8 million
and affect the contribution of transportation
lane-miles,2 both of which are virtually the same
to the economy, described at the end of this
as in 2018, and more than 618,400 bridges,
chapter as economic performance.
up by 0.4 percent since 2018. The mileage
This chapter includes the latest transportation of non-expressway principal arterial streets
data on the extent, usage, condition, and and collector streets were also up by 0.4 and

1
A centerline-mile has a total length of 1 mile as measured along the highway centerline.
2
Lane-miles are the product of the centerline length (in miles) multiplied by the number of lanes. For example, the one-mile centerline length of
a two-lane road equals two lane-miles

Table 1-1 Public Roads, Streets, and Bridges: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020
Road/street/bridge 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020
Public Road and Street Mileage by Functional
Type (miles) 3,936,222 4,067,076 4,176,915 4,171,125 4,172,562
Interstate 46,427 46,900 48,440 48,481 48,472
Other freeways and expressways 9,140 14,619 18,603 18,631 18,656
Other principal arterial 152,233 157,194 156,614 156,680 157,210
Minor arterial 227,364 242,815 246,214 246,831 246,539
Collectors 793,124 799,226 814,585 815,118 819,025
Local 2,707,934 2,806,322 2,892,459 2,885,384 2,882,660
TOTAL lane-miles 8,224,245 8,581,158 8,794,569 8,785,398 8,790,746
TOTAL bridges 587,135 604,460 616,096 617,084 618,456
TOTAL registered vehicles 225,821,241 250,070,048 273,602,100 276,491,174 275,924,442
Vehicle-miles of travel (millions) 2,746,925 2,967,266 3,240,327 3,261,772 2,903,622
NOTE: Lane-miles are the centerline length in miles multiplied by the number of lanes.
SOURCES: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Highway Statistics (multiple years), as cited in the
USDOT. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). National Transportation Statistics (NTS). tables 1-5, 1-6, 1-11, 1-28, and 1-35. Available at http://
www.bts.gov/ as of August 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

0.5 percent, respectively, since 2018, indicating Figure 1-1 shows the National Highway
that road building during the pandemic tended System (NHS) and other principal arterials and
to focus more on local needs than on interstate intermodal connectors, comprising an extensive
travel. system of highways that supports densely
populated urban centers in the northeast and
Local roads are by far the most extensive parts of the Midwest, South, and West. The
component of the highway system, amounting NHS includes interstate highways as well as
to 2.9 million miles (around 69 percent of total other roads important to the Nation’s economy,
centerline-miles) in 2020 (Table 1-1). However, defense, and mobility.
interstate highways, which accounted for about
48,000 miles (just over 1 percent of total system- Condition of Roads and Highways
miles), handled the highest volumes of traffic as
measured by vehicle-miles traveled (VMT)—at Interstate Highways Have the Best Pavement
about 25 percent in 2020 [USDOT FHWA OHPI Condition
2021]. Rural highways comprise 70.3 percent of
the centerline miles and 68.5 percent of the lane- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s
miles and carry 31.1 percent of VMT. (USDOT’s) Federal Highway Administration

Figure 1-1 National Highway System, Intermodal Connectors, and Principal Arterials: 2022

KEY: NHS = National Highway System or the interstate highway system; STRAHNET = Strategic Highway Network or a network of highways which are
important to the U. S. strategic defense policy. MAP-21 principal arterials = those rural and urban roads serving major population centers not already
categorized above.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Highway Administration, Highway Performance Monitoring System, as cited in USDOT,
Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Atlas Database, available at www.bts.gov as of October 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

(FHWA) reports national statistics on pavement (under 4.0 percent) since 2011,3 with rural NHS
condition using International Roughness interstate highways having the best pavement
Index (IRI) measurements, which indicate condition of all NHS roads (Figure 1-2). The
the smoothness of pavement for three major percentage of urban NHS interstate highways
categories: with poor pavement improved slightly from
5.4 percent in 2011 to 5.1 percent in 2020.
1. Road-miles on the NHS, a network of
From 2011 to 2020, the portion of the NHS with
strategic highways and roads in the United
the poorest pavement has consistently been
States that includes the interstate highway
the urban non-interstate portion of the system,
system;
with a percentage about 5 times greater than
2. Road-miles by functional classification, other portions of the NHS. The total rural and
such as interstates, other freeway and urban NHS categories are a summary of the
expressways, other principal arterials, and statistics of both the NHS interstate highways
minor arterials; and and non-interstate highways in each category,
3. National system performance measures of including Puerto Rico. Poor condition is defined
daily VMT by NHS road pavement condition. as any pavement with an IRI value greater than
170 inches/mile.
The percentage of pavement in poor condition
on the rural NHS has remained relatively stable

3
No data were reported for 2010 due to a change in the data model, so data reported for 2011 were used in this section.

Figure 1-2 Percent Miles of the NHS with Poor Pavement: 2011, 2019, and 2020

KEY: IRI = International Roughness Index; NHS = National Highway System.

NOTE: Poor condition is defined as any pavement with an IRI value greater than 170 inches/mile.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, table HM-47, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
policyinformation/statistics.cfm as of September 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Looking at the pavement condition for all high 3 percent in 2018; for urban NHS travel on poor
function roads, including non-NHS federal pavement, the percentage increased from about
and state roads that have high traffic volumes 11 to about 14 percent over the same period, as
and densities, yields a broader and slightly shown in Figure 1-4 [USDOT FHWA OHPI 2021].
different view of overall road condition than just
examining the NHS (Figure 1-3). The mileage of Bridges
rural higher function roads with poor pavement
conditions increased between 2011 and 2020. In most cases, as stated above, 2020 data
The percentage of poor pavement miles in 2011 is the latest year available for complete and
for rural interstates and other freeways/principal final datasets. FHWA has total bridge data that
arterials was just under 5, increasing to just over varies per bridge, based on lane miles, load
5 in 2020. The mileage of urban higher function restrictions, and bridge conditions.
roads with poor pavement conditions improved A total of 618,456 highway bridges were in use in
for all roadway classes, decreasing from 2020 (Table 1-1), ranging in size from rural one-
21.4 percent in 2011 to 19.8 percent in 2020. lane bridges crossing creeks to urban multilane
Daily VMT were approximately 4.3 billion in and multilevel interstate bridges and major river
2020, of which 10.3 percent were over roads crossings.
with pavement in poor condition. Poor pavement In the same year, rural bridges, including those
conditions can lead to bumpy rides, vehicle wear, on rural interstate highways, accounted for
and flat tires in addition to traffic congestion and 70.9 percent of the total bridge network [USDOT
crashes. Urban roads have a larger share than FHWA OHPI 2021]. While the interstate highway
rural roads of VMT on roads with poor pavement bridges accounted for 9.5 percent of all bridges,
conditions. The percentage of daily VMT on they carried 45.5 percent of motor vehicle bridge
rural NHS roads with poor pavement condition traffic.
increased from about 2 percent in 2011 to about

Figure 1-3 Rural vs. Urban High Function Roads with Poor Pavement Condition:
2011, 2019, and 2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, table HM-64, available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
policyinformation/statistics.cfm as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-4 Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled on NHS Roads With Poor Pavement Condition,
Urban vs. Rural: 2011 and 2018–2020 (Daily VMT = 4.3 Billion in 2020)

KEY: NHS = National Highway System; VMT = vehicle-miles traveled.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway System Length – 2018, Daily Travel by Measured
Pavement Roughness – Urban and Rural, table HM-47A, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2020/pdf/hm47b.pdf as of
September 2022.

Condition of Bridges bridge conditions can lead to headline grabbing

catastrophic failures and collapses. The percent
Bridge Condition Has Continued to Improve of bridges in poor condition has been two-and-
The number of the Nation’s bridges in poor a-half to almost three times greater for non-NHS
condition4 declined from 59,305 bridges (about bridges than for NHS bridges.7,8
10 percent of all bridges) in 2010 to 42,966 in As shown in Figure 1-5, the greatest percentage
2022 (6.9 percent) [USDOT FHWA 2022a]. Poor of poor bridges, determined by the lowest rating
bridge conditions affect freight transportation of the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition
and passenger travel, especially if detours ratings for the bridge deck, superstructure,
around a closed bridge5 or weight restrictions6 substructure, or culverts, are in rural and urban
are in place. Under extreme circumstances, poor
4
A “poor” bridge condition rating is determined by the lowest rating of the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for bridge deck,
superstructure, substructure, or culverts.
5
Closed bridges are not open to public traffic.
6
A weight-restricted bridge cannot safely support the weight of any vehicles that exceed the posted weight limit even if they are otherwise legal
on the adjacent roadways.
7
NHS bridges are those bridges located on the network of strategic highways and roads in the United States that comprise the NHS and
includes the interstate highway system.
8
2012 is the first year available reflecting the Federal Highway Administration’s new condition-based performance measures, such as “the
percent of NHS bridges by deck area classified as in poor condition.”

1-7
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-5 Number of and Average Daily Traffic on Poor Condition Bridges: 2021

KEY: ADT = average daily traffic.

NOTE: A “poor” bridge condition rating is determined by the lowest rating of the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for bridge deck,
superstructure, substructure, or culverts.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Bridge Condition by Functional Classification, available at https://www.
fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/fc.cfm as of September 2022.

areas are on local roads. Bridges in poor are in better shape than their smaller non-NHS
condition on rural roads in 2021 accounted counterparts.
for about 7.9 percent of the total number of
rural bridges and 3.3 percent of the throughput Bridges are an important component of
(average daily traffic9) on rural highways. rural transportation infrastructure. Of the
43,586 bridges considered to be in poor
In comparison, bridges in poor condition condition nationwide in 2021,10 about
on urban roads comprised approximately 80 percent of them are in rural areas [USDOT
4.8 percent of urban bridges and 3.5 percent FHWA 2022d]. Bridges in poor condition are
of urban road throughput (average daily concentrated in rural areas in the Midwest
traffic) [USDOT FHWA 2021a]. The most used and Northeast (Figure 1-6). Moreover, 4 out
bridges are in better shape than their less-used of 5 closed bridges and 9 out of 10 bridges
counterparts, just as interstate and NHS bridges with posted load restrictions are in rural areas.
Load restrictions on bridges can increase costs

9
Average daily traffic is the average 24-hour volume, calculated as the total volume during a stated period divided by the number of days in that
period. Normally, this would be periodic daily traffic volumes over several days, not adjusted for days of the week or seasons of the year.
10
Bridges in poor condition may have deficiencies, such as deck deterioration, section loss (loss of a cross-sectional area of a bridge member
caused by corrosion or decay), spalling (depression in concrete), and scour (erosion of the stream bed or bank material around the bridge due
to water flow).

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-6 Bridges in Poor Condition in Rural Areas: 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, National Bridge Inventory, available at www.transportation.gov as of
October 2022.

(e.g., delivery delays, costly detours, and the Concerning who owns and is responsible for the
need for lighter trucks or loads). Detours around upkeep of the 43,586 bridges in poor condition in
a closed bridge in rural areas averaged more 2021, about 31 percent of these bridges (13,303)
than three times the distance of bridge detours were owned by States, 51 percent (22,368)
in urban areas (17.75 vs. 5.55 miles) [USDOT by counties, 7.1 percent (3,103) by towns,
FHWA OHPI 2021]. 7.3 percent (3,187) by cities, and 1.8 percent
(770) by the Federal Government. The remaining
In 2021, 66,399 out of the 615,734 bridges open bridges are owned by park agencies, tollways,
to traffic had some type of load restriction or a railroads, and other entities [USDOT FHWA
temporary bridge in place, comprising about 2022b].
11 percent of all bridges [USDOT FHWA 2022c].
The percentage of the Nation’s bridges open to Vehicles
traffic with restricted postings alone was about
11 percent in 2010 and 10 percent in 2021, Government, businesses, private individuals,
showing some improvement in bridge condition. and nongovernmental organizations owned
Of the 64,476 bridges having some form of and operated about 275.9 million motor
posted restriction in 2021, about 29 percent vehicles in 2020 and drove a total of more than
(18,757 bridges) were in poor condition. 2.9 trillion miles. Although commercial vehicles

1-9
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

(trucks and buses) comprised about 5 percent Freight and Supply Chain. The pandemic was
of registered vehicles, their use accounted for also largely responsible for the anemic growth in
about 11 percent of VMT [USDOT FHWA OHPI vehicle registrations (0.8 percent) from 2018 to
2021]. 2020. Over that period, new passenger car sales
in the United States declined from 5.3 million
While highway system growth has stagnated in to 3.4 million vehicles [USDOT BTS 2022b]
recent years, quite the opposite is true for the as shortages of labor and vehicle components
number of highway vehicles and the miles they (especially electronics) resulted in reduced
are driven, both of which have grown at a faster vehicle production and increased vehicle prices.
rate than licensed drivers and the population These factors are discussed further in Chapter
since 1985 (Figure 1-7). Some noticeable 4 - Transportation Economics.
changes in these trends occurred during the
beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most daily personal travel, particularly work
While vehicle ownership and licensed drivers commutes, is in privately owned vehicles.
continued to grow, but at a slower rate, VMT According to the National Household Travel
decreased 11 percent from 2019 to 2020, which Survey [USDOT FHWA 2022e], the average
was a notable drop from that which occurred passenger vehicle was driven slightly more than
during the 2008–2009 economic recession. VMT 10,000 miles a year in 2017, which is about the
in 2020 was down to the same level as in 2003, same as in 2009. More recent usage, however,
which predated the recession years. Pandemic- has likely declined due to the pandemic’s effects.
induced changes in passenger travel and freight Comparable public data for commercial trucks
shipping are discussed further in Chapter 2 are not available. The Vehicle Inventory and Use
- Passenger Travel and Equity and Chapter 3 - Survey (VIUS), formerly conducted every 5 years

Figure 1-7 Licensed Drivers, Vehicle Registrations, Vehicle-Miles Traveled, and Population:
1985–2020

KEY: VMT = vehicle-miles traveled.

SOURCE: Vehicles, Drivers, and Population: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2020. Table
DV-1C and VM-1, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2020/ as of September 2022.

1-10
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

by the Census Bureau (the last survey was in Highway Congestion

2002), provided further data on the physical
and operational characteristics of the Nation’s Much Lower Urban Highway Congestion During
commercial truck population. An updated VIUS is the Pandemic
being conducted by BTS in 2022 [USDOT BTS Congestion measures are reported for the
2022f]. 52 largest metropolitan statistical areas
(MSAs)—those with a population over 500,000—
Condition of the Vehicle Fleet in the FHWA Urban Congestion Report [USDOT
Increasing Age of Vehicles FHWA 2021b] (UCR) based on vehicle probe
data.11 Three measures are used to gauge
The average age of the Nation’s light vehicles congestion, an excess of vehicles on the
(which includes passenger cars and light trucks) roadway is one of the factors resulting in speeds
has been increasing steadily over time and was that are slower than normal (free flow) speeds:
11.7 years in 2018, up from 10.6 years in 2010.
1. Daily congested hours,
The pandemic-induced drop in vehicle sales,
noted above, increased the average vehicle 2. Travel Time Index (TTI) that compares peak
age even further, reaching 12.1 years in 2021 period travel time to low-volume travel time,
[USDOT BTS 2022b]. Vehicle condition usually and
declines with use and age. 3. Planning Time Index (PTI) for freeways
that calculates the time needed to arrive on
Various factors have been offered to explain
schedule with a probability of 95 percent for
the increasing age of the vehicle fleet: longer
any particular time of the day relative to the
vehicle life due to improvements in vehicle
free-flow travel time (a measure of travel time
manufacturing, an increase in the number of
reliability).
vehicles per household (e.g., older vehicles
passed on to children of driving age when Each of these measures represents a different
parents get a new car), changes in driving aspect of congestion. The effects of reduced
habits, and deferring vehicle purchases during driving during the pandemic are evident in the
economic recessions. As to the latter, the latest results. From 2019 to 2020, on average
average age increase in the light-duty vehicle for the 52 urban areas studied, congested
fleet was 12 percent between 2008 and 2013, hours were down 39 percent, TTI was down
a period of economic recession and recovery, 14 percent, and PTI dropped 24 percent
compared with average age increases during the [USDOT FHWA 2021b].
non-recession periods immediately before and
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Urban
after the recession of about 4 percent between
Mobility Report provides a comprehensive look
2002 and 2007 and 3 percent between 2015
at highway congestion [SHRANK, EISELE,
and 2019 [USDOT BTS 2022b]. In comparison,
LOMAX 2021]. This biennial report, which
the vehicle fleet has aged 3.4 percent from 2018
relies on INRIX12 data, includes both NHS and
to 2021, which spans the COVID-19 pandemic
non-NHS freeways and arterial roads. The
years, extrapolating to an increase of nearly
Urban Mobility Report reports show metrics for
6 percent by 2023 if the present trend continues.

11
Vehicle probe data consists of locational data collected from the global positioning systems on vehicles using the road network.
12
INRIX data is collected every 15 minutes of the average day of the week for almost every mile of major road in urban America, resulting in
about a billion data points on speed on about 1.5 million miles of U.S. streets and highways. More than 90 percent of the travel delay in the
2019 report is based on a measured traffic speed.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

101 MSAs with additional data for another 393. passenger vehicle traffic, as trucks made more
The 2021 Urban Mobility Report shows that business and home deliveries. As a result, the
there were unprecedented reductions in highway decrease in truck congestion was less than the
congestion in urban areas in the COVID-19 initial decrease for passenger cars and was spread
pandemic year of 2020. out over all sizes of urban areas, and over more
hours of the day than the traditional commute
Figure 1-8 shows the average annual delay per hours. Truck congestion cost was $11 billion
commuter in the 101 largest urban areas for in 2020, down from $20 billion in 2019, but the
2010 and 2016–2020. Overall, in urban areas truck share of total congestion cost increased
annual hours of delay per commuter dropped from 11 percent of the total in 2019 to 12 percent
from 54 hours in 2019 to 27 hours in 2020, a in 2020. [SHRANK, EISELE, LOMAX 2021]
value not seen since 1989, more than three
decades ago. Other congestion measures also Figure 1-9 shows the peak-period congestion
recorded drops of historic proportions from on high-volume truck routes on the NHS in 2020
2019 to 2020. The average Travel Time Index and the projected peak-period congestion in the
decreased from 1.23 to 1.09, delay cost per entire NHS in 2045. Not surprisingly, the major
commuter dropped from $1,170 to $605 (a congested points are in metropolitan areas
48 percent decline), and total motor fuel wasted where truck traffic mixes with other traffic and
due to congestion decreased from 3.5 billion along major interstate highways connecting
gallons to 1.7 billion gallons (minus 51 percent) major metropolitan areas. The rankings by
[SHRANK, EISELE, LOMAX 2021]. peak average speed for the top 25 freight-
significant congested locations (e.g., Fort Lee,
Truck congestion was different in some respects NJ, Atlanta, and Nashville) in the Nation have
in 2020. Truck traffic did not decline as much as stayed about the same over the past 10 years,

Figure 1-8 Annual Hours of Delay per Commuter: 2010 and 2016–2020

SOURCE: Schrank, Eisele, and Lomax. Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Urban Mobility Report 2021. available at https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/ as of
September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-9 Peak-Period Congestion on the High-Volume Truck Routes on the National Highway
System, 2020 and Projected to 2045
A. 2020

B. Projected to 2045

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.5, special tabulation as of October 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

although some locations have shown minor bus; demand-response services; and ferryboat.
movements up or down the list [ATRI 2022]. In In 2020, these transit agencies operated over
2021, the average peak-hour truck speed for the 5,700 stations.13 There were 13,173 fixed-rail-
top 100 truck bottlenecks was 38.6 mph, down transit track-miles and 5,000 fully controlled or
11.2 percent from 2020. Incremental efforts and limited-access bus lane-miles in 2020 [USDOT
system improvements have helped to mitigate FTA 2021].
congestion, but peak-period demand continues
to exceed highway capacity. In 2022, BTS Transit agencies vary widely in size, ranging
created a Supply Chain Indicators Dashboard from social service agencies operating a single
that produces monthly average truck speed vehicle to the 13,000 vehicles14 operated by
miles per hour (MPH) at 10 bottleneck locations the New York City Metropolitan Transportation
that track data from January 2019 to October Authority. While 2020 saw little change in
2022, see Figure 1-10. public transit infrastructure, the COVID-19
pandemic caused transit ridership to plummet.
Passenger trips dropped from 9.0 billion in 2019
Public Transit to 5.4 billion in 2020, a reduction of 40 percent
The COVID-19 Pandemic Caused Transit (Table 1-2). Monthly ridership losses during the
Ridership to Plummet onset of the pandemic were even more striking.
April 2020 had 158.5 million unlinked passenger
About 970 urban transit agencies and 1,270 rural
trips (UPT),—the lowest ridership on record
and tribal government transit agencies offer
since 2002. This was down from 835.1 million
a range of travel options, including commuter
UPT in April of 2019, a decrease of 81 percent.
rail, subway, and light-rail; transit and trolley

13
With about 83 percent compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (Pub. L. 101-336).
14
Includes commuter bus, demand response, heavy rail, bus, and bus rapid transit.

Figure 1-10 Average Truck Speed in MPH at Bottleneck Locations: 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Supply Chain Indicator
Dashboard, available at https://www.bts.gov/freight-indicators#truck-speed, as of October 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Table 1-2 Transit Vehicles and Ridership: Revenue Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020
Transit vehicle 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020
TOTAL, transit vehicles 106,136 135,674 134,855 137,581 137,614
TOTAL, rail transit vehicles 17,114 20,374 20,515 21,153 21,387
Heavy rail cars 10,311 11,510 10,763 11,198 11,064
Commuter rail cars and locomotives 5,497 6,768 7,023 7,144 7,524
Light rail cars 1,306 2,096 2,729 2,811 2,799
TOTAL, non-rail transit vehicles 89,022 115,300 114,340 116,428 116,227
Motor bus 59,230 63,679 63,284 64,000 63,830
Demand response 22,087 33,555 33,253 34,613 34,561
Ferry boat 98 134 171 183 204
Other 7,607 17,932 17,632 17,632 17,632
Rail Transit Stations 2,595 3,124 3,448 3,632 3,665
Person-Miles (millions) 45,100 52,627 53,830 54,097 31,547
Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT in billions) 7.95 9.30 8.96 8.96 5.42
Rail transit UPT 2.95 3.92 4.18 4.24 2.12
Non-rail transit UPT 5.00 5.38 4.78 4.72 3.30
KEY: UPT = unlinked passenger trips.
NOTES: Motor bus includes bus, commuter bus, bus rapid transit, and trolley bus. Light Rail includes light rail, streetcar rail, and hybrid rail. Demand
response includes demand response and demand response taxi. Other includes the Alaska railroad, automated guideway transit, cable car, inclined
plane, monorail, and vanpool. Unlinked passenger trips are the number of passengers who board public transportation vehicles. Passengers are counted
each time they board vehicles no matter how many vehicles they use to travel from their origin to their destination.
SOURCES: Transit vehicles: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Federal Transit Administration (FTA). National Transit Database (NTD) as
cited in USDOT. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). National Transportation Statistics (NTS). Table 1-11. Available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of
August 2022. Person-miles traveled: USDOT/FTA/NTD as cited in USDOT/BTS/NTS. Table 1-40. Available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of August 2022.
Transit Stations and Unlinked passenger trips: USDOT/FTA/NTD. Available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/ntd-data as of August 2022.

Eight months later, in December, ridership was fact that bus passengers generally take shorter
still down by 62 percent compared to 2019 trips. Conversely, due to longer trips, rail carries
[USDOT FTA 2021]. While transit ridership 43 percent of all transit PMT. Demand-response
is slowly increasing, it has yet to recover to or paratransit systems, which are largely social
pre-pandemic levels [USDOT BTS 2022j]. service agency trip providers in areas without
Figure 1-11 shows transit ridership in the top fixed services or timetables, operated around
50 urbanized areas in 2021. 25 percent of transit vehicles in 2020 but carried
only 2 percent of the trips and passenger miles.
Despite the ridership decline, the distribution of Demand-response and paratransit systems,
vehicles and activity across the different transit which operate mostly in urban areas but also
modes was roughly the same as in recent sometimes in rural areas, tend to service those
years. Rail transit (heavy, commuter, and light with a disability or those who do not own a car.
rail) comprised approximately 16 percent of the
transit vehicles but 39 percent of transit trips Two rapidly growing travel services that affect
and 53 percent of person-miles traveled (PMT) both driving and transit usage in urban areas
[USDOT FTA 2021]. Buses recorded the highest are ride-hailing and vehicle-sharing. These on-
share of transit trips at 56 percent but only demand services have created new business
40 percent of PMT. This can be attributed to the models including transportation network

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

companies (TNCs), mobility on demand (MOD), reflecting the respective condition of different
and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), which rely on transit modes, with older transit vehicles more
a digital platform that integrates various forms likely to break down than newer ones. For the
of transport services into a single on-demand most part, the average age of the Nation’s
service. The use of these new travel options transit fleet increased between 2000 and 2020.
is discussed further in Chapter 2—Passenger Two exceptions include ferryboats, where
Travel and Equity. investments in new vessels occurred in the
late 2000s, which dropped their average age
Transit System Condition by about 5 years, and in articulated buses,16
which have shorter useful life and thus a faster
Most Transit Vehicles and Facilities Are in a fleet turnover (Figure 1-12). The average age
State of Good Repair of heavy rail passenger cars, at about 23 years,
Vehicle age is used as a surrogate for condition, makes them the oldest part of the Nation’s transit
with the average lifetime mileage by asset type15 system [USDOT BTS 2022b]. Motorbuses have

15
Average lifetime mileage per active vehicle is the total miles accumulated on all active vehicles since date of manufacture divided by the
number of active vehicles. Typically, this is found by taking the average of all odometer readings at the end of the fiscal year.
16
Data on the average age of other types of transit buses have been unavailable since 2013. Over the period 2000 to 2013 the average age of
large transit buses was 7.7 years, versus 6.1 years for articulated buses. The latter had an average age of 7.1 years from 2014 to 2020, so it
appears that large transit buses are roughly a year older than articulated buses.

Figure 1-11 Top 50 Urbanized Areas of Transit Ridership: 2021

NOTE: Urban Areas (orange shaded)—built-up area or urban agglomeration with a high population density and significant infrastructure.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, available at www.fta.dot.gov as of
October 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-12 Average Age of Urban Transit Vehicles: 2000, 2010, 2019, and 2020

NOTE: An articulated bus is bus type with two sections joined by a vertical hinge, which allows for easier cornering.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 1-29, available at https://www.
bts.gov/content/average-age-urban-transit-vehicles-years as of September 2022.

an average age of 7.5 years [USDOT FTA 2021]. parking lots, and structures) were deemed to be
In general, average vehicle age increases with in a state-of-good-repair [USDOT FTA 2021].
the vehicle’s replacement cost because agencies
have an incentive to maintain their more Aviation
expensive assets to extend their service lives.
Air Travel Plummeted Due to the Pandemic
The transit industry has made progress in
The main elements of aviation system
improving the reliability of service, primarily
infrastructure include airport runways and
through preventative maintenance and
terminals, aircraft, and air traffic control
investments in state-of-good-repair. For
systems. In 2021 the United States had about
example, the number of major mechanical
20,100 airports (Table 1-3), ranging from rural
failures17 for buses decreased from about
grass landing strips to large paved multiple-
248,000 in 2010 to 176,000 in 2020—a
runway airports. About a quarter of the airports
29 percent decrease. Transit agencies also
are public-use facilities, which include large
report state-of-good-repair information for fixed
commercial airports and general aviation
and mobile assets. Of all assets rated in 2020,
airports that serve a wide range of users. The
82 percent of revenue vehicles (those that
remaining three-quarters are private airports,
carry passengers) and 88 percent of facilities
which tend to be relatively small. The stock of
(e.g., transit stations, maintenance facilities,
airports has been relatively stable over the past
17
A major mechanical failure is one that that prevents the vehicle from completing a scheduled revenue trip or from starting the next scheduled
revenue trip because movement is limited, or safety compromised.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

two decades, the exception being a 6 percent The COVID-19 pandemic caused major
increase in the number of private airports since reductions in air travel in 2020 (Table 1-3). Total
2000. Interestingly, the number of licensed passenger enplanements at U.S. airports were
pilots increased by 15 percent from 2010 to down from 1.05 billion in 2019 to 401 million
2021. Despite the increase in air transport in 2020, a drop of 62 percent, and there were
pilot licenses, air crew shortages have been a fewer enplanements than the total reported
significant factor in flight cancellations and route two decades earlier. Traffic rebounded in
reductions during the pandemic. 2021 to about two-thirds of 2019’s record high

Table 1-3 U.S. Air Transportation System: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021
Air transportation system 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020 2021
TOTAL, U.S. airports 19,281 19,802 19,627 19,636 19,919 20,061
Public use 5,317 5,175 5,099 5,080 5,217 5,211
Private use 13,964 14,353 14,528 14,556 14,702 14,850
Military U 274 305 308 312 313
TOTAL, aircraft 225,359 230,555 219,224 218,609 210,862 U
General aviation aircraft 217,533 223,370 211,749 210,981 204,140 204,405
Commercial aircraft 7,826 7,185 7,475 7,628 5,882 U
Pilots 625,581 627,588 633,317 664,565 691,691 720,605
TOTAL, load factor 72.94 81.79 83.72 84.65 58.79 73.75
Domestic flights 71.14 82.07 84.47 85.11 58.90 77.68
International flights 75.02 81.48 81.93 83.53 58.33 59.00
TOTAL, passenger enplanements (thousands) 741,181 791,815 1,016,834 1,053,200 400,796 703,303
Enplanements on domestic flights 599,844 632,141 780,034 813,887 336,937 608,208
Enplanements on international flights of U.S. carriers 70,476 89,198 111,910 115,552 34,797 60,773
Enplanements on international flights of foreign carriers 70,861 70,477 124,890 123,761 29,062 34,323
TOTAL, revenue passenger-miles, U.S. carriers
(millions) 691,853 795,128 1,010,573 1,054,798 378,052 687,824
Domestic, revenue passenger-miles (RPM) (millions) 500,432 554,711 720,818 752,758 303,562 571,839
International on U.S. carriers,revenue passenger-miles
(RPM) (millions) 191,422 240,418 289,755 302,041 74,490 115,985
TOTAL, Freight Enplaned (thousand tons) 5,023 14,124 17,221 17,327 18,910 20,187
Domestic, Freight Enplaned (thousand tons) 1,574 10,083 12,412 12,704 13,994 14,692
International on U.S. carriers, Freight Enplaned
(thousand tons) 3,449 4,041 4,809 4,624 4,916 5,496
KEY: U = unavailable at time of publication.
NOTES: General aviation includes air taxis. Major U.S. carriers have annual operating revenue exceeding $1 billion. National carriers have annual
operating revenues between $100 million and $1 billion. These carrier categories differ from the more commonly used business model categories. Total
includes both scheduled and non-scheduled passenger enplanements. Revenue passenger-miles (RPM) are calculated by multiplying the number of
revenue passengers by the distance traveled. Load factor is a measure of the use of aircraft capacity that compares the system use, measured in RPMs
as a proportion of system capacity, measured by available seat miles.
SOURCES: Airports: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), special tabulation, November 2019. General
aviation aircraft and Pilots: USDOT/FAA. FAA Aerospace Forecast, Fiscal Years (multiple issues). Available at www.faa.gov as of November 2019.
Passenger enplanements: USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of Airline Information (OAI), T1/DB20 (Green Book). Available
at http://www.transtats.bts.gov/ as of November 2019. RPM and Freight Enplaned: USDOT, BTS, OAI, T-100 Segment data. Available at http://www.
transtats.bts.gov/ as of November 2019.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

enplanements. This lower traffic level meant Condition

that fewer planes were flying and that planes
were flying with a lot of empty seats. Load factor, Runway Pavement Condition Remained Stable
a measure of aircraft capacity utilization, was The Nation’s aviation system consists of
59 percent in 2020 and 74 percent in 2021, numerous airport assets, including runways/
as compared with 85 percent in 2019. The taxiways, tarmacs, terminals, air traffic control
recovery in air passenger traffic continued into systems, and support structures. The only
2022, when the number of aircraft departures regular national-level reporting of asset condition
in the first 9 months were 90.4 percent of the is for airport runway pavements. Runway
departures in the first 9 months of 2019 [USDOT pavement condition is classified by the FAA as
BTS 2022l]. Air freight has been a bright spot follows [USDOT BTS 2022b]:
during the pandemic, increasing 16.5 percent
from 2019 to 2021 (Table 1-3). ● Good: All cracks and joints are sealed;
● Fair: Mild surface cracking, unsealed joints,
Figure 1-13 shows the U.S. airports with the
and slab edge spalling;
most passenger enplanements on scheduled
flights in 2021. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta ● Poor: Large open cracks, surface and edge
International (36.7 million), Dallas/Fort Worth spalling, vegetation growing through cracks
International (30.0 million), and Denver and joints.
International (28.6 million) were the top three Over the last decade, runway pavement
airports in 2021. The top 50 airports accounted condition has been nearly constant with
for 83 percent (about 542 million) of the U.S. 80 percent of pavements rated good, 18 percent
airport passenger enplanements in 2021. fair, and 2 percent poor.
U.S. airports handled about 5.7 million18 The latest 5-year National Plan of Integrated
commercial airline flights in 2020, 56 percent Airport Systems (NPIAS)19 estimates the
of the number of flights in 2019 (10.2 million). need for approximately $43.6 billion in Airport
This rebounded to 7.6 million in 2022. Total pre- Improvement Program (AIP)-eligible projects
pandemic commercial flights on U.S. carriers at 3,310 public-use airports during fiscal years
have varied between 9.5 and 10.0 million since 2021 to 2025 [USDOT FAA 2020]. This is an
2010 but remain below the high point of more increase of $8.5 billion over the plan issued
than 10.5 million before the December 2007 to 2 years prior. Although there is some overlap in
June 2009 recession [USDOT BTS 2022e]. At how the types of investments are categorized,
least some of this reduction is due to the trend about 72 percent ($31 billion) of the AIP-eligible
for airlines to use larger aircraft and reduce the projects are for reconstruction of or bringing
number of flights. assets into compliance with the latest best
practices for safety, capacity, security, and
environment [USDOT FAA 2020].

18
Previous editions of this report have reported total commercial fights for major U.S. airports only, rather than for all U.S. airports.
19
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) contains all commercial service airports, all reliever airports, and selected public-
owned general aviation airports identified by FAA Order 5090.3C. An airport must be included in the NPIAS to be eligible to receive a grant
under the Airport Improvement Program.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-13 Enplanements at the Top 50 U.S. Airports: 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, T-100 Data, as reported in National
Transportation Statistics, table 1-44, available at www.bts.gov as of August 2022.

The average age of U.S. commercial airline Performance

aircraft increased slightly between 2018 and
2019, going from 13.5 to 13.7 years [USDOT Aircraft Delays Showing Gradual Improvements
BTS 2022b]. In 2019, the average aircraft Flight delays can ripple through the U.S.
age for the largest airlines (called majors20) aviation system as late arriving flights tend
was 13.4 years. For the next level of airlines to delay subsequent flights throughout the
(called nationals21), the average aircraft age day. Apparently, reduced air traffic during
was 12.7 years, and for regional airlines22 the pandemic resulted in improved on-time
27.5 years—roughly twice the age of the larger departure and arrival performance (Figure 1-14).
planes used by major and national airlines. No The percent of on-time arrivals for the largest
public data are currently available to indicate the U.S. carriers increased from 79.2 percent in
condition of the aircraft fleet. 2019 to 84.6 percent in 2020. The percentage

20
Major airlines are those with more than $1 billion dollars of annual revenue.
21
National airlines include those with over $100 million to $1 billion dollars of annual revenue.
22
Regional airlines are those with annual revenue of $100 million and under.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-14 Percent On-Time Flight Departures and Arrivals: 2010–2021

NOTE: A flight is considered delayed when it arrives 15 or more minutes later than the scheduled arrival time or departed 15 or more minutes later than
the scheduled departure time.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-time Percentage Arrivals and Departures, available at https://www.
transtats.bts.gov/ as of October 2022.

of on-time departures experienced a similar lengthy delay was due to circumstances within
increase, from 79.9 percent in 2019 to the airline’s control.
85.5 percent in 2020 [USDOT BTS 2022b]. In
2021, as air traffic began to recover, both on- The causes for flight arrival delays (Figure 1-15)
time values dropped a bit, to 81.2 percent. For have remained relatively constant since 2010,
the first 9 months of 2022 on-time arrivals were with the notable exception of National Aviation
down to 78.3 percent and on-time departures fell System delay, which has declined steadily
to 79.0 percent [USDOT BTS 2022l]. from 25 percent in 2017 to 17 percent in 2021.
Operational changes due to the COVID-19
In June 2022, DOT received 5,862 complaints pandemic resulted in the two leading causes of
about airline service from consumers, up flight delay swapping positions between 2019
270 percent from the 1,586 complaints received and 2020. Due to reduced air traffic, aircraft
in pre-pandemic June 2019 [USDOT BTS arriving late as a delay cause dropped from 40 to
2022m]. Of the 5,862 complaints received, 29 percent. Conversely, air carrier problems with
28.8 percent concerned cancellations, delays, staffing and other factors led to air carrier delay
or other deviations from airlines’ schedules, as a cause to increase from 31 to 42 percent.
and 24.5 percent concerned refunds. This Extreme weather caused 7 percent of flight
large increase in consumer complaints led the delays and security issues 0.3 percent.
Department to create an interactive dashboard
before Labor Day 2022, to make it easier for Wait times at terminal security checks are a
the traveling public to determine which services, necessary, and often lengthy, part of the air
such as hotels and meals, would be provided traveler experience. Although the Transportation
to them when the cause of a cancellation or a Security Administration (TSA) provides real-
time data on wait times at selected airports, no

1-21
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

archival data are reported on security average Passenger Rail

wait times nationally or on trends over time.
Amtrak Transports Passengers Across the
However, the number of passengers and
United States with the Highest Ridership in the
airport crew going through airport security is
Northeast Corridor
reported. In 2014, about 654 million people
passed through the Nation’s security checks; by The National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak)
2018 this number had increased to 814 million is the primary operator of intercity passenger
people, about a 25 percent increase. After rail service in the United States. Amtrak
the COVID-19 pandemic spread in 2020, TSA operated 20,787 route-miles in 2020 and more
people screenings (which are used as a proxy than 500 stations that served 46 states and
for “throughput” or air travel demand) dropped to Washington, D.C. (Table 1-4). On an average
about 11,000 per day by April 2020, representing day, Amtrak operates more than 300 trains,
a drop of 2.2 million passenger screenings or using a fleet of approximately 1,400 passenger
95 percent from the same month a year earlier cars and nearly 400 locomotives. Amtrak has
[USDHS TSA 2020]. In September 2022, TSA a particularly strong presence in the Northeast
screenings were 3 percent higher than in Corridor (NEC) between Boston, MA, and
September 2019 as shown in Figure 1-16. The Washington, D.C. In FY 2021 Amtrak carried
2-year recovery of air traffic is clearly shown in more than five times as many riders between
Figure 1-16.

Figure 1-15 Percent of Flight Delay by Delay Cause: 2010–2021

NOTES: Air carrier delay— the cause of the cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control (e.g., maintenance or crew
problems, etc.). Aircraft arriving late—previous flight with same aircraft arrived late which caused the present flight to depart late. Security delay—
delays caused by evacuation of terminal or concourse, re-boarding of aircraft because of security breach, inoperative screening equipment and long
lines in excess of 29 minutes at screening areas. National Aviation System (NAS) Delay—delays and cancellations attributable to the national
aviation system refer to a broad set of conditions, including non-extreme weather conditions, airport operations, heavy traffic volume, air traffic control,
etc. Extreme Weather Delay—significant meteorological conditions (actual or forecasted) that, in the judgment of the carrier, delays or prevents the
operation of a flight.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Airline On-Time Statistics and Delay Causes, available at https://www.
bts.gov/ as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-16 Average Daily Number of People Screened at TSA Checkpoints by Week: 2019–2022

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics Administration, COVID-19 Transportation Statistics, as of
October 2022.

Table 1-4 Passenger Rail Transportation System: Fiscal Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021
Equipment and mileage operated by Amtrak 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020 2021
Locomotives 378 282 431 403 384 U
Passenger cars 1,894 1,274 1,403 1,415 1,313 U
System mileage 23,000 21,178 21,407 21,407 20,787 U
Stations 515 512 526 526 526 526
Passengers (millions) 20.9 28.7 31.7 32.0 16.8 12.2
Passenger-miles traveled (millions) 5,574 6,420 6,361 6,487 3,450 2,860
KEY: U = unavailable at time of publication.
NOTE: Fiscal year ending in September.
SOURCES: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Annual issues) as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Bureau
of Transportation Statistics (BTS). National Transportation Statistics (NTS). Tables 1-1,1-7, 1-11, 1-40. Available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of
November 2022.

Washington and New York City as all the 12.2 million in FY 2021. This was a 62 percent
airlines combined, and more than twice as many reduction in total ridership between 2019 and
between New York City and Boston [AMTRAK 2021.
2021].
Figure 1-17 depicts where people ride Amtrak
Just as with the highway and air travel modes, in the United States. The heaviest ridership is in
the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston
Amtrak’s ridership. Amtrak’s total ridership for and Washington, D.C. Ridership is also high
all its routes in FY 2019 totaled 32 million, which around Chicago as well as at several locations
was adjusted downward by the corporation in California and the Pacific Northwest. In
from a higher and earlier estimate, compared to FY 2021 the busiest Amtrak Station was Penn

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-17 Busiest Amtrak Stations: 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based upon the National Rail Passenger Corp. (Amtrak), State Fact
Sheets, available at www.amtrak.com as of October 2022.

Station in New York City (4.1 million passengers) train-miles. Hence, Amtrak is largely dependent
followed by Union Station in Washington, D.C. on the host railroads for the condition of its
(1.8 million passengers) and Philadelphia’s 30th infrastructure. Amtrak is responsible, however,
Street Station (1.5 million passengers) [AMTRAK for 2,408 track-miles and infrastructure within
2022]. the NEC plus a few other locations used by both
Amtrak and other users, including commuter rail
Amtrak Condition and freight rail.

Amtrak owns a small fraction of its route-miles The average age of Amtrak locomotives in 2020
in the NEC plus three other shorter segments was 19.1 years, the same age as 10 years prior.
in the following corridors: New Haven, CT– The average age for Amtrak passenger cars was
Springfield, MA; Harrisburg, PA– Philadelphia, 33.6 years, 8 years more than in 2010 [USDOT
PA; and Porter, IN– Kalamazoo, MI [AMTRAK BTS 2022b]. The increasing average age of the
2021]. Most passenger train services outside fleet has had an impact on fleet availability and
the NEC are provided over tracks owned by vehicle reliability.
and shared with Class I (the Nation’s largest)
freight railroads—about 72 percent of Amtrak’s The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (IIJA) provides Amtrak with a $22 billion

1-24
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

level of investment to advance state-of-good- on routes longer than 750 miles [USDOT BTS
repair capital projects and fleet acquisitions and 2022b].
$44 billion to the Federal Railroad Administration
for grants to states, Amtrak, and others for rail National databases report several sources of
projects. This represents the largest investment delay for passenger operations. These include
of its kind since Amtrak began operations in delays caused by Amtrak itself (e.g., operational
1971 [AMTRAK 2021]. delays and breakdowns), those caused by the
host freight railroad, and other non-railroad
Amtrak Performance causes, such as customs inspections.23 Delay
caused by host railroads remains the major
The hours of delay experienced on Amtrak source of Amtrak delays, accounting for
services trended upward from 2010 to 2019, 57 percent of total delay in 2020, which is typical
from about 80,000 hours to 97,000 hours, then of recent years [USDOT BTS 2022b].
dropped to 73,000 hours in 2020, most likely
due to the lower rail passenger traffic levels Freight Railroads
during the pandemic noted above (Figure 1-18).
New Efficiencies Help Railroads Carry More
The percentage of on-time arrivals systemwide
Cargo in Fewer Cars
improved from 73 percent in 2018 to 80 percent
in 2020. In the NEC, where Amtrak owns and The United States had 136,729 railroad route-
operates 80 percent of the track on its routes, miles in 2019, including 92,190 miles owned and
87 percent of the arrivals were on-time in 2020. operated by the seven Class I railroads [AAR
On-time arrivals, however, dropped to 59 percent

23
These are delays due to U.S. and/or Canadian customs and immigration procedures for trains crossing the U.S.-Canadian Border.

Figure 1-18 Hours of Delay and On-time Performance of Amtrak: 2010–2020

NOTE: On-time performance is weighted by distance category because a longer trip increases the probability of a delay when compared to a shorter trip.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Amtrak On-Time Performance, National Transportation Statistics,
table 1-73, available at https://www.bts.gov/content/amtrak-time-performance-trends-and-hours-delay-cause as of September 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Table 1-5 Rail Transportation System: Fiscal Years 2000, 2010, and 2018–2021
Item 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020 2021
Equipment and mileage operated by Class I
Locomotives 20,028 23,893 26,086 24,597 23,544 23,264
Freight cars a
560,154 397,730 293,742 270,378 252,400 243,087
Average freight car capacity (tons) 92.7 101.7 104.6 103.3 105.1 104.9
System mileage 99,250 95,700 92,837 92,282 91,773 91,651
Revenue ton-miles (trillion) 1.47 1.69 1.73 1.61 1.44 1.53
Capital expenditures, $billion
Roadway and structures $4.55 $7.86 $9.33 $9.09 $8.35 $7.93
Equipment $1.51 $1.91 $3.08 $3.88 $2.46 $2.31
Total $6.06 $9.77 $12.41 $12.97 $10.81 $10.24
a
Includes totals for Canada and Mexico.
NOTE: Fiscal year ending in September.
SOURCES: Class I railroads-Locomotives, Freight cars, and System Mileage: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Annual issues) as
cited in USDOT/BTS/NTS. tables 1-1 and 1-11, Available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of December 2022. Capital expenditures: Association of American
Railroads, Railroad Facts (Annual issues), as of November 2022.

2021].24 About 626 local and regional railroads the first three quarters of 2022, total rail non-
operated the remaining 44,539 miles. In 2021, intermodal carloads were at about 91 percent
Class I railroads provided freight transportation of the totals for the same months in 2019,
using 23,264 locomotives (Table 1-5) and and by November 2022 were at 97 percent
1.66 million railcars [AAR 2021]. Average freight of the carloads in November 2019 [USDOT
car capacity was about 102 tons in 2010 and BTS 2022k]. Rail intermodal traffic had a more
gradually increased over the decade to 105 tons varied path to recovery. In the early months of
in 2021 due to construction of larger cars, the pandemic (spring of 2020) intermodal units
particularly new hopper and tank cars. were running about 10 percent below the same
months in 2019, but from summer 2020 through
The big news for 2020 was the impact of the spring of 2021 intermodal traffic was 10 percent
COVID-19 pandemic on freight railroad traffic above that in 2019, and from July 2021 through
and operations [AAR 2021]. As compared with November 2022 was about the same as in 2019
2019, rail carloads were down 13 percent, (Figure 1-19).
revenue ton-miles 10.8 percent, and total
operating revenue 11 percent. The reduction in Over the past 50 years, Class I railroads and
traffic was not uniform across the commodities connecting facilities have developed increasingly
carried. U.S. rail intermodal was down only efficient ways to carry and transfer cargo
2 percent, due to a surge in imports and (e.g., larger cars as noted above, double-stack
related port traffic in the second half of 2020, container railcars, and on-dock rail), allowing
and chemicals were down 3.5 percent. Grain more cargo to be carried with fewer railcars.
carloads increased by 4.5 percent. Rail traffic Figure 1-20 shows that the system mileage
has since rebounded to near-normal levels. Over of Class I railroads in 2018 was less than

24
According to the Association of American Railroads, Class I railroads had a minimum operating revenue of $900 million in 2020 (the latest
year for which data are available). It includes BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Grand Trunk Corp. (Canadian National operations in the
United States), Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Soo Line (Canadian Pacific operations in the United States), and Union Pacific.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-19 U.S. Total Rail Non-Intermodal Carloads by Week: 2019–2022

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Supply Chain Indicator, as of
November 2022.

Figure 1-20 Class I Railroad System Mileage and Ton-Miles of Freight: 1960–2020

NOTES: Data includes every 5 years until 1970. Data are yearly thereafter.
SOURCE: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, Statistical Highlights (Washington, DC; annual issues), available at https://www.aar.org/ as
of September 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

45 percent of the mileage in 1960.25 However, Ports and Waterways

freight rail ton-miles tripled to 1.7 trillion during
About 8,300 water transportation facilities
the same period. Mileage has been down slightly
existed in the United States in 2020 (Table
since then and traffic has declined as noted
1-6). Dams and navigation locks are two of the
above, but the basic conclusion about efficiency
principal infrastructure features of the U.S. inland
gains remains unchanged.
waterway transportation system,26 with nearly
The railroads, which are private companies, two-thirds of locks situated along this system.
invested $10.8 billion in 2020 to improve their They enable shallow draft operations on many
facilities (Table 1-5). This is down 17 percent major rivers.27 This physical infrastructure has
from that in 2019, in line with traffic and revenue been largely unchanged for the past decade.
reductions, but is higher than the investment as Investment in navigation locks has mostly been
recently as 2010. directed to replacing aging structures, often with
larger lock chambers.
Freight Rail Condition
In 2020, there were 44,500 U.S.-flagged
Track Inspection Improves Track Condition and maritime vessels operating on the waterways, an
Safety increase of 3 percent since 2018 and 10 percent
since 2010 (Table 1-6). Recreational boats have
Freight rail carriers are not required to report numbered about 12 million since 2010.
freight track conditions to public agencies. Thus,
universal track condition reports are unavailable. From 2010 to 2019, waterborne commerce
However, railroads regularly inspect their track (Table 1-6) grew by 1.2 percent. Domestic
and perform necessary repairs to ensure track tonnage decreased by 8.5 percent over that
safety. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) period, which was offset by a 7.2 percent
regulations do require railroads to maintain track increase in foreign commerce. Water is
inspection records and make them available to the leading transportation mode for U.S.-
FRA or State inspectors on request. The FRA’s international freight trade by weight and value.
rail safety audits focus on regulatory compliance From 2019 to 2020, waterborne tonnage
and prevention and correction of track defects. decreased by 5.8 percent due to the pandemic,
which was less than the decrease in traffic
FRA publishes an annual enforcement report, experienced by other transportation modes.
summarizing the civil penalty claims for This is due to the nature of the commodities
violations. In FY 2021 FRA inspectors or other handled—coal, chemicals, petroleum, grain,
railroad regulators reported 833 track violations, ores, sand and gravel, metal products, as well as
about half the number in 2018 and comparable a variety of consumer goods and containerized
to the number in the intervening years [USDOT products imported from around the world. In
FRA 2021a]. 2022, low water conditions on the Mississippi
River significantly reduced barge throughput
(see Chapter 3 - Freight and Supply Chain).

25
While some line segments have been abandoned, many former Class I miles have been sold or leased to non-Class I railroads [AAR 2021].
26
The principal inland waterways are the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Kanawha, Upper Atchafalaya, Ouachita, Illinois, Arkansas,
Black Warrior, Tombigbee, Alabama-Coosa, and Columbia-Snake River Basins, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
27
The principal exceptions are the Lower Mississippi River and the Missouri River, which are free flowing but still require some type of
hydrologic structures (e.g., large rock and concrete groins and revetments) to manage the flow of the river and preserve navigation.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Table 1-6 Water Transportation System: 2000, 2010, and 2018–2020

Item 2000 2010 2018 2019 2020
Infrastructure
Waterway facilities (including cargo handling docks) 9,309 8,060 8,237 8,250 8,334
Ports (handling over 250,000 tons) 197 178 181 185 192
Miles of navigable waterways 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000
Lock chambers 276 239 239 237 237
Lock sites 230 193 193 192 192
U.S. Flag Vessels
TOTAL, Commercial Vessels 41,354 40,512 43,170 43,752 44,501
Barge/non-self-propelled vessels 35,008 31,906 33,266 33,600 34,168
Self-propelled vessels 10,410 10,775 9,904 10,152 10,333
Recreational boats, millions 12.8 12.4 11.9 11.9 11.8
TOTAL, Waterborne Commerce (million tons) 2,462 2,334 2,438 2,363 2,226
Domestic 1,070 894 849 818 743
Foreign 1,392 1,441 1,589 1,545 1,483
NOTES: Vessel calls includes only oceangoing self-propelled, cargo-carrying vessels of 1,000 GT and above. Total, Commerical Vessels includes
unclassified vessels. Ports includes coastal, Great Lakes, and inland ports, including those on the inland rivers and waterways primarily serving barges.
For reporting purposes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tabulates traffic at the docks within the boundary of the port and uses 250,000 short tons as
the reporting threshold.
SOURCES: Fleet: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, Navigation Data Center, Waterborne Transportation Lines
of the United States (Annual issues), available at http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/ as of August 2022. Recreational boats: U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,
National Transportation Statistics, Table 1-11, available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of August 2022. Waterways Locks, Facilities, and Vessels: U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources, available at https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ as of August 2022. The U.S. Waterway System:
Transportation Facts and Information (Annual issues), as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National
Transportation Statistics, tables 1-1 and 1-11, available at http://www.bts.gov/ as of December 2019. Vessel calls: U.S. Department of Transportation,
Maritime Administration, Vessel Calls in U.S. Ports, Selected Terminals and Lightering Areas, available at https://www.marad.dot.gov/resources/data-
statistics/ as of October 2018.

Waterway Condition and Performance scheduled maintenance or unscheduled repairs.

Although scheduled delays impose a cost on
Time Delays at Navigation locks Increase By industries that rely on waterborne commodities,
3-Fold an even greater cost is imposed when an
Table 1-7 shows performance metrics for the unscheduled delay occurs. Unscheduled delays
237 lock chambers at 192 lock sites for which interrupt business operations for entire supply
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has chains dependent on waterborne shipments.
responsibility for lock operation and condition. In 2020, locks experienced 9,147 periods of
From 2010 to 2019, the average delay in unavailability, of which 6,361 were scheduled
minutes increased three-fold and the percentage shutdowns and 2,786 were not scheduled
of vessels delayed rose by 44 percent. Due to [USACE 2021].
less traffic during the pandemic, both measures The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) is
improved in 2020 but were still well above the responsible for dredging navigation channels to
2010 values. foster safe and efficient use of the Nation’s ports
When a lock or dam reaches a state of poor and waterways. USACE dredges removed about
repair, waterborne traffic must stop to allow for 265 million cubic yards in FY 2020. Eighty-seven

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Table 1-7 Select Waterway Transportation Characteristics and Performance Measures: 2010 and
2018–2020
Percent commercial
Total number of lockages of all Average delay in Percent of vessels
Year Total lockages vessels lockages minutes delayed
2010 641,846 855,121 74.5 79.8 36.0
2018 563,442 722,929 78.9 210.1 50.0
2019 506,838 662,314 78.7 246.9 52.0
2020 497,285 638,602 77.2 172.2 46.8
NOTES: A lockage is the movement through the lock by one or more vessels or extraneous matter, such as man-atees, debris, ice, etc. through a single
lock cycle. Commercial lockages are all those that service vessels operated for purposes of profit and include freight and passenger vessels.
SOURCES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Public Lock Usage Report Files. Calendar Years, 1993-2020. Institute for Water Resources (IWR). Updated
July 29, 2021, available at https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ as of September 2022.

percent of this removal was done for navigational container ports had about 112 container vessels
maintenance purposes [USACE 2020]. at anchor waiting to berth in December 2021.
[USDOT BTS 2022d] By November 2022 that
Ports number was down to 55 vessels [USDOT BTS
2022k]. Chapter 3 - Freight and Supply Chain
The BTS Port Performance Freight Statistics
discusses container vessel port operations in
Program provides nationally consistent
more detail.
performance measures on the capacity and
throughput for the Nation’s largest tonnage, U.S. coastal ports are dealing with the increasing
container, and dry bulk ports. A total of 192 ports size of the container vessels calling, due to their
handled at least 250,000 short tons annually greater economies of scale and the elimination
in 2020 (Table 1-6). The top 25 U.S. ports by of physical constraints (e.g., the new Panama
tonnage handled 68 percent of the short tons Canal locks). Many of the coastal seaports are
in 2020 [UDOT BTS 2022d]. The average 2021 served by large megaships as well as smaller
dwell time of container vessels at the top 25 U.S. Neo-Panamax (also known as New Panamax)
container ports was 32 hours, up 3.9 hours from ships—sized for the expanded Panama Canal
28.1 hours in 2020. Average container vessel locks that opened in 2016. Serving these large
dwell times for individual ports are shown in the vessels efficiently calls for the port to have the
online Port Profiles, which is available at www. requisite complement of large container cranes.
bts.gov/ports. The capacity and throughput of coastal and inland
ports are described in Chapter 3 and in the BTS
In late 2020 and early 2021, many vessels
annual reports to Congress [USDOT BTS 2022d].
waited to load and unload containerized cargo
in anchorages in San Pedro Bay, in Southern
U.S.-Flagged Vessels
California, and elsewhere due to port congestion.
In late December 2021, the ports of Los Angeles The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers classifies
and Long Beach had 91 container vessels U.S.-flagged vessels primarily as self-propelled
waiting to berth, spending in some cases many vessels or non-self-propelled vessels.28 The
more days at anchor than dockside. In total, U.S. age distribution of the self-propelled versus the
28
Self-propelled vessels include dry cargo, tanker, and offshore supply vessels, ferries, and tugboats and towboats. Non-self-propelled vessels
primarily include barges.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

non-self-propelled fleets is notable (Figure 1-21), 58 percent of all reported vehicles by ferry
with just under 60 percent of the self-propelled (15.2 million vehicles) in 2019.
fleet over 25 years of age, while 26 percent
of the non-self-propelled fleet are that old. A ferry segment is the direct route that the
Self-propelled vessels require greater initial boat takes between two terminals with no
investments and periodic repair or overhaul, intermediate stops. The assigned state of the
which allows them to remain economically viable segment is that of the origin terminal. The
and stay in service longer. reported ferry segments were concentrated
in the northeast, on the west coast, and in
Ferries Alaska. Nearly half (49.5 percent) of the total
reported ferry segments came from just the
Based on those ferry operations that responded top five states—Alaska (120 segments), New
to the 2020 National Census of Ferry Operators York (119 segments), California (96 segments),
(NCFO) [USDOT BTS 2020c], a reported total Washington (76 segments), and Michigan
of 112.1 million passengers and 26.3 million (52 segments).
vehicles were transported by ferry in 2019. Figure
1-22 shows that New York and Washington, the Pipelines
top two states for total passenger boardings,
Pipelines include separate systems for natural
together reported transporting a combined total
gas, crude petroleum, and petroleum products.
of 69.2 million passengers (38.7 and 30.5 million
Typically, natural gas pipelines connect sources
passengers, respectively). Ferry operators
of supply with end consumers (both households
in Washington state alone transported about
and businesses), while crude petroleum

Figure 1-21 Number of U.S.-Flagged Vessels by Age Group and Propelled Type: 2020

SOURCE: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. U.S. Flagged Vessels by Type and Age, table 4, vols. 1–3 consolidated, available at available at https://usace.
contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll2/id/7438 as of August 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-22 Ferry Passenger and Vehicle Boardings: 2019

NOTE: Boarding counts may be suppressed due to the data being considered proprietary by some ferry operators. For more information on the NCFO,
please go to www.bts.gov/ncfo.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Census of Ferry Opera-tors, available at https://www.bts.gov/
NCFO as of November 2022.

pipelines connect oil fields and marine terminals connect to 65 million households and 5 million
with refineries and product pipelines connect commercial and industrial users [AGA 2022].
refineries with distribution centers.
Petroleum terminals and crude oil and petroleum
The U.S. natural gas terminal and pipeline pipelines form a system that transports crude
system extends across the lower 48 states, with and refined petroleum to markets across the
higher concentrations in Louisiana, Oklahoma, country (Figure 1-23). The Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Texas, and the Appalachia region (Figure 1-23). System is a major instate crude-oil pipeline that
In 2021, natural gas was transported via about extends from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. There
319,000 miles of gathering29 and transmission30 were over 230,000 miles of crude/refined oil and
pipelines and over 1.3 million miles of distribution hazardous liquid pipelines in 2021, up 26 percent
lines31 [USDOT BTS 2022b]. These pipelines since 2010 due almost entirely to construction

29
Gathering pipelines are used to transport crude oil or natural gas from the production site (wellhead) to a central collection point.
30
Transmission pipelines are used to transport crude oil and natural gas from their respective gathering systems to refining, processing, or
storage facilities.
31
A distribution line is a line used to supply natural gas to the consumer.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 1-23 U.S. Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipelines: 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information
Administration, U.S. Energy Mapping System, available at www.bts.gov as of October 2022.

of new crude petroleum pipelines.32 This system 11 percent connect to two other modes, and
carried 3.3 billion barrels across the United 4 percent connect to three or more other modes
States in the pandemic year of 2020, down (e.g., bus, air, rail, ferry, or bikeshare).
10 percent from 3.7 billion in 2019. Pipeline
shipments recovered to 3.5 billion barrels in After bikeshare, the transit modes that have the
2021 [USDOT BTS 2022b]. highest percent of intermodal connections are
heavy rail transit (approximately 89 percent of
1,043 facilities), commuter rail (71 percent of
Passenger Intermodal Facilities 1,167 facilities), and light rail transit (67 percent
Of the approximately 15,500 intercity and of 1,554 facilities) (Figure 1-24). Of the intercity
transit rail, air, intercity bus, ferry, and bike- modes,33 intercity rail terminals have the
share stations in the United States in 2022, highest level of connectivity (approximately
about 61 percent offer travelers the ability to 55 percent of the 530 facilities) to other modes,
connect to other public passenger transportation followed by intercity bus stops (44 percent of
modes [USDOT BTS 2022c]. Of this 61 percent, the 2,639 stops), and airports (24 percent of the
46 percent connect to one other mode, 666 airports).

32
For example, the EPIC Crude Pipeline in Texas (732 miles) and the Dakota Access pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois (1,172 miles)
[USDOE EIA 2019b].
33
These include intercity rail, bus, and ferries.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-24 Intermodal Passenger Facilities by Mode: 2022

NOTES: Intercity bus connection includes intercity, code share, and supplemental bus service. Transit rail connection includes light rail, heavy rail, and
commuter rail. Ferries include both transit ferry and intercity ferry.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Intermodal Passenger Connectivity Database. Available at www.bts.
gov as of September 2022.

Automated and Connected The Society of Automotive Engineers classifies

an automated vehicle’s complexity using
Highway Transportation Systems
six levels of automation, which range from zero
Many new vehicles offer advanced driver to full automation (Figure 1-25). While specific
assistance technologies, such as forward to highway vehicles, similar concepts apply to
collision warning, automatic emergency braking, other travel modes. There currently is no timeline
lane departure warning, lane keeping and lane in the United States for requiring some level of
centering assist, blind spot monitoring, rear automation, but these technologies are rapidly
cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control, being adopted. However, a broad array of federal
which assist drivers and help improve highway agencies have programs in place devoted to the
safety. Since 2018 the National Highway Traffic development of automated vehicles [USDOT
Safety administration (NHTSA) has required OST 2022].
backup cameras on all new vehicles [USDOT
NHTSA 2022a]. Automated vehicles (AVs), also known as self-
driving, driverless, or robotic vehicles, are those
Research and testing to develop automated in which varying levels of vehicle control are
and connected transportation systems are automated (AV levels 1–5). Level 0 means the
proceeding at a fast pace. Automated systems vehicle has no automation; thus, the driver is
improve many functions presently performed by performing all functions. As noted earlier in this
human operators, taking advantage of sensors chapter, most new vehicles in the United States
and computers to avoid collisions, improve traffic have some level 1 (and even level 2) features
flow, and aid the long-term goal of increasing as standard or optional equipment. At AV level 5,
safety. the highest level of automation, hands-off driving

1-34
 Figure 1-25 Levels of Automation

1-35
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automated Vehicles for Safety, available at https://www.nhtsa.gov as of October 2022.
Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

of the AV on all types of roads in a full range of between disengagements [HERGER 2021]. This
traffic and weather conditions would be possible. is a remarkable improvement over the average
of 14 miles experienced in 2018. The better
In 2021, NHTSA issued a Standing General performing AVs did markedly better than average
Order on Crash Reporting for incidents in 2020. The top five performing companies’
involving vehicles equipped with level 2 or vehicles all drove at least 10,000 miles between
higher automation technology [USDOT NHTSA disengagements and the top performer almost
2022b]. The intent is to allow NHTSA to respond 30,000 miles. Preliminary data for 2021 look
to crashes that raise safety concerns about even better. Test vehicles drove over 4 million
vehicle automation through further investigation miles with 2,676 disengagements, an average of
and enforcement. From July 2021 to August 1,529 miles between events.
2022, NHTSA received reports on 522 incidents
involving vehicles with level 2 automation As automated vehicle on-road testing in traffic
and 176 involving vehicles with some higher mixed with non-equipped vehicles has become
automation level. The initial data from the more widespread, many states are considering
standing order are discussed in Chapter 5 - regulations to address the potential effects
Transportation Safety. of these vehicles on their roads. As of 2022,
38 states along with the District of Columbia
Automated vehicle testing is occurring across have enacted legislation or issued executive
the United States. NHTSA established orders regarding Autonomous Vehicles. Of
the Automated Vehicle Transparency and these 39 jurisdictions, 5 states simply authorize
Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) a study, define key terms, or provide state
Initiative to assist in tracking the locations contacts, or authorize funding; 4 states regulate
and characteristics of these testing activities truck platooning; 12 states authorize testing; and
(Box 1-A). Vehicles tested include not only 16 states and the District of Columbia authorize
automobiles but also transit vehicles [MASS full deployment. Of these, 18 states now allow
TRANSIT 2022], airport shuttles and similar testing or deployment without a human operator
vehicles [GINDRAT 2021], over-the-road and in the vehicle (Figure 1-26).
delivery trucks [NYT 2022], and drayage vehicles
[USDOT FHWA 2021c].
Automation Beyond Highways
California is host to the most autonomous Autonomous vehicle development is not limited
vehicle test sites and is the only state known to to highways. The Federal Transit Administration
collect data on the test programs. The California (FTA) has a Transit Automation Research
Department of Motor Vehicles requires the test Program [USDOT FTA 2022]; the maritime
operators to report annually on the numbers of industry is investigating port automation and
vehicles, miles driven, and autonomous system autonomous vessels; and railroads are building
disengagements—the moment the system hands on long-standing experience with Automatic
back control to a safety driver or when the safety Train Control (ATC) to implement Positive
driver intervenes [CA DMV 2022]. Analysis of Train Control (PTC) systems [USDOT FRA
the Disengagement Report for 2020 shows that 2021b]. Pipeline operators are also building
the 29 companies doing autonomous vehicle on experience with instrumented capsules
testing in California operated their test vehicles (sometimes called smart pigs) and supervisory
for a total of 1,955,2083 miles in autonomous control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems
mode and encountered 3,695 disengagements, to develop new technologies to detect leaks and
resulting in a mean distance of about 529 miles inspect and repair lines [USDOT PHMSA 2022].

1-36
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Box 1-A NHTSA AV TEST Initiative

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched the Automated Vehicle Transparency
and Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) Initiative in June 2020 with states, local governments, and
private-sector stakeholders throughout the driving automation community. The goal of the initiative is to provide
the public with direct and easy access to information about testing of vehicles equipped with Automated Driving
Systems (ADS) technology. ADS are defined as systems capable of performing the entire driving task on a
sustained basis, regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain, this term is used
specifically to describe SAE levels 3, 4, or 5. The testing sites in 2022 showed the type of automated vehicles
tested at locations displayed on the map.

Automated Vehicle Testing Locations

Testing Sites by Vehicle Type: 2022

SOURCES: Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) Initiative. Available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/automated-
vehicle-test-tracking-tool as of October 2022. U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST). 2021.
Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan. Available at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2021-01/USDOT_AVCP.pdf as of October 2022.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

Figure 1-26 Automated Vehicle Legislation and Regulation by State: 2022

SOURCE: National Council of State Legislatures, Autonomous Vehicles, Self-Driving Vehicles Enacted Legislation, as published in Governors Highway
Safety Association, Autonomous Vehicles, available at https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/Autonomous%20Vehicles as of October 2022.

Perhaps the quickest advance in adoption of construction, and land management [USDOT
automated transportation systems has been the FAA 2022].
increasing use of unmanned aircraft systems,
or drones. Decades ago, drones were confined System Resiliency
to science fiction and other future fantasies.
There were 22 billion-dollar natural disasters in
Today drones are rapidly becoming a part of
2020
our everyday lives. They are quickly increasing
in numbers and complexity. The way we use The U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC),
drones ranges from recreation to commercial National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and military applications.

The FAA requires drone operators to register

their aircraft and, in some cases, obtain a
remote pilot certification. In 2022 there were
865,500 drones registered with the FAA, and
over 280,000 remote pilots have been certified.
While 62 percent of the registered drones are
for recreational use, the remaining 38 percent
are dispatched for commercial tasks. Typical
applications are for agriculture, forestry, mining,

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

(NOAA) tracks weather and climate disasters, both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts [USDOT BTS
including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, 2022]. While hurricanes brought disruption
and wildfires where overall damages reached or from too much water, drought has left the lower
exceeded $1 billion. In 2020, there were a record- Mississippi River with too little water for normal
high 22 weather and climate disaster events navigation. Low water levels, especially on the
with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the vital stretch between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis,
United States. These events included 7 tropical Tennessee, have caused groundings and the
cyclones, 13 severe storms, 1 related to drought, need for dredging that have closed sections
and 1 to wildfires [USDOC NOAA 2021]. The of the river and halted barge movements for
22 events cost the Nation a combined $95 billion intermittent periods. U.S. Coast Guard District
in damages. Part of the physical recovery costs 8 (New Orleans) reported a backup of over
and overall economic impact were due to damage 2,000 barges on the Lower Mississippi in early
and disruption of the transportation system. October. Low water also restricts the loads
each barge can carry, and the narrower channel
Cyclone and severe storm events caused a total restricts the number of barges in a single tow
of 60 days of closure spread across 25 maritime [USDOT BTS 2022i]. These restrictions affect
ports [USDOT BTS 2022d]. Some ports were the ability to transport cereal grain and other bulk
closed for more than one storm. New Orleans, products by water, which account for over half
Plaquemines, and South Louisiana were each of the 165.5 million tons of freight that moved
closed for a total of 6 days by three different in 2020 between states touching the Upper
storms, and Lake Charles, LA, was closed Mississippi System and Louisiana.35
twice for a total of 10 days. Hurricane Laura,
a powerful Category 4 hurricane, closed Lake
Charles for 8 days, which was the longest
Cybersecurity
port shutdown in 2020. Most storm-related Vulnerabilities for Transportation Infrastructure
port closures were of short duration, from 1 to and Vehicles
3 days, which speaks to the resilience of the
The Nation’s transportation system is also
transportation system. There were 20 extreme
vulnerable to cyber and electronic disruptions.
weather events in 2021, second to 2020 (22)
This is particularly true in the aviation system,
and third in total damages cost of $145 billion
which is dependent on electronic and digital
(behind 2017 and 2005) [USDOC NOAA 2022b].
navigation aids, communication systems,
The U. S. was hit with 15 separate billion- command and control technologies, and
dollar weather and climate disasters in the first public information systems. All the surface
9 months of 2022. Hurricane Ian, with 150 mph transportation modes are similarly vulnerable as
sustained winds, made landfall in southwest advanced technologies are deployed, as noted
Florida as a strong Category 4 hurricane on above.
September 28, resulting in major flooding
State and local governments face growing
and damage [USDOC NOAA 2022a]. In total,
threats from hackers and cybercriminals,
7 top ports34 had operations suspended due
including those who use ransomware software
to Hurricane Ian, which caused widespread
that hijacks computer systems, encrypts data,
disruption in trade and transportation along
34
The affected ports were Tampa, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, NC, Port of Virginia, and Baltimore.
35
States touching the Upper Mississippi System include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri along the Mississippi north of its
confluence with the Ohio River, plus Kansas and Nebraska along the navigable portion of the Missouri River and Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West
Virginia, and Pennsylvania on the Ohio River.

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Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

and locks machines, holding them hostage until potential consequences of a successful intrusion
victims pay a ransom or restore the data on [USDOT NHTSA UNDATED].
their own. In February 2018 hackers struck the
Colorado Department of Transportation in two Cybersecurity will be a critical component
ransomware attacks that disrupted the agency’s of future transportation safety and security
operations for weeks. State officials had to standards, especially since transportation
shut down 2,000 computers, and transportation systems, devices, components, and
employees were forced to use pen and paper communications must be protected from
or their personal devices instead of their work malicious attacks, unauthorized access,
computers. Fortunately, the two cyber-attacks damage, or anything else that might interfere
didn’t affect traffic signals, cameras, or electronic with safety functions.
message boards. In 2016, a ransomware
attack struck San Francisco’s light rail system, Data Gaps
disrupting its computer system and email, and in Needs for the Future
2017 Sacramento’s regional transit agency was
hit with a ransomware attack demanding it pay to The principal data gaps related to system extent,
get control of its website back. [BERGAL 2018]. usage, condition, and performance are:

Federal agencies have initiatives underway to ● Condition of vehicles, all modes;

counter the cyber threat. The Transportation ● Deployment of traffic control devices and
Security Administration has made available the systems and connected vehicle infrastructure
Surface Transportation Cybersecurity Resource at a national level;
toolkit, comprising a collection of documents ● Comprehensive data on the intercity bus
designed to provide cyber risk management travel mode;
information to surface transportation
operators [USDHS TSA UNDATED]. Because ● Connected and autonomous vehicle data at
transportation is becoming more connected the national level;
and dependent on advanced computing ● Freight intermodal facilities;
and communication systems and software, ● Usage of passenger and freight intermodal
the USDOT has several research programs facilities;
dedicated to ensuring a secure connected
● Parking capacity; and
transportation environment, covering topics such
as vehicle and infrastructure cyber security, ● Dedicated infrastructure for bicycles and other
and Dedicated Short-Range Communications forms of active transportation.
(DSRC) Security focusing on ensuring trusted The Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS),
communications between vehicles and between resumed in 2022, will provide much needed data
infrastructure and vehicles [USDOT ITS on the physical and operational characteristics of
UNDATED]. NHTSA promotes a multilayered the Nation’s commercial truck population, which
approach to cybersecurity by focusing on a has been a longstanding data gap.
vehicle’s entry points, both wireless and wired,
which could be potentially vulnerable to a Data gaps exist where transportation data are
cyberattack. A layered approach to vehicle in the hands of private operators and are not
cybersecurity reduces the possibility of a readily available to the public. For example,
successful vehicle cyberattack and mitigates the private roads built by developers and maintained
by homeowners associations seem to be a

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

fast-growing category of local roads, yet there

are no data on these facilities. Also freight rail
carriers are not required to report freight track
conditions nor are marine terminal operators
required to report on their operations to the
Federal Government. Even if the private
operators publicly report data, the data are not
nationally consistent or standardized. Operators
may report data by different periods of time
(e.g., calendar vs. fiscal years, which may begin
and end in different months from others). Also,
operators may use different or unique metrics or
units of measures. For example, private marine
terminal operators may use different throughput
measures, such as container volumes, tonnage,
or twenty-foot equivalent units. Data are also
missing to relate asset condition to performance.

There is also a need for improved timeliness

and completeness of financial data of all types
and an effective framework for including public–
private partnerships that avoids double counting.

1-41
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

References Herger, Mario. 2021. 2020 Disengagement

Reports from California. The Last Driver
American Gas Association (AGA). 2022. Annual
License Holder. February 9. Available
End Users. Available at https://www.aga.org/
at https://thelastdriverlicenseholder.
as of September 2022.
com/2021/02/09/2020-disengagement-
Association of American Railroads (AAR). 2021. reports-from-california/ as of October 2022.
Railroad Facts (Annual issues). Available at
Mass Transit. October 21, 2022. Autonomous
https://www.aar.org/ as of September 2022.
Vehicles. Available at https://www.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation masstransitmag.com/alt-mobility/
(AMTRAK): autonomous-vehicles as of October 2022

—2022. State Fact Sheets. Available at The New York Times (NYT). 2022. The Long
https://www.amtrak.com/about-amtrak/ Road to Driverless Trucks. September
amtrak-facts/state-fact-sheets.html as of 28. Available at https://www.nytimes.
October 2022. com/2022/09/28/business/driverless-trucks-
highways.html as of October 2022.
—2021. Amtrak FY 2021 Company Profile.
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September 2022. Urban Mobility Report 2021. Texas A&M
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mobility.tamu.edu/umr/ as of September
(ATRI). 2022. Congestion and Mobility
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Completed Research, Available at https://
truckingresearch.org/2022 as of September The Tennessean (TENNESSEAN). 2022. Crisis
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Has High Cost for U.S. Exports. Nashville,
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america-roads-railways.html as of October
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Lock Unavailabilities, Calendar Years
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Vehicles (DMV). 2022. Autonomous at https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ as of
Vehicles. Available at https://www.dmv. September 2022.
ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/
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autonomous-vehicles/ as of September
Navigation System: 2020 Transportation
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Facts and Information. Available at https://
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airports-multiple-use-cases-12fbbeff3934 as
Facts (QF). Available at http://www.census.
of October 2022.
gov/ as of September 2022.

1-42
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC). U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS):
Administration (NOAA):
—2022a. Government Transportation
—2022a. Ian Is 15th Billion-Dollar Disaster Financial Statistics. Available at http://www.
this Year So Far. Available at https://www. bts.gov/gtfs as of September 2022.
noaa.gov/news/ian-is-15th-billion-dollar-
—2022b. National Transportation Statistics.
disaster-year-so-far as of October 2022.
Available at https://www.bts.gov/ as of
—2022b. 2021 U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather September 2022.
and Climate Disasters in Historical Context.
—2022c. Intermodal Passenger Connectivity
Available at https://www.climate.gov/
Database (IPCD). Available at https://data-
news-features/blogs/beyond-data/2021-us-
usdot.opendata.arcgis.com/ as of September
billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters-
2022.
historical as of September 2022.
—2022d. Port Performance Freight Statistics
—2021. 2020 U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather
Program. January 2022. Available at www.
and Climate Disasters in Historical Context.
bts.gov/ports as of September 2022.
Available at https://www.climate.gov/
disasters2020 as of September 2022. —2022e. Quick Links to Popular Air Carrier
Statistics. Available at https://www.bts.gov/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
topics/airlines-and-airports/quick-links-
Transportation Security Administration
popular-air-carrier-statistics as of September
(TSA):
2022.
—2020. TSA Checkpoint Travel Numbers.
—2022f. Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey
Available at https://www.tsa.gov/ as of
(VIUS). Available at https://www.bts.gov/vius
September 2022.
of September 2022.
—Undated. Surface Transportation
—2022g. “Inflation and Transportation,”
Cybersecurity Toolkit. Available at https://
Transportation Economic Trends, available at
www.tsa.gov/for-industry/surface-
https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/f9jm-cqwe as of
transportation-cybersecurity-toolkit as of
November 2022.
October 2022.
—2022h. “Increase in Transportation
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Bureau
Consumer Price Index Accounts for Nearly
of Labor Statistics (BLS). 2022. Employer
27% of Year-Over-Year Overall CPI Growth;
Costs for Employee Compensation
Lowest Share of Inflation Since February
for Total Civilian compensation for All
2021,”available at https://www.bts.gov/
occupations and Total Civilian compensation
data-spotlight/increase-transportation-
for Transportation and material moving
consumer-price-index-accounts-nearly-27-
occupations, available at http://www.bls.gov/
year-over-year as of November 2022.
ncs/ect/#tables, September 2022.
—2022i. Freight Disruptions by Low Water
on the Mississippi. November 2022.
Available at www.bts.gov/ as of November
2022.

1-43
Chapter 1—State of Transportation System

—2022j. Passenger Modes Percent Change U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

from Baseline. Latest Weekly COVID-19 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
Transportation Statistics. Available at
—2020. National Plan of Integrated Airport
https://www.bts.gov/covid-19/week-in-
Systems (NPIAS): 2021-2025. Available
transportation#transit as of November 2022.
at https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_
—2022k. Number of Container Ships capacity/npias/current as of September
Anchored Off U.S. Ports. Latest Supply 2022.
Chain Indicators. Available at https://www.
—2022. Drones by the Numbers. Available at
bts.gov/freight-indicators#anchored-offshore
https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/by_the_
as of November 2022.
numbers/ as of September 2022.
—2022l. TranStats: On-Time Performance –
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
Reporting Operationg Carrier Flight Delays
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):
at a Glance. Available at https://www.
transtats.bts.gov/homedrillchart.asp as of —2022a. Bridge Condition by Functional
December 2022. Classification. Available at https://www.fhwa.
dot.gov/ as of September 2022.
—2022m. Air Travel Consumer Report:
Consumer Complaints Up from May, —2022b. Bridge Condition by Owner.
Nearly 270 Percent Above Pre-Pandemic Available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/
Levels. August 26. Available at https://www. nbi/no10/owner21e.cfm as of September
bts.gov/newsroom/air-travel-consumer- 2022.
report-consumer-complaints-may-nearly-
—2022c. Bridge Condition by Posting Status
270-percent-above-pre-pandemic as of
2021. Available at https://www.fhwa.dot.
December 2022.
gov/bridge/nbi/no10/posting21e.cfm as of
—2020a. Atlantic Hurricane Season. September 2022.
Available at https://data.bts.gov/stories/
—2022d. Bridge Condition by System,
s/2020-Atlantic-Hurricane-Season/smay-
Various Years. Available at https://www.fhwa.
dskr/ as of September 2022.
dot.gov/ as of September 2022.
—2020b. Average Age of Aircraft. Available
—2022e. National Household Travel Survey.
at https://www.bts.gov/2019-average-age-
Available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ as of
aircraft as of September 2022.
September 2022.
—2020c. National Census of Ferry
—2021a. Bridge Condition by Functional
Operators (NCFO). Available at https://data.
Classification ADT 2021. Available at https://
bts.gov/stories/s/5dqg-uz62 as of September
www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi/no10/fcadt21.
2022.
cfm as of September 2022.
—Undated. 2021/2022 Atlantic Hurricane
—2021b. 2020 Urban Congestion Trends.
Season. Available at https://data.bts.gov/
Available at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/
stories/s/2021-2022-Atlantic-Hurricane-
publications/fhwahop21010/index.htm as of
Season/buxa-ajt8 as of October 2022.
September 2022.

1-44
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

—2021c. CARMASM: Maritime U.S. Department of Transportation. National

Administration CDA Development and Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Testing. Public Roads, Vol. 85, No. 2, (NHTSA):
Summer. Available at https://highways.dot.
―2022a. Driver Assistance Technologies.
gov/public-roads/summer-2021/carmasm-
Available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/
maritime-administration-cda-development-
equipment/driver-assistance-technologies as
and-testing as of October 2022.
of September 2022.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
―2022b. Standing General Order on Crash
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Reporting for incidents involving ADS and
Office of Highway Policy Information (OHPI).
Level 2 ADAS. Available at https://www.
2021. Highway Statistics 2020. Available at
nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ as of September
order-crash-reporting as of September 2022.
2022.
―Undated. Vehicle Cybersecurity. Available
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
at https://www.nhtsa.gov/technology-
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA):
innovation/vehicle-cybersecurity as of
—2021a. Fiscal Year 2021 Enforcement October 2022.
Report. Available at https://railroads.dot.gov/
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
elibrary/fiscal-year-2021-enforcement-report
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
as of September 2022.
(OST). 2022. USDOT Automated Vehicles
—2021b. Positive Train Control. Available Activities. Available at https://www.
at https://railroads.dot.gov/ as of September transportation.gov/AV as of October 2022.
2022.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Federal Transit Administration (FTA): Administration (PHMSA). 2022. Technology
Research and Development: Success
―2022. Transit Automation Research.
Stories. Available at https://www.phmsa.dot.
Available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/ as of
gov/ as of September 2022.
September 2022.

―2021. National Transit Database: 2020

Data Tables. Available at https://www.transit.
dot.gov/ntd as of September 2022.

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

ITS Joint Program Office (ITS). Undated.
How the U.S. Department Of Transportation
Is Protecting the Connected Transportation
System from Cyber Threats. Available
at https://www.its.dot.gov/factsheets/pdf/
cybersecurity_factsheet.pdf as of October
2022.

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CHAPTER 2
Passenger Travel and Equity

Introduction
The recent story of passenger travel is a work at home and the increase in the retirement-
dramatic reversal of long-term growth followed age population contributed to dramatic shifts that
by uneven recovery and an uncertain future due will affect future passenger travel.
to factors such as the growth in working at home.
During 2020—the first COVID-19 pandemic This chapter examines changes in passenger
year—passenger travel across all transportation travel during and beyond the pandemic and
modes plummeted in the United States and explores the impacts of those changes on
around the world as businesses and industries matters of equity. White House Executive Order
either shut down or curtailed their activities and 14301 defines equity as “the consistent and
households sheltered in place. Passenger travel systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of
rebounded somewhat in 2021, but the growth in all individuals, including individuals who belong

Highlights
● Dramatic changes happened in passenger travel ● For the remaining workforce, commuting behavior
in the United States in 2020 and 2021 due to the has changed significantly:
sudden impact of COVID-19. Comparing 2021 ○ Working at home grew by 18.6 million,
with pre-pandemic 2019 there were sharp losses exceeded carpooling to become second to
with some recovery. driving alone as a way to access work.
○ Highway travel was the first to recover, ○ Driving alone to work, the most common way
reaching 2019 levels by November of 2021. by far to get to work, lost 14.5 million users to
○ Air travel reached parity in early September of levels not seen for decades.
2022 and long-distance rail a week later. ○ Transit lost about 4 million of its 7.8 million
○ Urban transit has not returned to pre-pandemic users, just about half of its ridership, and
ridership with levels ranging from 30 to commuter rail lost about two-thirds of its
40 percent of 2019 levels. ridership.
● The aging population of the United States ○ Carpooling lost only one percentage point in
will affect travel patterns as retirees replace share, as some carpool members dropped out
commuting to jobs during peak congestion periods to work at home.
with travel for other purposes at other times of the Continued »
day.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Highlights Continued
● Intercity and international travel reached all-time ● As in so many cases in the COVID-19 period,
highs just before the onset of COVID-19. After first there was a sharp drop in transportation spending
reaching a billion passengers in 2018, U.S. and by consumers from the pre-pandemic baseline
foreign commercial air carriers operating in the year of 2019 to the COVID-19 year of 2020 and
United States served 4 percent more passengers then partial recovery in 2021. Transportation’s
in 2019, and passenger growth continued through 17.0 percent share of total spending in 2019
January 2020. Amtrak also reached its peak year dropped to 16 percent in 2020 and then recovered
for passengers. partly to 16.4 percent in 2021.
● In 2021, the United States fell from third to sixth in ● On a per-vehicle or per-worker basis,
the world in arrivals from other countries. Despite transportation spending is very similar for workers
that decline, the United States still led the world in different income quintiles, despite major
in tourism receipts with 13.2 percent of world differences in income.
receipts (excluding air fares), more than twice that
of second place France.

to underserved communities that have been the ratio of those too young or too old to work
denied such treatment” [White House 2021]. that have to be supported by the working-age
Available statistics related to passenger travel population will shift sharply [VESPA et al 2018].
provide a limited understanding on whether or
not transportation has equitable consequences. The working-age population is the predominant
generator of personal travel in our society, not
just because of work trips but also because of
Population Change: A Driver of other trips that support household activities,
Long-Term Travel Trends which comprise about two-thirds of person
Local and long-distance travel generally increase trips each day, according to the 2017 National
with population growth, especially with growth Household Travel Survey (NHTS) [USDOT
in the working-age population defined as FHWA 2018]. The retired population has
between 18 and 65 years of age. In November significantly different travel demands, such as
2022, the United States population reached the replacement of work trips in peak congestion
a third of a billion persons [USDOC CENSUS periods with travel for services throughout the
2022]. As illustrated in Figure 2-1, the over age day.
65 population dominates projected growth in
Population change and the consequences
population change in the 2020–2030 period, and
for travel are not even across the Nation. In
notably the substantial increase in aging of the
2019–2020, the Northeast and Midwest regions
remaining labor force age group in the 2030–
continued to suffer migration losses to the South
2040 period. The last members of the baby
and West. In 2020–2021, however, the West
boom generation will reach age 65 in 2029, with
also recorded migration losses to the South
most entering retirement [VESPA et al 2020].
while the Midwest showed a reduction in losses
By 2034 the Census Bureau projects the post- (Table 2-1).
working-age population, those over the age of
Population shifts from 2020 to 2021 indicated
65, will exceed the pre-working-age population,
that principal cities of metro areas lost
those under the age of 18, for the first time in
approximately 4.9 million persons, most of whom
our Nation’s history. Thus, the dependency ratio,

2-2
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 2-1 Population Change Projection by Age Group by Decade: 2020–2030 and 2030–2040

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2017 Projections, available at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017-
summary-tables.html. Table 2 Projected age and sex composition of the population as of September 2022.

(4.5 million) went to metro suburbs, while the

remainder, about 8 percent, went to non-metro Table 2-1 Net Domestic Migration by
areas. On balance, about 2.5 million left the Region: 2019–2020 and
suburbs for so-called principal cities (some of 2020–2021
which are in suburbs), and the remainder, about 2019– 2020– Numeric
13 percent, shifted to non-metro areas. Only Region 2020 2021 change
about a million were outmigrants from non- Northeast -315,166 -389,638 -74,472
metro areas, about 60 percent of whom went Midwest -207,685 -123,103 84,582
to metro suburbs (Table 2-2). Shifts from center South 503,502 657,682 154,180
cities to suburbs exacerbated by COVID-19 West 19,349 -144,941 -164,290
concerns were apparent in the 15 largest cities NOTE: Migration periods represent July 1 to June 30 of specific
in the Nation, independent of region [USDOC years.

CENSUS 2021]. These population shifts leave SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration Increased
in Many U.S. Counties in 2021, available at https://www.census.gov/
fewer people in the higher density principal cities library/stories/2022/03/net-domestic-migration-increased-in-united-
states-counties-2021.html.
of metro areas where alternatives to the personal
motor vehicle have the best chance of serving
mobility needs. constituting roughly 14 percent of the U.S.
population. Many of these counties were among
The 2020 Transportation Statistics Annual
almost 73 percent of all U.S. counties that had a
Report featured travel demands of rural America,
negative natural population change (births minus
which is a small and shrinking portion of the
deaths) in 2021 as deaths exceeded births.
Nation’s population. The 1,976 rural counties in
This compares with more than 45.5 percent of
America had 46 million U.S. residents in 2020,
all counties in 2019 and 55.5 percent in 2020.

2-3
Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

In fact, all counties in Delaware, Maine, New COVID-19 and the Disruption of
Hampshire, and Rhode Island experienced
Travel Trends
natural population decreases [VESPA et al
2020]. The decline in natural population change The long-term expansion in travel with
reflects the overall birth rate in the 2010–2020 population growth was severely disrupted by
decade that was the lowest since the depression the COVID-19 pandemic starting in March
decade of 1930–1940 and part of a long-term 2020. Figure 2-2 summarizes the disruptions
trend since the 1980s toward lower birth rates following the last pre-pandemic “normal” year
[FREY]. of 2019. Travel by all passenger transportation
modes collapsed in early 2020, followed by
Future growth in local travel will increasingly some recovery in 2021, and a return to near
depend on attracting visitors from distant normal levels in 2022 for some modes (primarily
locations and on local population growth from personal vehicles and commercial aviation) but a
foreign immigration and domestic migration. weaker recovery rate for other modes (especially
Immigrant arrivals are projected to contribute transit and intercity bus). Even where passenger
more to population growth than natural volumes are close to the 2019 “normal,” their
population change beginning in 2030 [VESPA characteristics have changed appreciably. As
et al 2020]. With respect to domestic migration, described in last year’s Transportation Statistics
about 9 percent of the U.S population moved in Annual Report, personal vehicle travel has
2019–2020, most of whom (61 percent) stayed shifted in terms of usage times and directions
within their original county. The percentages and air travel has seen an increase, although
were similar in the 2020–2021 period, airlines report that most returning customers
suggesting that future growth for travel in most are not business travelers who typically pay
counties will be from visitation from outsiders or higher ticket prices. The impacts of these
from people just passing through the county. pandemic-induced pattern shifts go well beyond
transportation, affecting downtown offices and

Table 2-2 Population Shifts: 2020–2021 (Numbers in Thousands)

To
Balances of
Principal cities metropolitan Nonmetropolitan
Outmigrants from Total of metro areas areas areas
Principal cities of metropolitan areas 1
4,889 NA 4,505 384
Balances of metropolitan areas1 2,889 2,496 NA 393
Nonmetropolitan areas1 998 392 606 NA
1
Principal cities and balances are those within metropolitan areas. Metropolitan areas do not include Micropolitan Statistical Areas. Micropolitan
Statistical Areas are included in Nonmetropolitan areas. Information about metropolitan status is available at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/
metro-micro/about/glossary.html. Beginning in 2018, the description of a location in a metropolitan area but not in the principal city reads “balances of
metropolitan areas” instead of “suburbs.” Reference corresponding user note for more information.
KEY: NA = not applicable.
NOTES: Estimates may not sum to totals due to rounding. Migration estimates from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic
Supplement (CPS ASEC) exclude persons less than one year old. The sample includes noninstitutionalized persons currently living in the United States
(50 states and the District of Columbia) and living in a household with at least one civilian adult (at least 15 years old). Movers from Puerto Rico and
the United States Island Areas are counted as movers from abroad. Information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and
definitions is available at https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/complete.html.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2021 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), available at https://www.
census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/geographic-mobility/cps-2021.html as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 2-2 COVID-19 Passenger Impact

KEY: Baseline = January 2020.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Latest Weekly COVID-19 Transportation Statistics, available at https://
www.bts.gov/covid-19/week-in-transportation as of October 2022.

services, home arrangements and locations, and commuting time and costs, reduced costs of
the use of technology and communications as office space for employers, and the availability of
substitutes for travel, although the duration of more effective electronic tools to support those
these shifts is uncertain. who are able to perform their job without face-
to-face relationships. While some people who
Changes in Local Commuting work at home are in a lower income range, the
main trend in the recent period has been among
Journeys-to-work traditionally account for a fifth those in higher income brackets (Figure 2-4).
of local travel, but that fifth is the major source Repercussions from the working from home
of recurring urban congestion and a major go beyond travel demand characteristics into
source of ridership for public transit. Working at broader influences on land-use, office space
home has been replacing a share of journeys- needs, and home arrangements as well as a
to-work since at least 1980, and COVID-19 has likely change in the times, directions, and modal
dramatically increased that share (Figure 2-3). choices of trips.
In 2021, the 28 million working from home
surpassed the 12 million workers carpooling Table 2-3 provides a detailed mode choice
and was second only to the 105 million workers tabulation for the base year 2019 and the most
driving alone (Table 2-3). current full year 2021, showing the values in
numbers of commuters and the percentages
Working at home is one of the most dramatic modal share for each. The most immediate
changes in travel behavior since World War measure of change is in the final column, which
II, and recent increases may not recede given shows the change in the number of commuters
shortages of workers, the benefits of reduced from 2019 to 2021. All of the alternative modes

2-5
Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Figure 2-3 Long-Term Trend in Working at Home: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2019, and 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Decennial Census 1980-2000 and 2010-2021 American Community Survey, Table S0801,
available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.

Figure 2-4 Workers Working at Home by Income: 2019–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2019-2021 American Community Survey, Table B08119, available at https://data.census.gov/
cedsci/ as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Table 2-3 Mode of Transportation to Work Change: 2019–2021

2019 2021 Change from
Mode of transportation Count Share Count Share 2019 to 2021
TOTAL 156,941,346 100.00 154,314,179 100.00 -2,627,167
Car, truck, or van 133,054,328 84.78 116,668,475 75.60 -16,385,853
Drove alone 119,153,349 75.92 104,650,121 67.82 -14,503,228
Carpooled 13,900,979 8.86 12,018,354 7.79 -1,882,625
In 2-person carpool 10,469,892 6.67 9,050,049 5.86 -1,419,843
In 3-person carpool 1,982,471 1.26 1,776,397 1.15 -206,074
In 4-person carpool 765,777 0.49 683,451 0.44 -82,326
In 5- or 6-person carpool 421,798 0.27 353,122 0.23 -68,676
In 7- or-more-person carpool 261,041 0.17 155,335 0.10 -105,706
Public transportation 7,778,444 4.96 3,793,329 2.46 -3,985,115
Bus 3,601,403 2.29 1,971,235 1.28 -1,630,168
Subway or elevated rail 2,935,633 1.87 1,400,185 0.91 -1,535,448
Long-distance train or commuter rail 921,391 0.59 294,566 0.19 -626,825
Light rail, streetcar, or trolley 242,776 0.15 82,915 0.05 -159,861
Ferryboat 77,241 0.05 44,428 0.03 -32,813
Taxicab 385,756 0.25 296,457 0.19 -89,299
Motorcycle 221,923 0.14 166,676 0.11 -55,247
Bicycle 805,722 0.51 616,153 0.40 -189,569
Walked 4,153,050 2.65 3,399,405 2.20 -753,645
Other means 1,571,323 1.00 1,805,586 1.17 234,263
Worked from home 8,970,800 5.72 27,568,098 17.86 18,597,298
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2019-2021 American Community Survey, Table B08301, available at https://data.census.
gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.

decline substantially, drawn down by the Two of the features of the new commuting world
switches of commuters to working at home. are the share of workers whose work trip is
under 20 minutes or over 60 minutes and those
Working at home grew by 18.6 million, while who must leave home at certain times to reach
driving alone lost 14.5 million users. Carpooling work sites. Almost 43 percent of workers have
lost one percentage point in share. Transit lost a work trip under 20 minutes. Adding those
about 4 million out of 7.8 million users, totaling working at home to the group of workers with a
a shift of half of its ridership. The largest shift in commute under 20 minutes pushes the share
share was long-distance commuter rail. which above 60 percent in 2021. Figure 2-5 supports
resulted in a loss of about two-thirds of ridership. the observation that the growth of working at
There is a small positive shift of about one-tenth home is among longer distance commuters. The
of one percent in so-called Other Means of trend in the increased share of workers leaving
Transportation, which can include such things as their home county to work reversed after six
e-scooters and personal boats. decades of growth in 2020–2021 and returned to
levels seen last in the 1990s.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Changes in Intercity and International supply responded with dramatic curtailment of

Travel services.

As described in the 2020 Transportation The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) estimates
Statistics Annual Report, the United States that U.S. travel had made a partial recovery in
seemed to be on the verge of a major expansion 2021, with domestic leisure travel exceeding the
in long-distance travel and tourism in 2019. 2019 base year, but domestic business travel
(Long-distance trips are defined in the National lagged badly at less than half of 2019 spending.
Household Travel Survey as trips of 50 miles In addition, international inbound passenger
or more from home to the farthest destination spending was less than a quarter of 2019
traveled.) After first reaching a billion passengers spending as some countries foreclosed visitor
in 2018, U.S. and foreign commercial air carriers travel due to COVID-19 lockdowns (Table 2-4).
operating in the United States served 4 percent USTA estimates that 2.3 million jobs remain lost
more passengers in 2019, and passenger growth in the 2021 period, with 1.4 million of that loss in
continued through January 2020, showing a business travel employment [USTA 2022].
6 percent increase over January 2019 just
National Parks remain a popular destination for
prior to the onset of COVID-19 [USDOT BTS
long distance trips, although the number of visits
2020]. Amtrak also reached its peak year for
still has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
passengers [ANDERSON 2019]. The intercity
According to the National Park Service (NPS),
bus industry was instituting new approaches
national parks received 297.1 million recreation
to intercity services and providing links to
visits in 2021, up 60 million visits (25.3 percent)
colleges, airports, and new destinations. All of
from 2020 levels when park facilities were closed
that collapsed as COVID-19 emerged nationally
for at least part of the year due to COVID-19
in early 2020. With demand constrained both
concerns [USNPS 2022]. The NPS also reported
domestically and at many countries’ borders,
more than 12.7 million overnight stays in 2021.

Figure 2-5 Percentage of Workers Leaving Their Home County to Work: 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990,
2000, 2010, and 2021

SOURCES: Pisarski, Alan, NCHRP Report 550: Commuting in America III, Figure 3-5, available at https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/ciaiii.pdf
as of September 2022. U.S Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2010 - 2021 American Community Survey, Table B08007 and Table B08203,
available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

in economic contributions. The Cruise Line

Table 2-4 Intercity Travel Spending: 2019, International Association’s baseline forecast
2020, and 2021 expects passenger volumes to reach and exceed
Spending 2019 levels by the end of 2023 [CLIA 2022].
(USD, Billions) 2019 2020 2021
Domestic Leisure 722 555 751 International Travel
Domestic Business 270 88 118
Major components of international travel to the
International Inbound 181 38 40
United States are the land border crossings, much
Total Direct Spending 1200 680 910
of which are local trips made on a daily basis. This
SOURCE: U.S. Travel Association, U.S. Travel Answer Sheet, May
2022, available at www.ustravel.org as of September 2022. is distinguished from tourism stays that involve
longer distances and usually overnight stays. The
typically massive number of pedestrians from
In comparison, a total of 327.5 million recreation
Mexico dropped substantially in 2020 and made
visits were made in 2019. The increase from
only a very limited increase in 2021.
2020 to 2021 is attributed largely to the Park
Service’s evolving COVID-19 protocols, which In 2019, the number of persons per vehicle from
allowed more park facilities to be open and Mexico and Canada entering the United States
available for visitors in 2021 than in 2020. averaged 1.9 persons per vehicle. In 2020,
the average dropped to 1.6. In 2021, Mexico
Cruise ships are another aspect of long-
recovered somewhat, averaging 1.65 persons
distance travel. An estimated 29.7 million cruise
per vehicle, whereas Canada declined further to
passengers sailed from the United States in
an average of 1.44 (Table 2-5).
2019, which accounted for an estimated half of
the global cruise passengers [CLIA 2022]. The Canada was ranked first in visits to the United
U.S. global cruise industry has been the mode of States in 2019 with 20.7 million arrivals
travel perhaps most affected by the COVID-19 [USTA], but in 2021 those arrivals dropped to
pandemic. Compared to 2019, 2020 cruise travel 2.53 million as reported by the U.S. Department
declined 81 percent to 5.8 million passenger of Commerce, National Travel and Tourism Office
embarkations with a 51 percent decrease in (NTTO) (Table 2-6). This represents a decrease
cruise supported jobs and a 59 percent decrease of about 87.8 percent from 2019 as international

Table 2-5 U.S. Border Land-Passenger Gateways: Entering the U.S.: 2019–2021
2019 2020 2021
Land-passenger gateway Total Mexico Canada Total Mexico Canada Total Mexico Canada
TOTAL land passengers 241,926 188,229 53,697 116,911 106,589 10,322 132,374 125,864 6,510
Personal vehicle passengers 188,067 136,890 51,177 90,647 80,591 10,056 102,952 96,562 6,389
Pedestrians 49,699 49,176 523 25,046 24,999 48 27,972 27,935 37
Bus passengers 3,866 2,153 1,713 1,153 992 161 1,385 1,350 35
Train passengers 294 10 285 64 7 57 65 17 47
Personal vehicles 99,818 73,085 26,733 56,833 50,605 6,229 62,979 58,548 4,431
Buses 436 152 77 147 90 10 143 96 4
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Border Crossing/Entry Data, Annual Data, as reported in National
Transportation Statistics, Tables 1-47 and 1-48, available at https://www.bts.gov/topics/national-transportation-statistics as of October 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

travel declined 75.8 percent from 2019 to 2020 seats per day have recovered better than
but rose by 15.0 percent in 2021 [USDOC NTTO]. overall flights, from 3.16 million seats per day
in 2019 to 2.93 million seats per day in 2022,
Mexican travel to the United States was not 8 percent below their pre-pandemic level. A long-
as negative, with four times as many visitors standing airline measure of the share of the U.S.
as Canada in 2021, ranking first in visits to the population that flew in the previous 12 months
United States that year. The top 10 international had grown to a level of 45 percent in 2019
visitors to the United States from 2019 to 2021 dropping to 37 percent in 2021[A4A].
by country of origin are ranked in Table 2-6.
Mexico and Canada have been the dominant Overall trips, by air and non-air, are expected
sources of international visitors to the United to reach 2019 levels by 2023 at 2.2 billion trips
States for years, accounting for 58.5 percent of compared to 2.13 billion in 2019. Further, the
the 2021 total. It is interesting to note that the number of international arrivals of foreign visitors
United Kingdom is the only European country is not expected to reach 2019 levels of about
listed, and India the only Asian country in 2021. 80 million until 2025 [USTA].
In comparison, three European and four Asian
countries were among the top 10 international Completing the picture of U.S. world tourism,
visitors to the United States in 2019. the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) had placed the United States third in
Overall flights per day from U.S. airports the world, behind France and Spain, in tourism
declined from over 26,000 in 2019 to 16,000 arrivals, at 80 million visitors, and first in the
in 2020, recovering somewhat to just under world in tourism receipts, at $214 billion, in
20,000 in 2021[USDOT BTS 2022]. In 2022, 2018 [UNWTO 2019]. In 2020, international
the levels averaged about 22,000 flights per visitor arrivals and spending declined by 76 and
day, 16 percent below 2019 levels. Carriers are 65 percent, respectively. In 2021, there was
flying larger aircraft and as a result scheduled a 15 percent increase in arrivals but a further

Table 2-6 Top Ten International Visitors to the United States: 2019, 2020, and 2021
2019 2020 2021
Arrivals Arrivals Arrivals
Rank Country (millions) Country (millions) Country (millions)
1 Canada 20.72 Mexico 6.81 Mexico 10.40
2 Mexico 18.33 Canada 4.81 Canada 2.53
3 United Kingdom 4.78 United Kingdom 0.73 Colombia 1.06
4 Japan 3.75 Japan 0.70 United Kingdom 0.46
5 China 2.83 South Korea 0.44 India 0.43
6 South Korea 2.30 Brazil 0.42 Ecuador 0.41
7 Brazil 2.10 China 0.38 Dominican Republic 0.41
8 Germany 2.06 India 0.34 Peru 0.40
9 France 1.84 France 0.30 Argentina 0.30
10 India 1.47 Germany 0.29 Guatemala 0.28
All Countries 79.44 All Countries 79.44 All Countries 79.44
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, National Travel and Tourism Office, Form I-94, available at www.trade.gov
as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

4 percent decline in spending. Visitor arrivals the equity aspects of travel by socio-economic
in 2021 had increased to nearly 22.1 million, groups are limited to Census data on vehicle
but spending declined to $81.0 billion [UNWTO availability and commuting by racial, ethnic,
2021]. In 2021, the United States dropped to and income groups and data from the Bureau
6th in world arrivals [UNWTO 2022]. Despite of Labor Statistics (BLS) on transportation
those losses, the United States still led the spending by consumers in those groups. Census
world in tourism receipts with 13.2 percent and BLS data generally distinguish only the
of world receipts (excluding airfares), more largest racial and ethnic groups, especially
than twice second place France. Among the when tabulations of sampled data are crossed
sharpest declines in receipts in 2021 was that of with other characteristics of interest, such as
Canada, which restricted travel due to COVID-19 income and worker status and push the limits of
concerns, dropping to about a third of Mexican statistical reliability.
spending and below that of China and India.
Vehicle Availability and Commuting
The NTTO identified the trends in both arrivals
of international visitors and outbound travel Long-term trends in vehicle availability for U.S.
by U.S. citizens (Table 2-7). The values households appear to have continued despite
indicate only slight increases in 2021 from the pandemic and supply chain issues of recent
substantial declines registered in 2020. Overall, years. Figure 2-6 displays the key trends of the
2021 international arrivals were more than continuing decline in both one- and no-vehicle
57 million behind the base year of 2019—a households and the rise of multiple-vehicle
72.2 percent drop. In 2020, arrivals rebounded households since 1980. The pertinent changes
by 15.0 percent, from about 19.2 million in 2020 have been in zero vehicle households (down one
to 22.1 million in 2021. Similarly, departures percentage point per decade) and in three or
by U.S. citizens also declined substantially by more vehicle households.
nearly 51 percent in 2021 compared to 2019.
More than half of the households with no
vehicle are also households with no workers
Equity Aspects of Local and (Figure 2-7). Workers in households with no
Long-Distance Travel vehicle either work at home, walk, or use an
Several initiatives to measure the equity aspects employer’s vehicle, transit, or other means to
of passenger travel are underway, such as the reach the place of work.
cost burden placed on different populations for
Figure 2-8 documents vehicle availability trends
mobility to jobs, services, and other needs. Until
for the two largest racial and ethnic groups.
current studies are completed and integrated into
Vehicle availability has been increasing among
a comprehensive picture, national statistics on

Table 2-7 International Inbound and Outbound Travel: 2019–2021 (Millions)

Passengers Percent change from 2019
Inbound/outbound 2019 2020 2021 2020 2021
Arrivals 79.44 19.21 22.10 -75.8% -72.2%
Outbound 99.27 33.16 49.10 -66.6% -50.5%
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, National Travel and Tourism Office, Forms I-92 and I-94, available at www.
trade.gov as of September 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Figure 2-6 Share of Households by Vehicles Owned 1960–2021

No. of vehicles owned 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2021
0 vehicles 21.5% 17.5% 12.9% 11.5% 10.3% 9.1% 8.0%
1 vehicle 57.0% 47.7% 35.5% 33.7% 34.2% 33.8% 32.9%
2 vehicles 19.1% 29.3% 34.0% 37.4% 38.4% 37.6% 37.1%
3 or more vehicles 2.5% 5.5% 17.5% 17.4% 17.1% 19.5% 21.9%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Decennial Census 1960-2000 and 2010-2021 American Community Survey, Table DP04,
available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.

the major minority households, with Hispanics

closing on the national average. Figure 2-7 Workers in Households Without
Vehicles by Number of Workers:
Commuting by the largest racial and ethnic 2021
groups is illustrated in Table 2-8 and Table
2-9. Percentages of African-Americans and
Hispanics who drive alone closely match the
total population, while Hispanics have a higher
share of carpooling than the total and both
African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher
percentage of transit use to work. A lower
percentage of Hispanics than the total population
or African-Americans work at home, while
Asian-Americans have a substantially higher
percentage of working at home.

Commuting data reveal gender differences

that may reflect equity aspects of labor force
participation more than equity aspects of
transportation. While the differences in mode
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2021
choice are small and shrinking (Table 2-10), American Community Survey, Table B08203, available at https://data.
census.gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.
differences in travel time remain (Table 2-11).

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 2-8 Long-Term Trend in Zero Vehicle Households: 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2021

Type of household 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2021

All 17.5% 12.9 11.5 10.3 9.1 8.0
African-American 43.1% 32.6 30.5 23.8 20.0 16.1
Hispanic NA 21.8 20.0 17.2 12.6 9.9

KEY: NA = not applicable.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Decennial Census 1970-2000 and 2010-2021 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.

Table 2-8 Comparisons of Major Racial and Ethnic Groups Using Traditional Major Modes:
2000, 2010, 2019, and 2021
Major mode and group 2000 (%) 2010 (%) 2019 (%) 2021 (%)
Drove alone
Hispanic 60.6 67.8 71.6 66.8
African-American 67.0 72.0 72.9 66.5
TOTAL population 75.7 76.5 75.9 67.8
Carpool
Hispanic 22.7 16.0 13.2 12.9
African-American 16.0 10.0 8.9 7.9
TOTAL population 12.2 9.7 8.9 7.8
Transit
Hispanic 8.6 7.8 6.3 3.9
African-American 12.0 10.9 9.6 5.7
TOTAL population 4.6 4.9 4.9 2.5
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2000 and 2010-2021 American Community Survey, Table S0802,
available at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ as of September 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Women tend to work closer to home and Consumer Spending on Transportation:

have shorter travel times, while commutes The Aggregate View
over 60 minutes are more likely to be by men
traveling to more distant jobs. Men predominate Consumer spending on transportation reflects
in those leaving home to work before 7 a.m. both the consumption of transportation for
and women have the major share of travel after personal travel and the burden that travel costs
7 a.m. The shares of commuters traveling more place on household budgets. An understanding
than 60 minutes to work declined sharply during of consumer spending across all groups is
the pandemic, reflecting a probable effect of pre-requisite to understanding racial and ethnic
travel time on the desire to work at home. differences in consumer spending.

Figure 2-9 presents the broadest view of

transportation spending during the 2000–2021
period, expressed as the transportation share

Table 2-9 Non-Motorized Commuting: 2021

Black or African-
Commute All American Hispanic or Latino Asian Alone
Walked 2.2% 2.1% 2.3% 2.9%
Other non-motorized means 1.9% 2.5% 2.4% 2.1%
Worked from home 17.9% 15.3% 11.6% 27.5%
Mean travel time to work (minutes) 25.6 27.2 26.9 27.1
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2021 American Community Survey, Table S0201, available at https://data.census.gov/
cedsci/ as of September 2022..

Table 2-10 Means of Transportation to Work by Gender: 2021

Tansportation All Male Female F/M Ratio
Workers 16 years and over 154,314,179 81,813,405 72,500,774 88.6%
Car, truck, or van 75.6% 76.9% 74.1% 96.4%
Drove alone 67.8% 69.4% 66.0% 95.1%
Carpooled 7.8% 7.5% 8.1% 108.0%
In 2-person carpool 5.9% 5.7% 6.1% 107.0%
In 3-person carpool 1.2% 1.1% 1.2% 109.1%
In 4-person carpool 0.8% 0.8% 0.7% 87.5%
Workers per car, truck, or van 1.06 1.06 1.06 100.0%
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 2.5% 2.3% 2.6% 113.0%
Walked 2.2% 2.2% 2.2% 100.0%
Bicycle 0.4% 0.5% 0.3% 60.0%
Taxicab, motorcycle, other means 1.5% 1.6% 1.4% 87.5%
Worked from home 17.9% 16.4% 19.5% 118.9%
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2021 American Community Survey, Table S0801, available at https://data.census.gov/
cedsci/ as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Table 2-12 provides recent detail of all spending

Table 2-11 Travel Time to Work by Gender: from the pre-COVID base year of 2019 and into
2019 and 2021 the subsequent COVID-19 years. The drop in
Travel time All Male Female transportation expenditures from 2019 to 2020
Travel time to work (minutes) is heavily affected by a decline in fuel purchases
2021 25.6 27.3 23.7 and purchased transportation. Other pandemic-
2019 27.6 29.1 25.8 related changes were the sharp declines in food
Overall travel time
purchases away from home along with a decline
in apparel purchases and a drop in educational
2021
spending.
Under 20 minutes 42.5% 39.5% 46.0%
Over 60 minutes 7.7% 9.3% 5.9% Transportation spending is affected by the
2019 number of workers in a household, shown
Under 20 minutes 39.8% 37.3% 42.5% in Figure 2-10. The Consumer Expenditure
Over 60 minutes 9.8% 11.4% 8.1% Survey (CEX) statistics for 2021 estimated that
Time left home to work there were 31,664,000 households, almost
2021 24 percent of all households, containing more
Before 7 AM 32.8% 38.8% 25.9% than 50 million people, about 15 percent of the
After 7 AM 67.2% 61.3% 74.0% population, in zero-worker households. This
2019 reflects the increasing numbers of retirees
Before 7 AM 32.4% 38.2% 25.8% [USDOL BLS CEX 2021].
After 7 AM 67.6% 61.8% 74.2%
While spending increases with number of
SOURCE: U.S Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2019 -
2021 American Community Survey, Table S0801, available at https://
workers in the household, Table 2-13 shows
data.census.gov/cedsci as of September 2022. that spending on a per-vehicle or per-worker
basis is almost constant across different income
of consumer spending in this century. Early quintiles. Total transportation spending per
in this century the transportation share of person rises with income but stabilizes when
consumer spending was in the 18–19 percent evaluated on a per worker basis. Spending on
range. In the 1990s it had occasionally ranged vehicle fuel (when analyzed on a per vehicle
around the 20-percent level. Fuel prices could basis) is quite similar among workers of different
push spending into the 17 percent range in incomes. The overall effect of all purchased
2022, possibly back to the 2019 spending level transportation (e.g., transportation one buys a
(Table 2-12). It is important to note that this ticket to use) on a worker basis is also relatively
spending does not include spending paid for stable. COVID-19 seemed to have affected
by an employer or by any other source outside all about the same on a per worker basis. The
the household, which clearly also dropped effects by incomes and race and ethnicity of
appreciably in the 2020–2021 COVID-19 period. purchased transportation for intercity travel
will be examined in detail later in the intercity
As in so many cases observed in the COVID-19 segment of this chapter. The local part of
period, there is a sharp drop in consumer purchased transportation is transit and taxi use.
expenditures from the baseline year of 2019 The expenditures for transit among the income
to the COVID year of 2020 and then a partial groups are quite stable in which the spending
recovery in 2021. Also, changes in consumer by the highest income level actually exceeds
expenditure areas outside of transportation can that by the lowest income group. But on a per
affect transportation’s spending share. worker basis, transit spending is greatest among

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Figure 2-9 Transportation Share of Consumer Spending: 2000–2021 (Percent)

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, available at https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables/top-line-
means.htm as of September 2022.

Table 2-12 Selected COVID-19-Related Trends in Overall Spending (Spending per Consumer Unit):
2019–2021
Percent change
Expenditure type 2019 2020 2021 2019–2020 2020–2021 2019–2021
Average annual expenditures $63,063 $61,332 $66,928 -2.70% 9.12% 6.17%
Food $8,169 $7,310 $8,289 -10.52% 13.39% 1.47%
Food at home $4,643 $4,935 $5,259 6.29% 6.57% 13.27%
Food away from $3,526 $2,375 $3,030 -32.64% 27.58% -14.07%
Housing $20,679 $21,417 $22,624 3.57% 5.64% 9.41%
Apparel $1,883 $1,434 $1,754 -23.84% 22.32% -6.85%
Transportation $10,742 $9,826 $10,961 -8.53% 11.55% 2.04%
Vehicle purchases $4,394 $4,523 $4,828 2.94% 6.74% 9.88%
Gasoline other fuels $2,094 $1,568 $2,148 -25.12% 36.99% 2.58%
Purchased transportation $781 $263 $452 -66.33% 71.86% -42.13%
Healthcare $5,193 $5,177 $5,452 -0.31% 5.31% 4.99%
Entertainment $3,090 $2,909 $3,568 -5.86% 22.65% 15.47%
Education $1,443 $1,271 $1,226 -11.92% -3.54% -15.04%
NOTES: All values have been rounded, and as a result some cell values have been rounded to zero. This is particularly evident in the characteristic
section. When data are not reported or are not applicable (i.e., missing values), tabulated cell values have been set to zero. Purchased transportation
includes tickets for airline and trail travel, transit fares, and other payments for for-hire transportation.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, available at https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables/top-line-
means.htm as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 2-10 Transportation Spending by Earners: 2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, Table 1600, available at www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm as
of September 2022.

Table 2-13 Transportation Spending Per Person, Per Worker, Per Vehicle by Income: 2021
All
consumer Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest
Transportation spending type units 20 percent 20 percent 20 percent 20 percent 20 percent
TOTAL transportation spending $10,961.18 $4,273.08 $7,987.72 $10,285.33 $12,983.60 $19,204.24
Per Person 4,567.16 2,513.58 3,803.68 4,114.13 4,637.00 6,001.33
Per Worker 8,431.68 10,682.70 9,984.65 7,911.79 7,637.41 9,144.88
Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil 2,147.55 1,110.70 1,701.73 2,184.39 2,656.86 3,074.43
Per Vehicle 1,130.29 1,110.70 1,134.49 1,149.68 1,155.16 1,138.68
"Public and other transportation
(all purchased transportation)" 451.54 148.76 194.10 329.93 450.89 1,129.15
Per Worker 347.34 371.90 242.63 253.79 265.23 537.69
Intracity mass transit fares 45.36 47.41 39.89 39.31 45.97 54.16
Per Worker 34.89 118.53 49.86 30.24 27.04 25.79
Taxi fares and limousine services* 24.60 22.63 11.06 17.03 20.79 51.45
Per Worker 18.92 56.58 13.83 13.10 12.23 24.50
* Diary item.
NOTE: Reimbursed business travel is not included in these data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, Table 1101, available at www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm as
of September 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

the lowest income group. For comparison, taxi These overall consumer unit demographic
and limo spending is shown with a significant patterns tend to remain relatively stable over
revelation that the lowest income group is the time, for example, the variations between the
highest in spending on taxis and second only to 2019 and 2021 data are not more than one-
the highest income group in spending on cab tenth of one percent for any characteristic. The
usage per worker. This may be the product of the most apparent observation is the close pattern
use of cabs among the carless, as well as the relationship between population, earners, and
small number of workers in the lowest income vehicles. The general sense of auto ownership
quintile. over the years began with the concept of one
vehicle per household, then one vehicle per
When examined by quintiles of income, worker (every quintile group now has more
transportation spending shifted sporadically from vehicles than workers) and now, nearly one
2020 to 2021. Only the lowest quintile showed vehicle per adult in every quintile except the
a decline of about 2 percent. The changes in lowest (Figure 2-11).
spending exhibited growth in other quintiles but
were varied with growth in the second quintile of Vehicle ownerships rises, as expected with
28.5 percent, 11.9 in the third, 3 percent in the increasing workers, the lower two income
fourth, and an increase of 14.3 percent in the quintiles have a larger ratio of vehicles to
highest quintile [USDOL BLS CEX 2021]. earners than the higher quintiles, explained
largely by retirees in the lower groupings.

Figure 2-11 Demographic Patterns by Income Quintile: 2021

Measure Lowest 20% Second 20% Third 20% Fourth 20% Highest 20%
People 1.7 2.1 2.5 2.8 3.2
Children under 18 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.8
Adults 65 and older 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.2
Earners 0.4 0.8 1.3 1.7 2.1
Vehicles 1.0 1.5 1.9 2.3 2.7

SOURCE: Sources U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, Table 1101, available at www.bls.gov/cex/
tables.htm as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Another profile statistic identifies the share of Consumer Spending on Transportation by

households with no vehicles versus at least one. Racial and Ethnic Categories
At the national level, 89 percent of units have
at least one vehicle. But, in the lowest quintile Differences among racial and ethnic groups
only 71 percent have at least one, jumping in spending on transportation are shown in
sharply in the second and third group and Table 2-14. The standout is perhaps that of
reaching 96 percent in the highest two quintiles. Asians with the highest levels of spending (and
This varies from the findings of the American highest incomes) of all groups. Both Asian and
Community Survey but may simply be a function Hispanic incomes benefit from large numbers
of the distinct definitions of the BLS consumer of workers in the unit as noted above. Asian
unit versus the ACS definition of a household. incomes are also associated with the highest

Table 2-14 Annual Expenditures for Major Economic and Transportation Categories: 2021
Not Hispanic or Latino
"All "White and "Black or
consumer "Hispanic all other African-
Expenditure units" or Latino" Total races" American" Asian
"Average annual expenditures
(major categories)" $66,927.83 $57,954.80 $68,475.68 $71,640.67 $51,013.20 $78,726.38
Food 8,289.28 8,157.54 8,312.18 8,716.11 6,123.98 10,526.82
Housing 22,623.55 20,832.27 22,931.28 23,617.25 19,141.70 28,377.90
Apparel 1,754.39 2,186.06 1,681.25 1,698.71 1,585.83 2,303.12
Transportation 10,961.18 11,505.41 10,867.22 11,190.59 9,072.40 10,494.04
Health care 5,451.61 3,326.71 5,818.35 6,215.73 3,614.71 4,967.89
Entertainment 3,567.89 2,233.69 3,797.55 4,162.81 1,787.40 2,661.57
Education 1,226.14 554.54 1,342.04 1,435.07 826.13 3,114.91
Transportation expenditures $10,961.18 $11,505.41 $10,867.22 $11,190.59 $9,072.40 $10,494.04
Vehicle purchases, new 2,210.00 2,269.00 2,200.00 2,418.00 991.00 2,864.00
Vehicle purchases, used 2,555.00 2,753.00 2,520.00 2,473.00 2,782.00 1,426.00
Gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil 2,148.00 2,432.00 2,098.00 2,150.00 1,812.00 2,028.04
Vehicle finance charges 272.00 280.00 270.00 278.00 231.00 227.33
Maintenance and repairs 975.00 982.00 974.00 1,014.00 748.00 777.75
Vehicle rental, leases, licenses, and
other charges 760.00 666.00 776.00 817.00 545.00 947.96
Vehicle insurance 1,528.00 1,678.00 1,502.00 1,491.00 1,560.00 1,478.33
Public and other transportation 452.00 412.00 459.00 470.00 393.00 698.27
Vehicles owned 1.9 1.7 1.9 2 1.4 1.6
“Transportation expenditures per vehicle (selected items)”
Fuel expenditures per vehicle $1,130.53 $1,430.59 $1,104.21 $1,075.00 $1,294.29 $1,267.53
Maintenance and repairs per vehicle $513.16 $577.65 $512.63 $507.00 $534.29 $486.09
Insurance per vehicle $804.21 $987.06 $790.53 $745.50 $1,114.29 $923.96
KEY: NA = not applicable.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, Table 2100 and Table 2200, available at www.bls.gov/
cex/tables.htm as of September 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

levels of education among all groups. Also, theirs to be White, non-Hispanics [USDOL BLS CEX
is the highest level of spending on education, 2021.
more than double the closest other race category
in spending. Asians comprise only 5 percent of the
population, thus sampling statistics tend to be
Hispanics and African-Americans live in center less available on their characteristics. Asians
cities in general and in large metropolitan areas have the highest incomes, with a large number
as well. This affects automobile ownership costs, of persons and workers per unit. They also have
transit usage (Figure 2-12), and housing costs, relatively low vehicle ownership and high-transit
among others. This shifts the share of spending spending [USDOL BLS CEX 2021].
going to housing and transportation with overall
shares for all at about 50 percent of spending, Table 2-15 shows racial and ethnic differences
but with a greater share of that 50 percent going in spending on public and other purchased
to housing versus transportation. transportation (e.g., air, taxi, train) [USDOL
BLS CEX 2021]. It provides valuable insight
Rural populations tend to have similar, into the intercity travel of selected minorities
but slightly lower total spending shares of via examination of their spending patterns.
housing and transportation, but with greater Intercity travel was greatly affected by COVID-19
transportation costs and lower housing costs shutdowns and the fact that so much of that
even though their home ownership levels are travel is discretionary, so risk avoidance was a
higher than metropolitan residents. There tends preeminent concern of many potential travelers.
to be few Hispanics and African-Americans in The following highlights are averaged across all
rural areas, so the low-income groups there tend consumer units not just those actually incurring
the expenses:

Figure 2-12 Annual Transit Spending in the COVID-19 Period: 2019–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, available at www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm as of
September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

● African-American bus usage was small in ● Hispanic air usage was similar, with $338 in
2019—averaging just under $9 a year per 2019, dropping to $151 in 2020, and returning
consumer unit, and dropped to almost to zero somewhat to $258 in 2021.
in 2020; bus usage returned to about $2.50 in The overall population had total intercity travel
2021. spending in the 2019 base year of $780, then
● Hispanic usage followed a similar pattern; dropped to $263 in 2020, recovering somewhat
$14 in 2019, $4 in 2020, and recovering to $450 in 2021. It is notable that the usage
somewhat to $5 in 2021. of local transportation, cabs, and transit were
● African-American airline fares were somewhat heavily affected by the declines of the intercity
more positive at $275 in 2019, dropping to public modes and personal vehicle travel.
$79 in 2020, and then rising to $237 in 2021.

Table 2-15 Purchased Intercity Transportation: 2019–2021

Black or Ratio Ratio Black
All Consumer Hispanic or African- Hispanic or or African-
Transportation purchased Units Latino American Latino American
2019 public and other transportation 780.55 609.20 534.20 78.05% 68.44%
Airline fares 513.14 337.80 274.69 65.83% 53.53%
Intercity bus fares 15.28 14.29 8.86 93.52% 57.98%
Local trans. on out-of-town trips 20.33 12.38 11.00 60.90% 54.11%
Taxi fares and limousine services on trips 11.94 7.27 6.46 60.89% 54.10%
Intercity train fares 30.24 19.24 18.26 63.62% 60.38%
Ship fares 56.39 37.91 43.09 67.23% 76.41%
2020 public and other transportation 263.46 264.63 199.11 100.44% 75.58%
Airline fares 159.89 150.80 69.70 94.31% 43.59%
Intercity bus fares 2.23 4.23 0.38 189.69% 17.04%
Local trans. on out-of-town trips 6.89 4.21 3.55 61.10% 51.52%
Taxi fares and limousine services on trips 4.05 2.48 2.08 61.23% 51.36%
Intercity train fares 7.96 4.89 2.75 61.43% 34.55%
Ship fares 11.24 9.63 1.65 85.68% 14.68%
2021 public and other transportation 451.54 411.54 393.33 91.14% 87.11%
Airline fares 321.99 257.83 236.74 80.07% 73.52%
Intercity bus fares 4.18 4.94 2.57 118.18% 61.48%
Local trans. on out-of-town trips 14.21 8.82 9.47 62.07% 66.64%
Taxi fares and limousine services on trips 8.35 5.18 5.56 62.04% 66.59%
Intercity train fares 11.20 6.92 8.45 61.79% 75.45%
Ship fares 19.51 10.14 10.17 51.97% 52.13%
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, available at https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables/top-line-
means.htm as of September 2022.

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Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

Data Gaps in serving the Nation’s mobility needs, especially

through the lens of equity.
This chapter provides a brief perspective on the
events that unfolded in passenger transportation While our understanding of travelers and local
during the COVID-19 years and an assessment travel is informed by 60 years of travel surveys
of their implications. A fuller treatment should in major metropolitan areas, by nationwide data
be made but will best occur in the future when on journeys-to-work collected by the Census
the implications have stabilized somewhat and Bureau since 1970, and by several iterations
the assessment is less speculative. Long-term of the National Household Travel Survey and
monitoring is critical. its predecessors, our understanding of long-
distance travel is limited to airline passenger
It is often the case that when totally unexpected
counts and itineraries and to sporadic
public policy challenges arise, they must be
national surveys last conducted in 1995. As
addressed with the statistical capabilities at
a consequence, we do not know how much
hand. This argues for constructing the basic
travel on local transportation infrastructure
statistical system to comprehensively address
is by people traveling through the area or
all aspects of transportation activity. The
visiting from a distant place. Such travel has
current challenges forced by COVID-19 and
different characteristics and requires different
public and private changes reacting to it are
transportation management strategies to
a massive demonstration of that need. In that
accommodate effectively.
light, assessments are needed of the historical
gaps uncovered and the new challenges to the While information on airline passenger counts
statistical system that have arisen. and itineraries is extensive, airport managers
and aviation planners lack basic information
On the positive side, one of the bright spots has
on the demographics and trip purposes of their
been the ability of statistical agencies to shift
customers, which limits forecasting and effective
quickly to rapid turnaround data collection to
understanding of airport markets. The same is
support the almost daily policy and operations
true for long-distance rail travel.
challenges that arose. New technologies that
permitted rapid real-time reporting proved Statistics on intercity, charter, and school bus
powerful enhancements. Monthly, weekly, and travel are far more limited. Anecdotal evidence
daily reporting became a norm with proper suggests that the bus industry carries substantial
warnings about their preliminary nature or amounts of travel, but little is known about the
potential statistical weaknesses. number of travelers and characteristics of those
travelers. Ridership counts are consistently
While new data sources, such as cell phone
collected only for buses operated by or for
tracks and other location-based services data,
publicly supported transit systems. Although
provide a wealth of timely observations on the
buses are heavily used by minorities, young
volume and patterns of travel, these sources
people, and the elderly, limited data about
rarely indicate socio-economic characteristics
their travel characteristics are available. Our
associated with the observed travel behavior.
understanding of equity concerns is limited
Much is known about travel, but little is known
to data on consumer expenditures that lack
about the traveler or the purpose of the travel.
geographic detail.
These missing characteristics are essential to
understanding the effectiveness of transportation

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Statistics on recreational travel are increasingly A major statistical challenge is to develop

important, especially as retirees become a larger measures of working-at-home populations.
portion of the population. There is a need for Several agencies sought to address this during
annual statistical reporting of travel to and from the pandemic but used varying definitions. The
national parks and other important recreation American Community Survey has used the
areas. Existing data are fragmentary in coverage definition of working at home that was developed
and scope. At a minimum, an inventory of state for the decennial census as far back as 1980,
statistics would permit a basis for better design and is limited to individuals who work at home
of ongoing reporting. Since the last long-distance a majority of the days of a usual week. The
travel survey was conducted in 1995, cruise transportation profession needs statistics on
ships have grown into a major generator of long- occasional telework, recurring telework by day
distance travel. Information is limited to vessel of week, and work at multiple locations during
and passenger counts by port. As the industry the day or week to understand and serve new
recovers from the pandemic, information on the temporal and geographic variations in travel
demographic and economic characteristics of demand.
cruise ship patrons will become an important
element in port planning and marketing. A change in labeling geographic areas Census
Bureau products has been challenging to
With respect to local travel, better understanding transportation planners and policy analysts. For
is needed on the use of micromobility modes, example, the Census Bureau has combined
typically found in the urban environment and both central cities and important suburban
include bicycle and scooter rentals. These centers into principal cities that masks important
modes are small and were severely impeded by population changes and combines statistics on
COVID-19 effects, but have growth potential in commuting flows between a city center and its
some specific locations. Given their interactions constituent neighborhoods with flows between
with other more traditional modes as both a spatially separated city centers. Separating the
support tool and a competitor, at least annual two groups by renaming the central cities as
reporting is required, beyond the anecdotal, to such and then labeling suburban centers as
establish the nature of opportunities and roles principal cities where appropriate would at least
that can be played by these providers. resolve much of the lost data utility.

The challenge in addressing equity concerns Finally, there is little information available
often comes down to recognizing service level regarding different levels of accessibility to
characteristics by neighborhood, which is or levels of service by mode available for a
extremely difficult to establish, and linking it to given geography or sociodemographic group.
the socio-economic characteristics of the same As analysts seek to better understand equity
neighborhood. Data challenges are even greater and mobility opportunities it will be incumbent
for understanding the special mobility needs to develop systematic databases that capture
of disabled residents within the neighborhood measures of mobility opportunities. While
and the attributes of transportation facilities and existing data sets can give some insights, there
services required to meet those needs. Equity is not a comprehensive multimodal framework
analysis is hindered by the lack of sample for reporting on transportation availability. Work
frames and unaffordable sample sizes of general towards developing these measures is underway
surveys to represent small groups of concern, on many fronts.
such as Native Americans.

2-23
Chapter 2—Passenger Travel and Equity

References U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC),

Census Bureau (CENSUS):
Airlines for America (A4A). 2022. Industry
Review and Outlook. Available at https:// —2022. U.S. and World Population
www.airlines.org/dataset/a4a-presentation- Clock. Available at www.census.gov as of
industry-review-and-outlook/ as of October November 2022.
10, 2022.
—2021. Geographical Mobility: 2020 to
American Bus Association Foundation (ABA). 2021, Table 1. November. Available at
2019. Motorcoach Census: A Study of the https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/
Size and Activity of the Motorcoach Industry demo/geographic-mobility/cps-2021.html as
in the United States and Canada in 2017. of September 2022.
June. Available at https://www.buses.
—2017. Population projections, 2017
org/aba-foundation/research-summary
National Tables revised. Available at https://
as of September 2022; and personal
www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popproj.
communication with Peter Pantuso, ABA,
html as of October 2022.
Chief Executive Officer, September 2022.
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL); Bureau
Anderson, Richard. President and Chief
of Labor Statistics (BLS). Consumer
Executive Officer, National Railroad
Expenditure Surveys. Annual. Available at
Passenger Corporation. ANDERSON. 2019.
https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm as of
Testimony before the U.S. Congress, House
September 2022.
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
and Hazardous Materials. November 13. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
Available at www.transportation.house.gov 2020. TranStats. Passengers: All Carriers –
as of September 2022. All Airports. Available at www.transtats.bts.
gov as of September 2022.
Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).
2022. State of the Cruise Industry Outlook. U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
Available at www.cruising.org as of Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
September 2022. 2022. TranStats. T100 Segment for US
airports. Available at www.transtats.bts.gov
Frey, William (FREY). 2021. What the 2020
as of December 2022
Census will reveal about America: Stagnating
growth, an aging population, and youthful U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
diversity, Brookings Institute. January 11. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),
Available at https://www.brookings.edu/ 2018. 2017 National Household Travel
research/what-the-2020-census-will-reveal- Survey Summary of Travel Trends (STT).
about-america-stagnating-growth-an-aging- Available at https://nhts.ornl.gov/ as of
population-and-youthful-diversity/ as of September 2018.
October 2022.
U.S. National Park Service (USNPS). 2022, New
United Nations World Tourism Organization Release, “Most Famous National Parks Set
(UNWTO). 2022. Compendium of Tourism Visitation Records in 2021.” February 16.
Statistics, Data 2016-2020. Available at Available at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/
https://www.unwto.org/tourism-statistics as of socialscience/annual-visitation-highlights.htm
September 2022. as of October 2022.

2-24
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

U.S. Travel Association (USTA). 2022. U.S.

Travel Answer Sheet. May. Available at www.
ustravel.org as of September 2022.

Vespa, J., L. Medina, & D. Armstrong. 2020.

“Demographic Turning Points for the
United States: Population Projections for
2020 to 2060.” February. U.S. Department
of Commerce, Census Bureau, Report
No. P25-1144. Available at https://www.
census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/
publications/2020/demo/p25-1144.pdf.

White House. 2021. Executive Order 14301 on

Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunities
for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islanders. Available at www.federal.
register.gov as of Oct.12, 2022.

2-25
CHAPTER 3
Freight and Supply Chain

Introduction
U.S. economic competitiveness is dependent they package, store, and ship their products as
on efficient freight movement. Manufacturers a key part of managing their supply chains. It is
procure raw materials and intermediate goods, the transport and logistics industry that links all
process them in the production operation, supply chain actors together.
and ship their products to customers, all
thanks to logistics activities. Companies rely COVID-19 caused extensive pandemic-
on goods being hauled from their suppliers to related consumer purchases and supply chain
their business establishments and from their disruptions, drawing public attention to supply
establishments to their customers; they handle chain issues. More recent global changes,
a myriad of paperwork that governs freight flows; such as the war in Ukraine, drought-induced

Highlights
● Thirty-eight percent of U.S. gross output in 2020, about 10 times more than that of rail, the United
equivalent to $12.44 trillion, depended on the States’ third-ranked mode by freight volume.
Nation’s Transportation and Logistics sector, which ● In 2020, e-commerce’s share of total retail sales
itself contributed an output of $565 billion. increased to 14.6 percent from 10.5 percent in the
● After the COVID-19-year of 2020, U.S. trade previous year.
surged to $4.6 trillion, a 22 percent increase from ● In terms of freight value, John F. Kennedy
2020 to 2021. International Airport and Chicago airports were
● In 2021, Canada reemerged as the United States’ ranked as the top two international freight
leading trade partner in terms of trade value, gateways in 2020. Ranked 3rd and 4th were the
with Mexico and China ranked second and third, U.S.-Mexico land border post in Laredo and the
respectively. Port of Los Angeles.
● In 2020, over 17 billion tons of domestic freight ● Improved U.S. East Coast connectivity to liner
worth $14.5 trillion moved through about $7 trillion shipping networks have enabled the diversion of
of assets consisting of ports, highways, rail some Asian trade volumes from the U.S. West
systems, airports, and pipelines. Coast to U.S. East Coast ports; in 2021 U.S. East
● Trucks transported 12 billion tons in 2019, or Coast Asian container volumes exceeded
67 percent of total domestic freight volume — U.S. West Coast Asian freight volumes.
Continued »

3-1
Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Highlights Continued
● Pipelines dominated U.S.-Canada trade in 2021, ● Pipelines dominated U.S.-Canada trade in 2021,
carrying about 37 percent of total freight weight. carrying about 37 percent of total freight weight.
Carrying 35 percent of freight weight, trucking is Carrying 35 percent of freight weight, trucking is
the dominant mode in U.S.-Mexico trade. Vessels the dominant mode in U.S.-Mexico trade. Vessels
are the second mode of choice for U.S.-Mexico are the second mode of choice for U.S.-Mexico
trade, carrying nearly 30 percent of freight weight. trade, carrying nearly 30 percent of freight weight.
● Substantial foreign direct investment in Mexico ● Substantial foreign direct investment in Mexico
in 2022, particularly from the nearshoring of U.S. in 2022, particularly from the nearshoring of U.S.
companies, will likely mean an increase in cross companies, will likely mean an increase in cross
border trade flows, with trucking continuing its border trade flows, with trucking continuing its
modal dominance. This will likely mean a shifting modal dominance. This will likely mean a shifting
of freight flows from U.S. coastal ports to the of freight flows from U.S. coastal ports to the
U.S.-Mexico border. U.S.-Mexico border.
● In 2019 and 2020, the container port average ● In 2019 and 2020, the container port average
dwell time was 28.2 and 28.1 hours, respectively; dwell time was 28.2 and 28.1 hours, respectively;
this increased to an average of 32.1 hours in this increased to an average of 32.1 hours in
2021 and to 35.5 hours for the first half of 2022, 2021 and to 35.5 hours for the first half of 2022,
reflecting increasing congestion from COVID- reflecting increasing congestion from COVID-
induced demand. induced demand.

navigation constraints on the Ohio and Upper markets. The distribution of gateway trade to
Mississippi River systems, and labor unrest in other states is then addressed, using Texas
significant parts of the freight transportation and Michigan as examples, and notes the U.S.
system, have underscored the impact supply Asian trade supply chain shift from the U.S.
chains have on day-to-day life. West Coast to U.S. East Coast ports. Data on
U.S. container port performance are presented,
This chapter first describes U.S. production, and the chapter concludes with the identification
referred to as gross output, and international of data that, when made available, can be
trade as principal factors affecting transportation useful for planning and performance monitoring
demand. Sectors that rely most on transportation purposes.
and warehousing are identified and the value
of their gross output provided, as is the gross Much of the data reported were based on the
output for the transportation and warehousing Freight Analysis Framework (Box 3-A), which
sector. The dominance of China, Mexico, and integrates data from a variety of sources in
Canada among U.S. top 10 trading partners in downloadable formats and visualizations.
terms of value is then described.

The chapter then addresses the characteristics

Low Water on the Mississippi
of the U.S. freight transportation system that Slows Critical Freight Flows
enables the movement of U.S. gross output The Mississippi River provides a vital link
between domestic origins and destinations as for freight movement in the United States.
well as international trade. The chapter also In 2020, the river carried more than half of
explores domestic freight demand and highlights the 165.5 million tons of freight that moved
the dominance of trucking in the freight markets, between the 12 states touching the Upper
including the top 10 domestic commodity

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Mississippi System1 and Louisiana (Figure Effect of Low River Levels

3-1). The percentage of freight carried by the
river to Louisiana is notably higher for some The ability to move freight on the Mississippi
states: 92 percent for Indiana, 81 percent for River is affected by extreme water levels,
Missouri, 80 percent for Illinois, and 75 percent whether too much due to flooding or too little
for Kentucky. Today, that flow of freight has been due to drought. Currently, low water levels
hampered by low water levels on the Lower in the Lower Mississippi River due to scant
River. rainfall have severely hampered fall 2022
barge shipments, especially on the vital
Agricultural Product Movement by Water stretch between Cairo, IL, and Memphis, TN
(Figure 3-2). Groundings and the need for
Of the 12 states, Illinois shipped the most freight dredging have closed sections of the river and
to Louisiana in total (55 million tons) and by halted barge movements for intermittent periods.
water (44 million tons) in 2020 (Figure 3-2). U.S. Coast Guard District 8 (New Orleans)
Cereal grain accounted for 43 percent of the reported a backup of more than 2,000 barges
total tonnage between Illinois and Louisiana, on the Lower Mississippi in early October. Low
and other agricultural products accounted for water also restricts the loads each barge can
26 percent. The river carried 93 percent of the carry, and the narrower channel restricts the
cereal grain between Illinois and Louisiana, number of barges in a single tow.
compared to 6 percent by rail, and it carried
82 percent of “other agricultural products”2 Rain from Hurricane Roselyn eased the problem
between those two states, compared to slightly in late October, but long-term weather
15 percent by rail and 3 percent by truck. forecasts do not anticipate enough rain to restore
full river operations for at least several months.

1
These include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri along the Mississippi north of its confluence with the Ohio River; Kansas
and Nebraska along the navigable portion of the Missouri River; and Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania along the
Ohio River.
2
The category of “other agricultural products” excludes cereal grains, live animals and seafood, milled grain, and foodstuffs.

Box 3-A Freight Analysis Framework

The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), produced through a partnership between the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics and the Federal Highway Administration, integrates data from a variety of sources to create a
comprehensive picture of freight movement among states and major metropolitan areas by major commodity
groups and by all modes of transportation. Primarily based on data from the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS),
FAF incorporates data from international trade, agriculture, extraction, utility, construction, service, and other
sectors.

FAF version 5 (FAF5) provides estimates for tonnage, value, and ton-miles by regions of origin and destination,
commodity type, and mode. Data are available for the base year (currently 2017), the recent years (2018–
2020), and forecast year estimates through 2050. Data may be accessed through the FAF Data Tabulation
Tool.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

shipping season for U.S. corn and soybeans,

Figure 3-1 Percent Tonnage by Mode the Nation’s largest export crops. The October
Between States on the Upper downbound grain and agricultural product
Mississippi River System and shipments on the Lower Mississippi below Lock
Louisiana and Dam 27 were predominately soybeans and
corn, leaving those major export commodities
most vulnerable to the Lower River disruption
(Figure 3-4).

The implications of stalled shipments are

apparent in barge shipping rates. By early
September, barge rates were already at record
highs. As Figure 3-5 shows, downbound grain
rates on the Mississippi in October 2022 rose to
more than double the 2021 peak and remained
high in early November.

World Events and Freight Shipments

World demand and prices for grain have been

NOTE: Percentages do not sum to 100 due to rounding.
rising due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,
SOURCE: FHWA/BTS Freight Analysis Framework version 5.4 at drought in other producing areas, and increased
www.bts.gov/faf available as of December 2022. consumption in China and elsewhere. Yet,
despite the demand, U.S. grain and soybean
exports are down due in part to the higher U.S.
Rail shipment is the normal alternative to barges,
dollar and in part to the delivery delays caused
but the rail system can have difficulty absorbing
by the compounded impact of low water and
such a massive short-term shift. Moreover,
disruption to the supply chain. While domestic
concerns over a possible rail strike in 2022 made
grain prices remain low, bid prices for U.S.
shippers hesitant to rely on a rail option.
export corn peaked in mid-October as the river
delays were at their worst.
Critical Timing of Seasonal Products
The Soy Transportation Coalition estimates
Many major barge commodities, such as coal,
that barge transportation accounts for about
chemicals, and petroleum, move at similar
6 percent of the delivered cost for soybeans
volumes year-round. Grain and other farm
shipped from Davenport, IA, to Shanghai,
products, however, are seasonal. In 2022,
China. As Figure 3-5 indicates, October barge
downbound (southbound) grain shipments from
rates were as much as 400 percent above
the Upper Mississippi through Lock 27, the
average, which would raise the delivered price
southernmost lock on the river, followed the 2021
of soybeans by about 24 percent, placing U.S.
pattern through October (Figure 3-3), but many
producers at a cost disadvantage compared to
of those shipments have stalled or been on the
those in Brazil and other competitors.
Lower River.
Grain is not the only commodity affected. The
Unfortunately, disruptions to freight flow caused
Waterways Council noted that the low water has
by low water have coincided with the peak
also delayed coal shipments that are “very much

3-4
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 3-2 Waterborne Tonnage between States on the Upper Mississippi River System and
Louisiana

thousand tons

SOURCES: FHWA/BTS Freight Analysis Framework version 5.4 at www.bts.gov/faf available as of December 2022.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Figure 3-3 Downbound Barge Grain Shipments

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Barge Dashboard at https://agtransport.usda.gov/stories/s/Barge-Dashboard/965a-yzgy/ available as of

December 2022.

needed in Europe” due to the Russian invasion economy. U.S. economic sectors generate
of Ukraine. outputs given expected GDP growth, consumer
demand, and markets for exports. Consumer
Besides delaying loaded downbound barge tows
demand has three elements: size, variety, and
moving from producing areas to destination
geographic concentration of consumers. The
ports, such as Memphis, South Louisiana,
size and the variety of commodities consumers
and New Orleans, the low water also delays
demand and the value of consumer purchases
upbound tows moving fertilizer and cement for
are major drivers of the number of freight
spring planting and construction, which also
shipments. The geographic concentration of
cuts the supply of empty barges for subsequent
consumers is an important driver of trip lengths,
downbound trips.
load factors, and mode choice.

Factors That Affect Freight U.S. Production of Goods and Services

Transportation Demand
U.S. manufacturing, mining, construction,
Domestic production and international trade agriculture, and wholesale and retail trade
are major drivers of freight transport demand. sectors are especially dependent on freight
Production and trade growth affect the utilization transport and logistics systems. In 2021, the
of the Nation’s highway, marine, and air economic activity on the goods and services
freight transport systems and their ability to produced by these sectors, referred to as gross
accommodate freight transport demand. U.S. output, had a value of $12.8 trillion (Table 3-1)
gross domestic product (GDP) drives domestic [USDOC BEA 2022a]. The total gross output
and international freight transport demand of these sectors shows a decline from 2019 to
through its influence on the scale of consumer 2020, when the economy was most impacted
demand and on the sectoral structure of the by COVID-19, but construction, agriculture, and

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

retail trade increased their output from 2019

Figure 3-4 October 2022 Downbound Grain to 2020. Moreover, in 2021, the construction
and Agricultural Product Shares and retail trade sectors experienced their
highest outputs during the 2016–2021 period.
Transportation and Warehousing, which provides
the freight services these sectors depend on,
contributed an output of about $623.7 billion in
2021, its highest output during the 2016–2021
period.

Table 3-1 also shows that the output for freight

services increases or decreases in accordance
with the ebbs and flows of the output of these
sectors. For each year demonstrating output
growth for these sectors, Transportation and
Warehousing output also grew. Transportation
and Warehousing output’s decline from 2019
to 2020 was in accord with the output decrease
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Barge Dashboard https:// of the freight system-dependent sectors for the
agtransport.usda.gov/stories/s/Barge-Dashboard/965a-yzgy/ available same year. As these sectors increase outputs,
as of December 2022.
then there will be more truck, rail, maritime, and

Figure 3-5 Grain Barge Shipping Rates

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Barge Dashboard at https://agtransport.usda.gov/stories/s/Barge-Dashboard/965a-yzgy/ available as of

December 2022.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Table 3-1 Gross Output of Freight System-Dependent Industry Sectors: 2016–2021

(Billions of 2012 Chained Dollars)
Industry sector 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total of sectors highly dependent on
transportation and warehousing 12,384.0 12,562.2 12,920.0 12,927.6 12,361.1 12,788.5
Sectors highly dependent on transportation and warehousing
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 524.7 535.3 532.9 519.8 543.3 528.4
Mining 570.8 633.5 721.7 757.2 647.0 632.0
Utilities 490.0 481.6 505.0 500.7 487.4 498.3
Construction 1,355.9 1,378.2 1,387.6 1,401.6 1,426.9 1,440.5
Manufacturing 6,010.3 5,984.0 6,112.8 6,093.1 5,658.3 5,773.2
Wholesale trade 1,776.4 1,841.1 1,885.6 1,864.0 1,787.4 1,988.5
Retail trade 1,655.9 1,708.5 1,774.4 1,791.2 1,810.8 1,927.6
Transportation and warehousing 546.7 572.6 591.0 595.3 573.7 623.7
NOTES: Chain dollars adjusts for inflation over time allowing for equitable comparisons among dollar amounts. Transportation and Warehousing
includes warehousing and stroage, water, truck, and pipeline transportation only; rail and air transportation are excluded due to a mix of freight and
passenger output. Transit and ground transportation and other transportation and support activities are also excluded due to their focus on passenger
transportation.
SOURCE: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Output by Industry (billions of 2012 chain dollars), available at https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.
cfm?reqid=150&step=2&isuri=1&categories=ugdpxind as of October 2022.

air transport services needed to deliver their with both Mexico and Canada exceeding China
products. in trade value in 2019 due to trade friction in
2018. Though China was the United States’
International Trade leading trade partner in 2020 with the onrush of
pandemic-related consumer purchases, Canada
As discussed later, the movement of and Mexico reestablished their historic U.S.
international trade is accommodated through a trade dominance in 2021, assuming the top 2
system of trade gateways consisting of ports, trading partner positions, with China moving to
airports, and land-border crossings. In 2021, third in the top 10 trade partner list.
imports and exports valued at $4.6 trillion moved
through these gateways, representing about Both Mexico and Canada are likely to benefit
25 percent of U.S. GDP [USDOC BEA 2022b]. from companies seeking to nearshore their
The value for 2021 marks the highest annual production to reduce supply chain risk as well as
U.S. trade value during the 2012–2021 period to take advantage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada
and experienced a relatively sharp rise from trade agreement. As discussed later, Mexico
$3.8 trillion in 2020 (Figure 3-6). has been the recipient of substantial foreign
direct investment, which will have important
Canada for the first time emerged as the implications for land border freight and U.S. port
United States’ largest trading partner in 2021 throughput volumes.
(Figure 3-6). U.S.-Canada trade was valued
at nearly $666 billion in 2021. U.S. trades with
Mexico and China were valued at $661 billion
Total Freight Movement
and $656 billion, respectively. Mexico’s trade In 2020, the U.S. freight transportation system
grew substantially during the 2016–2021 period, moved more than 19 billion tons of freight worth

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Figure 3-6 Trade Growth with Selected Top-Ten Trading Partners: 2016–2021 (Millions of Dollars).

SOURCE: Bureau of Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, “Top Trading Partners – December 2021”, available at https://www.census.gov/foreign-
trade/statistics/highlights/top/top2112yr.html, as of September 2022.

about $18.0 trillion (Table 3-2) through capital Distance of Freight Movement and Modes
assets valued at about $7 trillion [USDOT BTS of Transportation Used
and FHWA 2022] consisting of ports, highways,
rail systems, airports, and pipelines. Trucking A high percentage of freight in terms of both
by far was the most relied on freight transport value and weight is moved over relatively short
mode; trucks transported 12.5 billion tons of distances. In 2020, for example, freight moved
freight valued at more than $13.1 trillion, about by all modes below 100 miles represented
65 percent and 73 percent of total freight weight about 30 percent of the total freight value
and value, respectively. Trucking’s freight volume and 35 percent of total weight (Figure 3-7), or
was about 8.5 times higher than that of railed $5.4 trillion and 6.8 billion tons. The proportion
freight volume, the third-ranked freight mode. In of the total value and weight increases to 56 and
2020, pipelines transported 19.2 percent of total 74 percent, respectively, for shipment distances
freight tons, moving 3.7 billion tons valued at up to 249 miles, raising value and weight to
close to $1 trillion. Except for two categories of $10.2 trillion and 14.2 billion tons.
modes, all the other modes experienced drops in
Modal shares of freight vary considerably by
freight weight from 2017 to 2020. Freight moved
distance. Trucks carry the largest shares by
by air and air & truck increased in weight from
value,tons, and ton-miles of all goods shipped in
2017 to 2020. Only freight moved via pipeline
the United States. As Figure 3-7 shows, trucking
showed an increase in both weight and value
was the leading transport mode for all distances
from 2017 to 2020.
in 2020 by value, even for distances greater

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Table 3-2 Freight Mode Weight and Value: 2017 and 2020
Weight
2017 2020
Millions of tons Total Domestic Exports 1
Imports 1
Total Domestic Exports1 Imports1
TOTAL 19,578 17,478 1,115 985 19,211 17,015 1,228 969
Truck 12,805 11,848 513 443 12,520 11,558 492 471
Rail 1,610 1,202 243 165 1,459 1,034 258 167
Water 915 662 160 93 784 601 130 52
Air, air and truck 6 2 2 2 8 2 3 3
Multiple modes and mail 688 536 89 63 645 512 75 58
Pipeline 3,451 3,133 100 218 3,716 3,232 267 217
Other and unknown 102 94 8 1 79 75 3 1

Value
2017 2020
Billions of 2017 dollars Total Domestic Exports1 Imports1 Total Domestic Exports1 Imports1
TOTAL 18,839 15,082 1,555 2,203 18,024 14,463 1,413 2,148
Truck 13,690 11,297 960 1,433 13,148 10,829 853 1,466
Rail 553 227 126 201 537 213 127 197
Water 293 184 55 53 242 166 43 34
Air, air and truck 654 159 246 249 599 140 226 232
Multiple modes and mail 2,658 2,362 108 188 2,489 2,262 70 157
Pipeline 946 851 29 66 998 851 86 61
Other and unknown 45 2 31 12 12 2 8 3
1
Data do not include imports and exports that pass through the United States from a foreign origin to a foreign destination by any mode.
NOTES: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. The 2016 data are provisional estimates based on selected modal and economic trend data.
Data in this table are not comparable to similar data in previous years because of updates to the Freight Analysis Framework. All truck, rail, water,
and pipeline movements that involve more than one mode, including exports and imports that change mode at international gateways, are included in
multiple modes & mail to avoid double counting. As a consequence, rail and water totals in this table are less than other published sources.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.4, September 2022.

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Figure 3-7 Domestic Shipment Value and Weight by Mode and Distance Bands: 2020
A. Total Value by Distance Band: 2020

B. Mode Share of Value by Distance Band: 2020

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

FIGURE 3-7 Continued

C. Total Tonnage by Distance Band: 2020

D. Mode Share of Tonnage by Distance Band: 2020

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FIGURE 3-7 Continued

E. Total Ton-Miles by Distance Band: 2020

F. Mode Share of Ton-Miles by Distance Band: 2020

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.5, October 2022.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

than 2,000 miles. In terms of tons, trucking was value specialty products that are transported
the preferred mode to destinations from below in breakbulk form (e.g., sacks and barrels
100 miles and up to 749 miles. Rail leads in on pallets in air freight). The greatest single
tonnage and ton-miles for goods shipped from commodity by weight is coal and petroleum
1,000 to 2,000 miles with heavy commodities. products-n.e.c. (“not elsewhere classified”),
Air and multiple modes accounted for more than where pipelines convey nearly 2.3 billion tons
half of the value of high-value shipments moving (79 percent) of the total of about 2.9 billion tons
over 2,000 miles. for that commodity. Gravel, cereal grains, and
non-metallic mineral products, the second-,
Top 10 Commodities third-, and fourth-ranked commodities by weight,
are largely moved by truck.
Table 3-3 and Figure 3-8 present the top 10
domestic commodities by weight and mode, and The top 10 commodities by value represent
by value and mode, respectively, in 2020. With about 70 percent of the total value of all
nearly 13 million tons, the top 10 commodities commodities. The top 10 by value list is in
together represent 66.7 percent of all domestic stark contrast with the top 10 by weight list, as
commodities by weight (Table 3-3). Most of manufactured goods predominate the top 10
the commodities may be characterized as bulk commodities by value (Table 3-3). Trucks carry
freight (note the absence of manufactured $7.7 billion of freight, or 71 percent of the total
goods) and all of the commodities are top 10 freight value of about $10.8 billion. The
transported by multiple modes, including in some “Multiple modes and mail” category carries
cases nominal amounts by air. Bulk commodities 15.7 percent of the total value of the top 10
shipped by air are likely relatively higher commodities (Figure 3-9).

Table 3-3 Top 10 Commodities by Weight and Value: 2020

Thousands Billions of
Commodities by Weight of tons Commodities by Value 2020 dollars
Coal and petroleum products, not elsewhere
classified 2,878,389 Electronics 1,723,397
Gravel 1,988,558 Mixed freight 1,533,025
Gasoline 1,258,338 Motorized vehicles 1,377,615
Non-metallic mineral products 1,276,869 Pharmaceuticals 1,218,496
Cereal grains 1,299,820 Machinery 1,105,044
Crude petroleum 1,106,424 Miscellaneous manufactured products 868,119
Fuel oils 935,526 Plastics/rubber 825,823
Other foodstuffs 693,902 Other foodstuffs 718,350
Agricultural products (excludes animal feed, Coal and petroleum products, not elsewhere
cereal grains, and forage products) 741,036 classified 692,807
Waste/scrap 708,158 Gasoline 669,841
Top 10 Total 12,887,021 Top 10 Total 10,732,517
Total of all Commodities 19,331,315 Total of all Commodities 18,062,704
Top 10 Share of Total 66.7% Top 10 Share of Total 59.4%
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Office of
Freight Management and Operations, Freight Analysis Framework, version 5.4, October 2022.

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Figure 3-8 Tonnage of Top 10 Domestic Commodities by Mode: 2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.4, October 2022.

Figure 3-9 Value of Top 10 Domestic Commodities by Mode: 2020

NOTE: “Other foodstuffs” and “Other agricultural products” do not include foodstuff and agricultural categories too small to make this top-ten list.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.4, October 2022.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

International Freight export and import freight valued at $196.9 billion.

The Port of Los Angeles was also the number
International freight, valued at $3,561 billion in
one out of the top 25 import gateways,
2020 (Table 3-2), holds a relatively small share
handling imports valued at $169.1 billion, about
of total U.S. freight value of $18 trillion in the
$7.5 billion ahead of the Chicago gateway.
same year, but the small share is a misleading
Laredo was United States’ number one
indicator of its importance. Because international
export gateway, with an export value of about
freight is handled in the Nation’s maritime
$80 billion, followed closely by John F. Kennedy
ports, land borders, and airports, there is a
International Airport at about $79 billion.
high concentration of logistics activities in these
areas. This is especially true for the maritime
ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, both
U.S. North American Freight
of which are physically located in the same Canada and Mexico, as U.S. border countries
metropolitan area. and the number one and two U.S. trade partners
in 2021 (Figure 3-6), respectively, rely heavily on
Table 3-4 shows total U.S.-International freight trucking, pipeline, and rail modes (Figure 3-11).
by geography and mode. Vessels transported In 2021, U.S.-Canada freight flow totaled
$1,045,619 million (58.3 percent) between the $664.2 billion, an increase of 26.4 percent from
United States and Asia, whereas air transported $525.5 billion in 2020. On the southern border,
$671,964 million (37.5 percent). More U.S.-Mexico freight flow totaled $661.2 billion
comparable dollar amounts were transported by in 2021, an increase of 22.9 percent from
vessel and air (42.7 vs. 50.5 percent) between $538.1 billion in 2020.
the United States and Europe.
Because of the heavy reliance on pipeline
Table 3-5 presents the United States’ top 25 to move crude oil, natural gas, and refined
gateways out of 328 international points of entry petroleum products, pipelines dominated
in the United States [U.S. Customs and Border U.S.-Canada trade, carrying 37 percent of freight
Protection 2022]. The number one- and number weight in 2021—15 percent greater than each of
two-ranked gateways relative to the value of the 22 percent shares carried by truck and rail
imported and exported freight are airports, (Figure 3-11). U.S.-Mexican trade tells a different
while the Laredo-Texas land border holds the story for 2021, with trucking dominating trade at
number three position. Maritime gateways 34 percent, followed by the 30 percent share of
overall accounted for 40 percent of all gateways trade carried aboard vessels. Rail’s market share
freight value, compared to 38 and 22 percent for of about one-fifth of total trade is similar for
airports and land border posts, respectively. both countries. The air mode carries a relatively
Figure 3-10 shows the value of the Nation’s negligible share of the weight of both trades.
top 25 gateways in 2020, 19 of them handling Laredo, TX, and Detroit, MI, were the third
more imports than exports. As the number one and eighth largest U.S. gateways in terms of
gateway, John F. Kennedy International Airport, freight value in 2020 (Figure 3-10), with trucks
NY, handled freight exports and imports valued representing 22 and 36 percent of total freight
at $215.5 billion, about $1 billion more than trade in Canada and Mexico, respectively.
Chicago, IL. Laredo, TX, as the number one In 2020, Texas’s border crossings alone had
land border gateway, handled freight valued at about 4.4 million inbound trucks and nearly
$201.4 billion, while the number one maritime 9.2 thousand inbound trains. In contrast,
gateway, the Port of Los Angeles, handled Michigan had about half as many inbound

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Table 3-4 Value of U.S.-International Freight Flows by Geography and Transportation Mode: 2021
(Millions of Dollars)
Mode
Geography Truck Rail Pipeline Air Vessel Other TOTAL
Canada 367,039 102,241 86,192 34,941 30,584 44,549 665,546
Mexico 460,850 84,217 12,026 17,921 66,887 19,239 661,140
Asia NA NA NA 671,964 1,045,619 76,694 1,794,277
Europe NA NA NA 532,754 450,396 72,124 1,055,274
Other NA NA NA 98,591 292,312 18,216 409,119
KEY: NA = not applicable.
NOTES: Transportation mode in this table represents the mode by which freight arrived to or departed from the United States, therefore truck, rail, and
pipeline are only available for U.S. freight flows with Canada and Mexico.
SOURCE: Truck, Rail, and Pipeline: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, available at
www.bts.gov/transborder; Air, Vessel, and Other: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, USA Trade Online, https://usatrade.census.gov/ as
of August 2022.

Figure 3-10 Top 25 U.S. International Freight Gateways by Freight Value: 2020

SOURCES: Air: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, USA Trade Online, available at https://ustrade.census.
gov as of January 7, 2022. Land: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, North American Transborder Freight
Data, available at https://www.bts.gov/transborder as of March 7, 2022. Water: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, personal
communication, special tabulation, November 12, 2020, and November 2, 2021.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Table 3-5 International Freight Gateways and Their 2020 Rankings by Value (Billions of Dollars)
Gateway Gateway Gateway
Maritime Ports Rank Airports Rank Land Border Ports Rank
Los Angeles, CA 4 John F. Kennedy International 1 Laredo - Texas 3
Airport, NY
New York, NY 5 Chicago, IL (Port) 2 Detroit - Michigan 8
Long Beach, CA 6 Los Angeles International Airport, 9 Port Huron - Michigan 13
CA (Port)
Houston, TX 7 New Orleans, LA (Port) 11 Buffalo-Niagara Falls - New York 16
Savannah, GA 10 Cleveland, OH (Port) 15 Otay Mesa - California 24
Charleston, SC 12 San Francisco International Airport, 17 Ysleta Port of Entry 25
CA (Port)
Norfolk, VA 14 Anchorage, AK (Port) 18 Hidalgo - Texas 29
Oakland, CA 21 Atlanta, GA (Port) 19 El Paso - Texas 30
Baltimore, MD 22 Miami International Airport, FL 20 Eagle Pass - Texas 32
(Port)
Tacoma, WA 26 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (Port) 23 Santa Teresa - New Mexico 33
Corpus Christi, TX 28 Newark, NJ (Port) 27 Pembina - North Dakota 35
New Orleans, LA 31 Seattle-Tacoma International 48 New Orleans Customs District n.e.c. 37
Airport, WA (Port)
Seattle, WA 34 Nogales - Arizona 38
Miami, FL 36 Champlain-Rouses Point - New York 40
Jacksonville, FL 39 Blaine - Washington 41
Brunswick, GA 42 Chicago Customs District n.e.c. 45
Port Everglades, FL 43 Brownsville - Texas 49
Philadelphia, PA 44 Calexico-East - California 50
Mobile, AL 46
Gramercy, LA 47
TOTAL value
(billions of dollars) $1,263.2 $1,017.2 $807.1
Share of the Top-50 TOTAL 41% 33% 26%

NOTES: All data: Trade levels reflect the mode of transportation as a shipment enters or exits at a border port. Flows through individual ports are based
on reported data collected from U.S. trade documents. Trade does not include low-value shipments. (In general, these are imports valued at less than
$1,250 and exports that are valued at less than $2,500). Air: Data for all air gateways are reported at the port level and include 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
and others) include major airport(s) in that geographic area in addition to small regional airports. In addition, due to Bureau of Census confidentiality
regulations, data for courier operations are included in the airport totals for JFK International Airport, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans,
Anchorage, and Cleveland.
SOURCE: Airports: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, USA Trade Online, available at https://usatrade.
census.gov as of Jan. 7, 2022. Land Border Posts: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, North American
Transborder Freight Data, available at https://www.bts.gov/transborder as of Mar. 7, 2022. Maritime: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data
Center, personal communication, special tabulation, Nov. 12, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2021.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

trucks as Mexico did (about 2.1 million) and a

Figure 3-11 Modal Shares of U.S. Trade with little more than half as many inbound trains with
Canada and Mexico: 2021 4.9 thousand [USDOT BTS 2022a].
A. Modal Shares in U.S.-Canada Trade in
Inbound trucks and trains crossing the Texas
Tons, 2021; Tons = 573.7 Million
border in 2020 moved about 37 billion and
14 billion tons, respectively. Eight states—
Texas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky,
Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio—accounted
for 79 percent of all freight moved. Forty-one
percent of the freight volume crossing the
Texas-Mexico border remained for distribution
in Texas, while 38 percent was distributed to
the other seven states [FAF, USDOT BTS and
FHWA 2022]. In 2020, about 22.7 million and
15.9 million tons were moved on inbound trucks
and trains, respectively, across the Michigan
border. In addition to Michigan, this freight was
destined to eight other states: Ohio, Indiana,
B. Modal Shares in U.S.-Mexico Trade in Texas, Wisconsin, California, Kentucky, Georgia,
Tons, 2021; Tons = 400.3 Million and Tennessee [FAF, USDOT BTS and FHWA
2022]. Illinois is the largest inbound freight
recipient among these nine states, with trucking
the leading mode choice.

Shifts in Containerized Freight

A review of Middle Eastern and Asian countries3
containerized imports and exports indicates a
supply chain shift from the U.S. West Coast
ports to the U.S. East Coast ports during
the period 2011–2021. Improvements to the
Panama and Suez Canals, along with advances
in the capability of U.S. East Coast ports to
accommodate larger vessels, increased the
options liner carriers4 have for freight delivery.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of
With these improvements, U.S. East Coast ports
Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, available at have benefited from greater connectivity to liner
www.bts.gov/transborder as of May 2022.
shipping networks.

3
The U.S. Census Bureau includes the following countries as part of Asia: Asia Near East includes Bahrain, Gaza Strip, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, West Bank Administered by Israel, and Yemen; Asia-South
includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka; Asia-Other includes Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea-North, Korea-South, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Syria, Taiwan,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
4
A liner carrier is a service that operates on a schedule with a fixed port rotation and published dates at the advertised ports

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Figure 3-12 shows that U.S. West Coast ports the West Coast’s average annual growth rate of
have historically served as the gateway for 3.5 percent.
imported containerized Asian cargoes, despite
the larger U.S. East Coast populations. However, U.S.-Asia export performance on the U.S.
the U.S. East Coast has shown continuous West Coast also shows a significant loss of
growth of Asian import trades over the past Asian export market share to the U.S. East
10 years, approaching a near-even split in 2021, Coast ports, as Figure 3-12 shows. Overall, the
with U.S. East Coast port import throughput of average annual growth rate in U.S. East Coast
62 million metric tons versus the West Coast exports with Asia for the years 2011–2021 was
ports’ 64.3 million tons. When U.S.-China 5.1 percent, compared with a 0.6 percent decline
trade frictions materialized in 2018, the U.S. for the West Coast ports. Interestingly, the West
West Coast ports showed a precipitous decline Coast port containerized volumes have declined
(8.6 percent) in Asian imports, with growth continuously since 2018 when U.S.-China trade
stalled in U.S. East Coast ports in 2018 and a friction began. While both U.S. East Coast and
decline in 2019–2020 of 1.1 percent. West Coast ports experienced declines since
COVID-19 in 2020, the U.S. West Coast ports
Figure 3-12 also reflects the pandemic-related experienced an 11.7 percent drop in Asian
surge of Asian imports from 2020–2021, with exports, while the U.S. East Coast ports had a
the U.S. East Coast ports showing 21.4 percent negligible decline of 0.2 percent.
growth versus the West Coast ports’ growth of
16.2 percent. U.S. East Coast average annual With the U.S. East Coast port growth in U.S.
growth rates, referred to as CAGR,5 over the containerized export volumes and near-
period 2011–2021 are higher at 7.4 percent than equilibrium market share between U.S. West
Coast and East Coast ports for imports, it is
5
CAGR is the Compound Annual Growth Rate, which is the average annual growth rate over a period longer than one year; here, we
determine the CAGR for the period 2011–2021

Figure 3-12 U.S. East Coast and West Coast Asian Containerized Freight Volumes: 2012–2021

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, available at http://usatrade.census.gov as of
September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

not surprising that U.S. East Coast ports have by the ports’ ability to connect with global
overtaken the U.S. West Coast ports as the shipping networks; ports with a high degree of
containerized cargo gateway for Asian trades. network connectivity allows them to offer a wider
Combining both containerized imports and range of shipping options than ports with lower
exports, the U.S. East Coast ports for the first connectivity.
time surpassed West Coast port container
freight weight in 2021 (Figure 3-12), handling The U.S. East Coast port of New York/New
nearly three million tons more than West Coast Jersey, Savannah, Norfolk, and Charleston are
ports. The 2011–2021 CAGR of the total Asian ranked as the top four most connected ports,
containerized freight volume for U.S. East Coast with five other U.S. East Coast ports among the
ports was 6.4 percent versus 1.2 percent for top 20. Oakland, Los Angeles, and Long Beach
West Coast ports. rank fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, with
only one other U.S. West Coast port finding itself
The United Nations Conference on Trade in the top 20. This largely explains the supply
and Development created the Liner Shipping chain shifts from the U.S. West Coast to the U.S.
Connectivity Index (LSCI) in 2004 as a measure East Coast as U.S. East Coast ports expanded
of how well countries and ports are connected their capacity and capabilities. Importantly,
to the global shipping network.6 Figure 3-13 U.S. Gulf Coast ports also invested in port
presents the top 20 LSCIs for U.S. ports. The improvements; the ports of Tampa, New Orleans,
U.S. East Coast Port’s success in capturing and Houston also appear in the U.S. top 20
greater Asian market share is enabled in part most-connected ports.

6
UNCTAD’s connectivity indexes are published quarterly available at https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/TableViewer/tableView.
aspx?ReportId=170026, and https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2017_en.pdf as of 18 October 2022.

Figure 3-13 U.S. Top 20 Container Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index: 2021

SOURCES: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Liner Shipping Connectivity Index, 2021, available at https://unctadstat.unctad.org/
wds/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=92 as of October 2022.

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Shortening Supply Chains: Nearshoring, encouraged by the new U.S. CHIPS and Science
Reshoring, and Foreign Direct Investment7 Act, U.S. semiconductor manufacturers Intel,
GlobalFoundries, and Micron have announced
Nearshoring, reshoring, and foreign direct plans to reshore fabrication plants in the United
investment (FDI) have important implications States [Moser 2022]. For FDI in 2021, foreign
for trade flows and hence the facilities used companies invested more than $333 billion
to accommodate these flows. A U.S. plant in acquiring, establishing, or expanding U.S.
nearshoring to a country on the Nation’s borders, businesses, an increase from $141 billion from
for example, means a likely shift of its supply COVID year 2020, with $121 billion of the 2021
chain from U.S. coastal ports to land border amount invested in manufacturing [USDOC BEA
crossings, which are largely shipped by truck. 2021]. The recent decision by a major textile
Production and labor costs, tax policy and goods supplier to relocate some of its production
incentives, and the state of trade relationships, capacity to California from Jordan exemplifies
among other factors, can affect factory location the FDI trend in the United States [Sousa 2022].
decisions, where countries source their imports,
and how they route their exports. FDI in a country at the Nation’s borders can
also induce a shift in supply chains. Mexico, for
U.S.-China trade friction in 2018 caused some example, has received $11.5 billion from its top
U.S. and Chinese manufacturers in China to 5 FDI countries in the first quarter of 2022 alone,
relocate production capacity to other countries as shown in Figure 3-14, which also presents
around them [Rapoza 2020 and WSJ 2019]. the quarterly FDI flows to Mexico for the top 5
The recent supply chain constraints can also countries during the period 2018 through the
encourage U.S. companies to bring production first two quarters of 2022. FDI flows from the
closer to home, where shorter supply chains United States are far and above the investments
can be more readily managed for risk. Some made by the other four countries—exceeding
companies, under the rubric of the United their combined investments. An upward trend in
States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement U.S. FDI can be observed around the timeframe
(USMCA), have relocated production capacity of the USMCA’s signing and implementation
to Mexico, where hard (e.g., rail and road in 2020. A sharp decline is also observed in
accesses) and soft (e.g., trade and regulatory the third quarter of 2020 with the advent of
frameworks) have been long-established. COVID-19, with another surge observed in 2022
as U.S. manufacturers sought to shorten their
There are also indications that U.S. companies
supply chains; the U.S. investments reported
are reshoring some production capacity and
for the first two quarters in 2022 have already
that foreign direct investments (FDI) are being
surpassed the U.S. companies’ entire 2020
made in new plant operations, though the former
investments. Note that the other four countries,
is not necessarily a recent phenomenon. For
though showing a far lower scale of FDI, will also
example, the National Institute of Standards
benefit from proximity to U.S. markets under
and Technology estimates that one million jobs
USMCA’s rubric. This will largely impact truck
were reshored to the United State during the
flows in U.S.-Mexican cross-border trades given
period 2010–2020 [NIST 2022], with recent data
its predominance over other modes.
indicating the addition of more than 600,000 jobs
since 2020 [Reshoring Initiative 2022]. Largely

7
Foreign direct investment occurs when a foreign company invests in another country for purposes of acquiring, establishing, or expanding
business activity.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 3-14 Foreign Direct Investment in Mexico by Top-5 Countries, 2016 Through Second Quarter
of 2022

SOURCES: Gobierno de México, “Información Estadística de la Inversión Extranjera Directa”, Información estadística general de flujos de IED
hacia México desde 1999, available at https://www.datos.gob.mx/busca/dataset/informacion-estadistica-de-la-inversion-extranjera-directa as of
26 September 2022.

Changing Freight Distribution especially during the COVID-19 year 2020, when
e-commerce accounted for 14.6 percent of all
Practices and the Impact of
retail sales, up nearly three times its 4.9 percent
e-Commerce share in 2011. In contrast, total retail sales
In recent years, large nationwide retailers in 2020 are only 3 percent higher than that
created distribution centers in coastal port in 2019. The year 2016 saw for the first time
areas; after clearance from U.S. Customs, shoppers spending more than 50 percent of
marine containers would move from ports to their purchases online [UPS 2016]. With retailers
these centers or at cross-docking facilities8 in focused now on customer online and ship-to-
distribution centers, sorted in accord with the store experiences, e-commerce sales can be
store to where the products were assigned, and expected to continue to rise.
then loaded onto trailers for final delivery. While
Increasing e-commerce sales as a proportion
these retailers still rely on distribution centers
of retail sales will have the effect of decreasing
near ports, the increased use of e-commerce
shipment distances, creating greater challenges
platforms means that retail goods inventory is
for mitigating traffic, especially in the approaches
now forward-positioned in intermediate locations
to urban areas. This can change trucking
in suburbs and in closer proximity to urban
operations as an increasing number of trucks
centers, and even within cities, to meet customer
will be deployed for shorter hauls and last-mile
demands for quick-order delivery of goods.
deliveries.
Figure 3-15 illustrates how e-commerce retail
sales have steeply risen in recent years,

8
Cross-docking facilities enable the direct transfer of goods from inbound trucks to outbound trucks for delivery to multiple locations without
interim storage and hence eliminate storage fees and storage time.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

Figure 3-15 Growth of Retail and E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, 2011–2020

SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Retail Trade Survey: 2020, Estimated Annual U.S. Retail Trade Sales - Total and E-Commerce: 1998-2020,
available at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/econ/arts/annual-report.html as of September 2022.

Supply Chain Disruption Container Port Performance

and Freight Transportation In the port area, there is a range of indicators
Performance that can be generated to gauge the performance
of marine terminal operations. The ability
The Nation’s freight transportation network
to collect data related to the time a vessel
consists of many nodes and links, each of
spends in a port is enabled using the Automatic
which may become a bottleneck and affect
Identification System (AIS), which identifies
the overall freight transportation performance.
the vessel and tracks its speed, direction, and
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the
location. The AIS can identify the port or terminal
awareness of such supply chain bottlenecks.
the vessel is calling. BTS uses AIS data for the
Marine containers provide a good example as
time the vessel spends at the berth, referred to
they are moved through various links (when
as container vessel dwell time.
the container moves, such as ships, roads, rail,
and barges) and nodes (where the container Figure 3-16 shows the average vessel dwell
is processed or stored, such as marine time for the top 25 U.S. container ports. In 2019,
terminals, customs, border posts, free zones, 2020, and 2021, the average dwell time was
and distribution centers). Links and nodes also 28.1 hours, 28.2 hours, and 32.1, respectively.
exist in the port areas as container ships move The average dwell time continued to increase
between the port’s entrance buoy to a berth and in the first half of 2022 reaching 35.5 hours,
containers are loaded and discharged, stored, altogether showing a gradual increase due
and moved through gate processing. Supply to COVID-related demand [USDOT BTS
chain disruptions experienced over the past 2022b]. The impact of COVID-related demand
several years put significant stresses on many of notwithstanding, dwell time can be affected by
these nodes and links throughout the network, the vessel’s size and the call size. For container
which are captured by some of the BTS freight ships, size is indicated by the capacity of the
performance measures.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

vessel, usually in twenty-foot equivalent units average volume per call has since increased in
(TEU). Call size refers to the container volume Los Angeles and Long Beach.
that is loaded onto or discharged from the
vessel, also reported in TEU. The World Bank ranks container ports on an
annual basis according to their performance as
Figure 3-17 illustrates the impact larger vessels measured by vessel waiting time (at anchor)
have had at the United States’ largest container and vessel berth time [WBG 2022]. The World
port complex in San Pedro Bay, which includes Bank collects vessel AIS data and a carrier’s
the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. operational time stamps for 370 container
ports worldwide. A performance index that
The figure shows a general decline in the incorporates call size and ship size (TEU
number of ship calls from 2005 to 2015, from capacity) is calculated as they have a bearing on
2,817 ship calls in 2005 to 2,070 ship calls berth time, as the above noted vessel call trends
in 2015. However, container volume per call, of the San Pedro Bay ports suggest. An index
reflected in TEUs, increased from an average of is calculated for each port and reported by both
5,039 TEUs per call in 2005 to 7,420 TEUs per total score and scores by ship size category.
call in 2015 as vessel calls decreased and ship The index represents the time the (1) vessel
size increased. Given shipping alliance efforts to waits at anchor, (2) the vessel’s buoy-to-berth
maximize capacity utilization, and the likelihood transit time, and (3) vessel’s total berth time.
of even larger vessels increasing their share of Port performance overall is thus measured by
total port calls since 2015, it is probable that the the vessel’s total time in port, from arrival to

Figure 3-16 Average Container Vessel Dwell Time for Top 25 U.S. Container Ports: 2019–June 2022

NOTES: Vessel calls of less than 4 hours or more than 120 hours were excluded as representing calls either too short for significant cargo handling or
too long for normal operations.
SOURCES: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, calculated using AIS data from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Nationwide
Automatic Identification System (NAIS) archive, processed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics
Laboratory, through the AIS Analysis Package (AISAP) software application, as of December 2021.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

the entrance buoy to berth departure, and thus 19th for the 1,501–5,000-vessel size category,
considers more broadly port performance than but 133rd for the 5,001–8,500 vessel size
indicated by container vessel (berth) dwell time category. The rankings overall indicate that not
alone. all vessel size categories are receiving the same
level of service, demonstrating the constant
Figure 3-18 identifies the U.S. top 25 container challenges that port operators face in balancing
ports based on TEU, with the ports of Los berth and equipment allocation with often
Angeles, Long Beach, and New York numbering multiple vessel calls of different capacity vessels.
among the top 3. Only the port of New Orleans,
on the lower end of the top 25, handles more Truck and Rail Performance
exports than imports. Honolulu handles the
highest number of domestic containers. Table The earlier-noted shift of Asian container trades
3-6 presents the World Bank’s global rankings of to U.S. East Coast ports encouraged a shift
these ports for each port’s overall rank by vessel from intermodal rail transport to truck transport
size category. because distances from the East Coast are
shorter to Mid-west markets. Consequently, the
Virginia, ranked 23rd of 370 ports, has the average dwell time at major terminals increased
highest ranking of the U.S. top 25 ports while for all major terminals for the eastern railroads
also ranking 19th for the 8,501–13,500-TEU while that for the western railroads did not
vessel size category. Virginia’s rank, however, increase as much or even decreased, reflecting
is far lower for vessels of less than 1,500-TEU the relative changes in the congestion level
capacity, at 168. Miami ranks 29th overall and at the rail terminals in different locations. For

Figure 3-17 Vessel Size and Call Trends and Average Container Throughput per Call, Ports of
Los Angeles and Long Beach: 2005–2015

KEY: TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit.

SOURCE: Vessel call data and size category from San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, Bay Wide Ocean-Going Vessel International Maritime
Organization Tier Forecast 2015-2050, July 2017, p. 3; TEU volume data from the Port of Los Angeles, Annual Container Statistics, available at https://
www.portoflosangeles.org/business/statistics/container-statistics and Port of Long Beach, TEUs Archive: 1995 to Present by Year, available at https://
polb.com/business/port-statistics#yearly-teus; data at both ports available as of October 20221.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 3-18 U.S. Top 25 Container Ports Based on Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)

SOURCE: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, personal communication, special tabulation, Nov. 12, 2020, and Nov. 2, 2021.

Table 3-6 World Bank Container Port Performance Index Rankings of Top-Ten U.S. Container Ports:
2021

Overall Rank by vessel size ranges

Port Rank <1,500 TEU 1,501–5,000 TEU 5,001–8,500 TEU 8,501–13,500 TEU >13,500 TEU
Los Angeles 370 0 346 224 181 103
Long Beach 369 258 348 227 175 102
NY/NJ 251 160 226 138 121 75
Savannah 367 268 336 214 179 100
Houston 119 119 173 113 101 0
Virginia 23 168 60 44 19 40
Oakland 359 206 229 186 167 96
Charleston 130 79 102 102 75 80
Tacoma 345 0 276 196 173 0
Seattle 322 0 268 190 170 0
KEY: TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit.
SOURCE: World Bank, Container Port Performance Index 2021, available at https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/37542 as of
October 2022.

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Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

example, according to the BTS Supply Chain other the opposite [BTS Supply Chain Indicators
Indicators (www.bts.gov/freight-indicators), 2022].
the western railroad’s (BSNF’s) average dwell
time was 26.62 hours in 2020, 25.30 hours Additional Data Needs
in 2021, and 27.10 hours in 2022. While the
Previous editions of the Transportation Statistics
corresponding indicator for the eastern railroad
Annual Report highlighted long-standing needs
(CSX) was 18.20, 21.60, and 23.60, respectively,
for more timely and granular data on freight
showing a steady increase every year. CSX
flows; more complete data on the domestic
experienced some dramatic increases at
transportation of U.S. foreign trade, costs of
terminals like Louisville, KY (52.3 percent from
shipping freight, and last-mile movements of
2021 to 2022) and Toledo, OH (32.5 percent
freight; and better data on the performance of
from 2021 to 2022). The average dwell time
the freight transportation system. As noted in the
by another eastern railroad, NS, at Macon,
last chapter of this report, BTS is undertaking
GA, increased from 28.50 hours in 2021 to
several activities to address these long-standing
37.90 hours in 2022. No western railroads
needs for improved freight statistics. Among the
experienced such dramatic increases in the
actions are initiatives for improved measurement
same period [BTS Supply Chain Indicators
of the volume, availability, and performance
2022].
of containerized freight, the detailed needs for
It is interesting to note that this increase does which are described in this section.
not seem to have as much to do with railroads
In response, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act
as with terminals. For example, the average
(OSRA) of 2022 (P.L. 117-146) was signed into
dwell time by the Central railroad CP went
law on June 15, 2022. Section 16 of the OSRA
from 17.7 hours in 2021 to 26.6 hours in 2022
included mandates for BTS to produce statistics
at Albany, NY. The same railroad experienced
on the total street dwell times (the amount of
similar large increases at Glenwood, MD and
time an empty or loaded container or a bare or
Harvey, IL. No terminals on the West Coast
loaded chassis spent between exiting the gate
experienced such increases, regardless of
and returning to the terminal) for intermodal
railroads [BTS Supply Chain Indicators 2022].
shipping containers and chassis. In addition,
A consistent pattern is seen in average truck BTS is required to measure the average out-
speed in the vicinity of ports. For example, the of-service percentage for chassis. The data
average truck speed around the port of Los that BTS is obtaining will include chassis and
Angeles-Long Beach generally increased from container operators, location, fleet availability,
2019 through 2022, particularly in the second and usage.
half of each year, while that around the port of
The Freight Logistics Optimization Works
New York-New Jersey is generally lower in 2022
(FLOW) initiative is a joint effort between the
than in 2020 and 2021. Take as an example
USDOT and the freight industry. The initiative will
Octobers of 2020, 2021, and 2022 for which the
allow industry partners to make better-informed
latest data is available, the average truck speed
decisions to move goods efficiently through data
around the port of Los Angeles-Long Beach was
sharing. BTS is the independent steward of this
19.7 mph, 20.2 mph, and 20.6 mph, respectively,
data-sharing initiative across a privately operated
while that around the port of New York-New
enterprise that spans from shipping lines,
Jersey was 19.0 mph, 18.9 mph, and 18.8 mph,
ports, terminal operators, truckers, railroads,
respectively. One increased annually and the
warehouses, and beneficial cargo owners.

3-28
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

BTS has identified several important freight

data gaps through a recent effort in developing
the Section 25003 report. For example, the
report recognizes that small-area freight origin
and destination data and tools are needed for
local decision-making. Likewise, support is
required to measure freight trip ends (last-mile)
and trips from warehouses to retail and office
establishments (middle-mile).

A long-existing challenge to freight analysis

in general and freight economic analysis in
particular is the lack of the freight cost data.
None of the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS),
Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), and other
minor freight data sources provide systematic
and system-wide cost information on a per ton,
per mile, per ton-mile basis. Information on cost
details by commodity, by mode, by route, by
region, etc. will greatly benefit all freight analysis

3-29
Chapter 3—Freight and Supply Chain

References U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water

Resources, 2022. Waterborne Commerce
Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center
of the United States, Calendar Year 2020.
(LMRFC), River Observations, Nov. 13,
Available at file:///C:/Users/pkent/Downloads/
2022. Available at https://www.weather.gov/
d9f5c91d-31a2-47f1-aa9f-3a3c4133d54f___
lmrfc/ as of November 2022.
wcusmvgc20.pdf as of November 2022.
Moser, Harry, “Record-Breaking Reshoring,”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2022. Ports
FABShop Magazine Direct, November 2022,
of Entry. Available at https://www.cbp.gov/
p. 6. Available at https://magazine.fsmdirect.
border-security/ports-entry
com/2022/nov/d/#page1 as of November
2022. U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC),
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA):
National Institute of Science and Technology,
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, —2022a. Gross Output by Industry
“Reshoring and the Pandemic: Bringing (billions of 1012 chain dollars). Available
Manufacturing Back to America,” Mar. 31, at https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.
2022. Available at https://www.nist.gov/mep/ cfm?reqid=150&step=2&isuri=1&
manufacturing-infographics/reshoring-and- categories=ugdpxind as of September 2022.
pandemic-bringing-manufacturing-back-
—2022b. GDP by Industry, Table 5. Gross
america as of November 2022.
Domestic Product: Level and Change from
Rapoza, Kenneth, Forbes, “Chinese Preceding Period. Available at https://
Companies Shifting to Other Countries to www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-industry as of
Avoid US Tariffs,” Forbes, April 7, 2020. September 2022.
Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/
—2021. New Foreign Investment in the
kenrapoza/2020/04/07/new-data-shows-
United States. Available at https://www.
us-companies-are-definitely-leaving-
bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/new-
china/#23ec06ad40fe as of September 2022;
foreign-direct-investment-united-states as of
The Wall Street Journal, “Manufacturers
November 2022.
Move Supply Chains Out of China.”
Available at https://www.wsj.com/articles/ U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC),
manufacturers-move-supply-chains-out-of- CENSUS. 2022. U.S. International Trade
china-11563096601 as of September 2022. in Goods and Services, Annual Revision,”
Release Number: CB 22-92, BEA 22-23,
Reshoring Initiative, IH 2022 Data Report –
June 7, 2022. Available at https://www.
Multiple Supply Chain Risks Accelerate
census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/
Reshoring, p. 2. Available at https://
ft900/final_2021.pdf as of September 2022.
reshorenow.org/content/pdf/2022_1H_data_
report-final5.5.pdf as of November 2022. U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS). 2022. Occupational
Sousa, Kim, “The Supply Side: Walmart Apparel
Employment and Wage Statistics,
Supplier Onshores Garment Production,”
Occupational Employment and Wages, May
Nov. 5, 2022. Available at https://
2021. Available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/
talkbusiness.net/2022/11/the-supply-side-
current/oes537051.htm as of September
walmart-apparel-supplier-onshores-garment-
2022.
production/ as of November 2022.

3-30
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS),
and Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA). 2022. Freight Analysis Framework,
version 5.4, September 2022. Available at
www.bts.gov as of October 2022.

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS):

—2022a. Border Crossing/Entry Data.

Available at www.bts.gov/content/border-
crossing entry-data as of September 2022.

—2022b. Container Vessel Dwell Times.

Available at https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/
Container-Vessel-Dwell-Times/pbag-pyes as
of September 2022.

—2022c. Freight Indicators.

United Parcel Service (UPS). 2016. UPS
Pulse of the Online Supper: Tech-Savvy
Shoppers Transforming Retail. Available
at https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/
ContentDetailsViewer.page?Concept
Type=FactSheets&id=1465325363052862
as of September 2022.

World Bank Group (WBG). 2022. The Container

Port Performance Index 2021. Available
at https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/
handle/10986/37542 as of October 2022.

3-31
CHAPTER 4
Transportation Economics

Introduction
Transportation plays a vital role in the American ● Use of transportation by non-transportation
economy by making economic activity possible. industries (e.g., manufacturing) to produce
The provision and consumption of transportation goods and services;
are major economic activities in themselves, ● Demand for transportation services as an
both of which contribute directly and indirectly economic indicator;
to the economy. This chapter discusses these
● Persons employed by the transportation
direct and indirect contributions:
industry and in transportation occupations and
● Contribution of transportation to gross their wages;
domestic product;

Highlights
● Transportation accounted for 8.4 percent of the ● Employment in both the transportation and
U.S. gross domestic product in 2021, up from warehousing sector and transportation-related
7.7 percent in 2020 but down from 9.1 percent in industries sector increased in 2021, but
2019. employment in the transportation and warehousing
● In 2021, the wholesale and retail trade sector sector grew at a faster rate (8.0 and 1.2 percent,
continued to require more transportation services respectively).
than any other sector to produce one dollar of ● The racial/ethnic composition of the transportation
gross output. and warehousing sector is more diverse than the
● The volume of freight transportation services, U.S. labor force.
provided monthly as measured by the freight ● The unemployment rate in the transportation and
Transportation Services Index, has grown warehousing sector has fallen since the May/July
since the 2020 economic recession, but as of 2020 all-time high, but in 23 out of the 27 months
September 2022 remains below the pre-pandemic since July 2020, it exceeded the pre-pandemic
August 2019 high. 2019 level for the same month.
● Transportation and transportation-related ● Fuel prices increased in 2021 but remained below
industries employed 14.9 million people the peak reached in 2012.
(10.2 percent of the U.S. labor force) in 2021—up Continued »
3.9 percent from 2020 and surpassing the 2019
level of 14.8 million workers.

4-1
Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Highlights Continued
● Transportation’s contribution to inflation reached a ● The period spanning 2020 to 2021 had the largest
high of 58.6 percent in June 2021 due to high fuel year-over-year increase in inflation-adjusted terms
prices and supply chain issues. for motor gasoline (all types) and the second
● Businesses purchasing transportation services largest increase for jet fuel and on-highway diesel
faced rising costs in 2021 as seen through higher since 1990.
truck spot rates, inland waterway transport rates, ● In 2021, the costs for rail, truck, and water
and ocean freight rates. transportation services reached their all-time high,
● Layoffs and discharges remain stable after the suggesting an increase in the costs businesses
February to April 2020 economic recession, and face for providing these transportation services.
COVID-19 caused a 401.2 percent increase in
layoffs and discharges from January 2020 to
March 2020—the highest level reached in the past
decade.

● Public (government) and private expenditures year (without double counting the intermediate
on transportation facilities, infrastructure, goods and services used to produce them).2
and systems, which enable the movement Figure 4-1 divides GDP into six categories
of both people and goods domestically and (transportation, healthcare, housing, food,
internationally; and education, and all other goods and services). In
● The costs faced by producers and users 2021, transportation accounted for 8.4 percent
(businesses and household consumers) of of GDP, up from 7.7 percent in 2020 but down
transportation. from 9.1 percent in 2019. While transportation
accounts for the second smallest share,
The full scope of transportation’s role in the transportation plays a vital role in the economy
economy and historical data are available in by making economic activity possible (e.g., by
the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS’s) transporting the raw materials needed to
Transportation Economic Trends.1 manufacture goods and transport products).

Transportation’s Contribution Contribution of Transportation Services

to GDP to GDP

Contribution of Transportation Goods and The previous section shows the contribution of
Services to GDP both transportation goods and services to GDP,
while this section measures the contribution
Gross domestic product (GDP) is an economic of transportation services to GDP using the
measure of the value of the final goods and Transportation Satellite Accounts (TSAs).3 BTS
services produced in the United States in a developed the TSAs to estimate the contribution

1
https://www.bts.gov/tet.
2
This measure is termed the production or output approach. Equivalent GDP measures are termed (1) the income approach, measured as the
sum of the aggregate compensation paid to employees, business profits and taxes less subsidies and (2) the expenditure method measured as
the sum of private consumption and investment, government spending, and net exports.
3
For further information on how to measure transportation’s contribution to GDP, see The Contribution of Transportation to the Economy in
BTS’ Transportation Economic Trends, available at https://www.bts.gov/tet as of September 2022.

4-2
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

transportation services and not transportation

Figure 4-1 Shares of U.S. GDP: 2021 goods (e.g., the contribution from motor
vehicle manufacturing). For-hire transportation
contributed $689.2 billion (2.9 percent) to an
enhanced U.S. GDP of $23.7 trillion.5 In-house
transportation services (air, rail, truck, and
water) provided by non-transportation industries
for their own use contributed an additional
$229.9 billion (1.0 percent) to enhanced GDP.
Household transportation, measured by the
depreciation cost associated with households
owning motor vehicles, contributed $411.5 billion
(1.7 percent)—the largest transportation mode
contributing to GDP.

Use of Transportation Services by

Industries
SOURCES: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic
Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts Tables, tables 1.1.4,
Transportation indirectly contributes to the
2.4.4, 3.11.4, 3.15.4, 4.2.4, 5.4.4, 5.5.4 and 5.7.4B (price deflators); economy by enabling the production of goods
1.1.5, 2.4.5, 3.11.5, 3.15.5, 4.2.5, 5.4.5, 5.5.5 and 5.7.5B (current
dollars); 1.1.6, 2.4.6, 3.11.6, 3.15.6, 4.2.6, 5.4.6, 5.5.6 and 5.7.6B and services by non-transportation industries.
(chained dollars), available at apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm as The amount of transportation services required
of November 2022..
to produce each dollar of output indicates
how much a sector depends on transportation
of in-house transportation services to the services. In 2021, the wholesale and retail
economy and the contribution of transportation trade sector required the most transportation
carried out by households using household services, at 9.3 cents (4.7 cents of in-house
vehicles.4 In addition, the TSAs provide the transportation operations and 4.6 cents of for-
contribution of for-hire transportation—as hire transportation services), to produce one
estimated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. dollar of output (Figure 4-2).

In 2021, transportation services’ (for-hire, in-

house, and household) total contribution to
Transportation as an Economic
GDP was $1,330.6 billion (5.6 percent). This Indicator
contribution to the economy, as measured Transportation activities have a strong
by the TSAs, is less than the final demand relationship to the economy. For example,
attributed to transportation (Figure 4-1) increases in production create additional
because it counts only the contribution of demand for freight transportation services. The
4
For-hire transportation services consist of air, rail, truck, passenger and ground transportation, pipeline, and other support services that
transportation firms provide to industries and the public on a fee basis. In-house transportation services consist of air, rail, truck, and water
transportation services produced by non-transportation industries for their own use (e.g., grocery stores owning and operating their own trucks
to move goods from distribution centers to retail locations). BTS calculates the contribution of household transportation as the depreciation
associated with households owning a motor vehicle. For more information about the Transportation Satellite Accounts (TSAs), see U.S.
Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Economic Trends, chapter 2, available at https://data.bts.gov/
stories/s/smrm-36nv/ as of September 2022.
5
Enhanced GDP is the sum of the GDP published in the National Accounts plus the contribution of household transportation as measured by
BTS in the Transportation Satellite Accounts.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Figure 4-2 Transportation Services Required to Produce One Dollar of Output by Sector: 2021

NOTE: Other for-hire transportation includes: pipeline, transit and ground passenger transportation; sightseeing transportation and transportation
support; courier and messenger services; and warehousing and storage.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Satellite Accounts, available at http://www.bts.gov/
satellite-accounts as of November 2022.

BTS freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) This relationship is particularly strong for freight
measures the volume of freight transportation traffic as measured by the freight TSI.
services provided monthly by the for-hire
transportation sector in the United States. The Figure 4-4 illustrates the relationship between
freight TSI began to rise in May 2020, mirrored the freight TSI and the national economy from
by increases in industrial production and January 1979 through September 2022. The
manufacturers’ shipments (Figure 4-3) after an dashed line shows the freight TSI with long-
all-time high in August 2019. The decline from term changes removed (detrended). The solid
August 2019 preceded the February to April line shows the freight TSI after removing both
2020 economic recession. While the freight TSI long-term trends and month-to-month volatility
has grown since the 2020 economic recession, (detrended and smoothed). The shaded areas
it has not surpassed the August 2019 high but represent economic slowdowns and the areas
nearly approached the same level in September between represent economic accelerations, or
2022 (the latest data available). periods of economic growth. The freight TSI
usually peaks and turns downward before a
BTS research shows that changes in the TSI growth slowdown begins and hits a trough and
occur before changes in the economy, making turns upward before a growth slowdown ends.
the TSI a potentially useful economic indicator.6 The TSI indicated an economic slow-down in

6
See U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Services Index and the Economy Revisited,
available at https://www.bts.gov/archive/publications/special_reports_and_issue_briefs/special_report/2014_12_10/entire as of December 2022

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 4-3 Industrial Production, Manufacturers’ Shipments, and Freight Transportation Services
Index (Seasonally Adjusted): January 2012–September 2022

NOTES: The Transportation Services Index is a weighted and chained index. All indexes re-indexed to January 2012 to facilitate visual comparison.
SOURCES: Industrial Production: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Industrial Production Index [INDPRO], retrieved from FRED,
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/INDPRO/ as of December 2022. Manufacturers’ Shipments: U.S. Bureau
of the Census, Value of Manufacturers’ Shipments for All Manufacturing Industries [AMTMVS], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/AMTMVS/ as of December 2022. Freight TSI: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, Transportation Services Index, available at www.transtats.bts.gov/OSEA/TSI/ as of December 2022..

Figure 4-4 Freight Transportation Services Index and the Economic Growth Cycle

NOTES: Shaded areas indicate decelerations in the economy, and areas between are accelerations in the economy (growth cycles). Endpoint for
deceleration begun in December 2014 has not been determined. Detrending and smoothing refer to statistical procedures that make it easier to observe
changes in upturns and downturns of the data. Detrending removes the long-term growth trend and smoothing removes month-to-month volatility.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Services Index, available at https://data.bts.gov/
stories/s/9czv-tjte as of December 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

August 2019. The slowdown deepened in early growing 3.9 percent from 2020 to 2021 and
2020 when the economy entered a recession, surpassing the 2019 level of 14.8 million people.
reaching a low in April 2020 and then entered a
period of economic growth. The transportation and warehousing sector
(North American Industry Classification System
[NAICS] 48-49) directly employed 6.1 million
Transportation-Related workers in the United States in 2021—an
Employment, Wages, Job increase of 8.0 percent from 2020. The
Turnover, and Unemployment 6.1 million amounted to 4.2 percent of the U.S.
labor force (Figure 4-5), up from 3.8 percent
Transportation Employment and Selected in 2019 and 4.0 percent in 2020 [USDOT BTS
Demographics of Workers 2022a]. Employment in transportation-related
industries likewise increased from 2020 to 2021
Industries in the transportation and warehousing (by 0.1 million). However, employment grew
sector and related industries outside the sector slower (1.2 percent increase) in transportation-
(e.g., automotive manufacturing) employed related industries than in the transportation
14.9 million people (10.2 percent of the U.S. and warehousing sector, which experienced an
labor force) in 2021 in a variety of roles, from 8.0 percent increase in employment from 2020
driving buses to manufacturing cars to building, to 2021.
operating, and maintaining ports and railroads
[USDOT BTS 2022a]. The total number Persons who identify as white comprise the
employed in transportation recovered from the largest number of workers in the transportation
decline in 2020 (caused by the February to and warehousing sector. However, persons who
April 2020 economic recession and COVID-19); identify as white comprise a smaller share of
the transportation and warehousing labor force

Figure 4-5 Transportation-Related Labor Force Employment in the United States: 2011–2021
(Millions)

NOTE: Shaded area indicates economic recession.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 3-23, available at www.bts.
gov as of December 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

than the U.S. labor force by about 10 percentage paid, the highest-paid, and the fastest growing
points (Figure 4-6). This mainly is from persons transportation occupations in the United States
who identify as Black or African American in 2021.
accounting for nearly 10 percentage points more
of the transportation and warehousing labor Annual wages vary widely, from a median
force than the U.S. labor force. Persons of any annual wage of over $200,000 for airline pilots
race who identify as Hispanic or Latino account and over $129,000 for air traffic controllers to a
for a slightly larger share of the transportation median annual wage of $29,000 for ambulance
and warehousing labor force than the U.S. labor drivers and attendants. The five lowest-wage
force. The racial and ethnic differences between transportation-related occupations collectively
the transportation and warehousing and the U.S. employed about 900,000 workers, while the
labor force have remained relatively stable over five highest-wage occupations employed
the past decade (Figure 4-7). about 300,000 workers in 2021. Automation
of transportation and technological changes
Transportation Wages affect which transportation occupations will gain
or lose employment. From 2021 to 2031, the
Workers with transportation occupations earned number of taxi drivers and chauffeurs, which
a lower average hourly compensation ($34.32) includes drivers working for ride-hailing services,
than workers in all occupations ($40.90) in such as Uber and Lyft, is expected to grow
Q1 2022 [USDOL BLS 2022]. Figure 4-8 shows the fastest at 28.5 percent—the 14th fastest
annual median wages for the largest, the lowest-

Figure 4-6 Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Race and Hispanic/Latino
Ethnicity: October 2012–October 2022 (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

NOTES: Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may also identify any race. The sum of all persons employed in the transportation and warehousing
sector is the sum of persons identifying as White, Black or African American, Asian, and other (not shown).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series id LNU02000000, LNU02000003, LNU02000006,
LNU02032183, LNU02000009, LNU02034569, LNU02038020, LNU02038051, LNU02038082, and LNU02038113, available at www.bls.gov/cps, as of
December 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Figure 4-7 Percent of Total Employed by Race and Hispanic/Latino Ethnicity: October 2012–October
2022 (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
A. White

B. Black or African American

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

FIGURE 4-7 Continued

C. Asian

D. Hispanic or Latino

NOTES: Y-axis not the same for all graphs. Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may also identify any race. The sum of all persons employed in the
transportation and warehousing sector is the sum of persons identifying as White, Black or African American, Asian, and other (not shown).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series id LNU02000000, LNU02000003, LNU02000006,
LNU02032183, LNU02000009, LNU02034569, LNU02038020, LNU02038051, LNU02038082, LNU02038113, available at www.bls.gov/cps, as of
December 2022

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Figure 4-8 Employment and Wages in Select Transportation Occupations: 2021

NOTES: Airline pilots typically fly on scheduled air carrier routes to transport passengers and cargo, while commercial pilots fly on non-scheduled air
carrier routes. “Commercial pilots” includes charter pilots, air ambulance pilots, and air tour pilots. Ambulance drivers excludes emergency medical
technicians.
SOURCES: Transportation occupations: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Transportation Statistics, table 3-24 Employment in
Transportation and Transportation-Related Occupations, available at https://www.bts.gov/content/employment-transportation-and-transportation-related-
occupations. Employment and wages: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, available at http://
bls.gov/oes. Projected growth rate: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, available at https://www.bls.gov/
emp/tables.htm as of September 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

growing occupation out of the 1,079 occupations remain stable after the February to April 2020
identified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.7 economic recession and COVID-19 caused a
401.2 percent increase in layoffs and discharges
Job Openings and Labor Turnover from January 2020 to March 2020—the highest
level reached in the past decade.
The number of job openings in the
transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector Layoffs and discharges caused unemployment
reached an all-time high in December 2021 in the transportation and warehousing sector
after growing 93.4 percent from September to reach an all-time high in May 2020 and
2020 to September 2021—the largest 12-month matched again in July 2020 (Figure 4-10).
gain over the past decade (Figure 4-9). The The unemployment rate in the transportation
number of job openings fell 21.1 percent from and warehousing sector has fallen since the
the December 2021 high to October 2022 2020 high, but in 23 out of the 27 months
(the latest available data). While job openings since July 2020, the unemployment rate in the
declined, the number of hires rose—increasing transportation and warehousing sector exceeded
8.8 percent from December 2021 to October the pre-pandemic 2019 level for the same
2022. Hires offset quits during the December to month.
October 2022 period. Layoffs and discharges

7
See U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Occupational Projections and Worker Characteristics,
2021-2031, available at https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm as of September 2022.

Figure 4-9 Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector
(Seasonally Adjusted): October 2012–October 2022

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series id LNU04000000 and LNU04034168, available at
https://www.bls.gov/cps/data.htm as of December 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Transportation Expenditures and Most direct federal spending was for aviation
($19.3 billion, or 55.1 percent) followed by
Revenues
water ($9.3 billion, or 26.4 percent), highway
Public and Private Sector Expenditures and ($3.6 billion, or 10.2 percent), railroads
($2.3 billion, or 6.4 percent), and the remainder
Revenue
on general support, transit, and pipeline costs
($0.7 billion, or 1.9 percent) (Figure 4-11).
Expenditures
State and local government spending (including
The most recent data are for 2019, which show
expenditures paid for with federal grants)
that federal, state, and local governments
accounted for $349.1 billion of the $384.2 billion
spent $384.2 billion on transportation. Most
spent nationwide on transportation in 2019. Most
government spending on transportation takes
of state and local spending was for highways
place at the state and local levels, although state
($236.0 billion, or 67.6 percent) followed by
and local capital expenditures are often paid
transit ($75.1 billion, or 21.5 percent), air
for in part with federal funds. In 2019, state and
($31.0 billion, or 8.9 percent), water ($6.9 billion,
local governments spent $349.1 billion, including
or 2.0 percent), pipeline ($0.06 billion, or
expenditures paid for with federal transfers,
0.02 percent), and general support ($0.02 billion,
such as the Federal-Aid Highway Program and
or 0.01 percent) (Figure 4-12).
the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. The Federal
Government spent $35.1 billion directly on
Revenue
transportation, excluding federal transfers to
states [USDOT BTS 2022b]. Government transportation revenue comes
from user taxes and fees, such as gasoline

Figure 4-10 Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector
(Seasonally Adjusted): January 2012–October 2022

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series id LNU04000000 and LNU04034168, available at
https://www.bls.gov/cps/data.htm as of December 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 4-11 Federal Transportation Expenditures by Mode: 2019 (Billions of 2019 Dollars)

NOTE: 2019 data are latest available. Federal expenditure includes direct federal spending, excluding grants to state and local governments.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics, available at https://
data.bts.gov/Research-and-Statistics/Government-Transportation-Financial-Statistics-GTF/nu8j-7gmn as of September 2022.

Figure 4-12 State and Local Transportation Expenditures by Mode: 2019 (Billions of 2019 Dollars)

NOTE: 2019 data are latest available.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Government Transportation Financial Statistics, available at https://
data.bts.gov/Research-and-Statistics/Government-Transportation-Financial-Statistics-GTF/nu8j-7gmn as of September 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

taxes and tolls, air ticket taxes, and general ● $0.15 billion in pipeline revenues ($0.03 billion
revenues, as well as income from investing own-source and $0.12 billion supporting
transportation funds and receipts from fines revenue).
and penalties. In 2019, federal, state, and State and local governments collected
local government revenue collected and $294.0 billion (74.4 percent) of the $395.0 billion
dedicated to transportation programs totaled of total transportation revenue in 2019. Of
$395.0 billion (in 2019 dollars) [USDOT BTS this revenue, the state and local governments
2022b]. Over half of the revenue ($228.3 billion, collected:
or 57.8 percent) came from taxes and charges
levied on transportation-related activities (own- ● $209.6 billion in highway revenue sources,
source revenue). The remaining $166.7 billion such as fuel taxes, motor vehicle taxes,
(42.2 percent) came from non-transportation- and tolls ($114.6 billion own-source and
related activities that support transportation $95.0 billion supporting revenue);
programs, such as state or local sales or ● $28.7 billion in aviation-related revenue,
property taxes used to finance transportation such as landing fees and terminal area rental
projects (supporting revenue). Total (own- ($25.5 billion own-source and $3.2 billion
source and supporting) transportation revenues supporting revenue);
of $395.0 billion exceeded transportation
● $49.3 billion in transit revenue—almost
expenditures of $384.2 billion by 10.8 billion
entirely from fares ($19.5 own-source and
in 2019. Contrastingly, total transportation
$29.8 supporting revenue); and
revenues fell short of transportation expenditures
in 2018 by $3.6 billion in 2018 [USDOT BTS ● $6.5 billion in water revenue (all own-source).
2022b]. This gap increased from 3.1 billion in The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
2017 to 10.8 billion in 2019. Of the $395.0 billion (Public Law 117-58), known as the Bipartisan
collected from and dedicated to transportation Infrastructure Law (BIL), was signed by
programs in 2019, the Federal Government President Biden on November 15, 2021. The BIL
collected $100.9 billion (25.6 percent). Of the provides $1.2 trillion in funding, which includes
$100.9 billion, the revenue sources were: $673.8 billion for transportation (Figure 4-13).
The BIL provides funds for transportation
● $50.8 billion in highway revenues
infrastructure including roads, bridges, transit,
($43.6 billion own-source and $7.3 billion
airports, ports, and rail. The BIL also invests in
supporting revenue),
other infrastructure, such as energy, water, and
● $22.2 billion in aviation revenues ($16.3 billion broadband access.
own-source and $5.8 billion supporting
revenue),
Transportation Investment
● $13.3 billion in transit revenues (all supporting
Transportation assets (infrastructure and
revenue),
equipment taking more than 1 year to consume)
● $11.8 billion in water transportation revenues represent a small but important share of total
($2.2 billion own-source and $9.6 billion public and private investment in the United
supporting revenue), States. In 2021, public and private investment
● $2.3 billion in rail transportation revenues in transportation infrastructure and equipment
(all supporting revenue), totaled $383.9 billion, or 7.8 percent—a
● $0.45 billion in general support revenues significant drop from 14.2 percent in 2018—of
(all supporting revenue), and the $4,939.6 billion of total national investment

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

in all infrastructure, equipment, and intellectual 4.9 percent from 2020 to 2021 but remained
property products (Table 4-1). Public and private 16.5 percent below the 2019 level. Investment
investment in new transportation infrastructure in transportation accounted for a smaller share
accounted for $159.3 billion (3.2 percent), and of total investment in 2021 (7.8 percent) than
private transportation equipment accounted in both 2019 and 2020 (10.3 and 8.1 percent
for $224.5 billion (4.5 percent). Adjusted for of total investment respectively) [USDOT BTS
inflation, total investment in new transportation 2022c].
infrastructure and equipment increased

Figure 4-13 Overview of the Transportation Component of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(IIJA), known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
A. IIJA Spending on Transportation by Major Program (Billions)

B. IIJA Transportation Funding Amounts by Year (Billions)

SOURCE: Compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, available at https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/cvki-zubk
as of December 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

adjusted terms for motor gasoline (all types) and

Table 4-1 Total Investment and the second largest increase for jet fuel and on-
Transportation Investment: 2021 highway diesel since 1990 (Figure 4-14). Despite
(Current Dollars) the increase, jet fuel, on-highway diesel, and
Investment $ Billions Percent motor gasoline (all types) prices remain below
TOTAL investment 4,939.6 100.0 the peak reached in 2012, by 37.0, 31.2, and
Transportation 383.9 7.8 15.2 percent, respectively.
Transportation infrastructure 159.3 3.2
Transportation equipment 224.5 4.5 Prices Faced by Businesses Purchasing
Other (non-transportation) 4,555.7 92.2 Transportation Services
Structures 1,900.8 38.5
Fuel, labor, and shipping rate, among other
Equipment 1,155.8 23.4
factors, affect the prices for-hire transportation
Intellectual property products 1,499.1 30.3
providers charge for their services. The
NOTES: Totals may not sum due to rounding. Investment includes producers’ price index (PPI) measures the
spending on new structures and equipment and exclude maintenance
and repair of existing structures and equipment. Intellectual property average change over time in the amount
products are research and development; software; and entertainment,
literary, and artistic originals.
producers receive for their output. The
SOURCES: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic amount received by producers for selling their
Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, National Income transportation services (e.g., airfares) are an
and Product Account Tables, Private Fixed Investment in Structures
by Type, table 5.4.5 (millions), Private Fixed Investment in Equipment indicator of the prices faced by households
by Type, table 5.5.5 (millions), and Gross Government Fixed and businesses purchasing transportation
Investment by Type, table 5.9.5 (millions), available at https://apps.
bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm as of September 2022. services (e.g., airfare and shipping rates faced
by households and businesses). In 2021, the
costs for rail, truck, and water transportation
Cost of Transportation services reached their all-time high level,
The cost to produce transportation services suggesting an increase in the costs businesses
stems from the resources it requires, such as face for providing these transportation services.
fuel and labor. Firms purchase these resources Truck transportation service saw the largest
to produce transportation services. For example, price increase of 12.8 percent from 2020 to
airlines pay for pilots, commercial jets, and jet 2021, followed by water (7.5 percent) and rail
fuel to provide air transportation services. The transportation (4.9 percent). Air transportation
cost of the resources used by producers of saw the smallest increase of 0.9 percent
transportation services influences the prices after experiencing the largest decrease of
they charge businesses and households for 10.9 percent in 2020 (Figure 4-15). Like when
transportation services. faced by higher prices for labor, businesses
may raise the prices they charge consumers for
Fuel Prices goods and services when they face higher prices
for producing transportation services.
Fuel prices are a cost to industries that produce
transportation services as well as to consumers. Transportation and Inflation
These industries embed the costs in the price
they charge businesses and households—for Inflation occurs when prices rise and purchasing
the transportation services they provide for a power weakens over time. Inflation includes the
fee. The period spanning 2020 to 2021 had prices faced by consumers for transportation, as
the largest year-over-year increase in inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 4-14 Sales Price of Transportation Fuel to End-Users (Current Dollars/Gallon): 1990–2021

NOTES: Motor gasoline and on-highway diesel fuel prices are retail prices and include taxes paid by the end-user. Gasoline price is the average retail
price for regular and premium (leaded and unleaded) gasoline. On-highway diesel does not include biodiesel or other alternative fuels. Jet fuel prices
are based on sales to end-users (sales made directly to the ultimate consumer, including bulk customers in agriculture, industry, and utility) but do not
include tax. Railroad diesel fuel prices are the average price paid by freight railroads and include taxes paid. Shaded bars indicate economic recessions.
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 3-11: Sales Price of Transportation Fuel to End-Users (current
cents / gallon), available at www.bts.gov as of September 2022.

Figure 4-15 Producer Price Indices for Producers of Selected Transportation and Warehousing
Services: 2011–2021

NOTE: Producer Price Index data come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index Industry Data, available at http://www.bls.gov/ppi as of
September 2022.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

for items such as motor vehicles, gasoline, and in June 2021 due to high fuel prices and supply
airfares. It also includes the transportation costs, chain issues that drove up the cost of used
as measured in the Producer Price Index (PPI), vehicles [BTS 2022c].
that manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers
pass onto consumers in the prices they charge Transportation providers have faced increasing
for their goods and services. fuel and transportation equipment costs and as
a result, producers have seen price increases
After steadily increasing since June 2020 to for transportation services. Producers also have
reach a new high in June 2022, the seasonally seen increases due to external factors, such
adjusted transportation CPI began to decline as increased demand for imports and supply
in June 2022 (Figure 4-16) —falling for three chain issues amplified by COVID-19. The price
consecutive months before increasing slightly increases can be seen across multiple modes.
in October 2022.8 The decline has brought Truck spot rates rose from mid-2020 (after falling
transportation’s contribution to year-over year during the February to April 2020 economic
price increases in all goods and services down, recession) through early 2022, corresponding
reaching its lowest share since February 2021 in with the increase in diesel fuel prices from
September 2022 (Figure 4-17). Transportation’s 2020 to May 2022 (Figure 4-18) but also with
contribution had reached a high of 58.6 percent increased demand for goods—seen through real

8
The transportation CPI is the official measure of the price paid by consumers for transportation goods and services over time and hence a
measure of inflation. Overall transportation includes private transportation (made up of new and used motor vehicles, motor fuel, motor vehicle
parts and equipment, motor vehicle maintenance and repair, motor vehicle insurance, and motor vehicle fees) and public transportation (made
up of airline fares, other intercity transportation, intracity transportation, and public transportation).

Figure 4-16 Consumer Price Index for Overall Transportation, Change from Same Month of the
Previous Year (Unadjusted) and Seasonally Adjusted Value: January 2019–October 2022

SOURCE: Calculated by the U.S. Department of Transportation from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index,
All Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average, seasonally adjusted (CUSR0000SAT) and unadjusted (CUUR0000SAT), available at www.bls.gov/cpi as of
December 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 4-17 Contribution of Transportation to Inflation Compared to Food, Shelter, and Medical
Services: January 2021–October 2022

NOTE: Energy services are services such as electricity and utility (gas) piped service.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Urban Consumers (Current Series), Unadjusted, US City Average, news release
table 7, available at https://www.bls.gov/bls/news-release/cpi.htm.

Figure 4-18 Truck Spot Rates in Dollars Per Mile and Price of Diesel Fuel per Gallon: January 2015–
November 2022

NOTE: This data is for spot market trucking loads, which is approximately one-tenth of the overall common carrier trucking market. The data provider
(DAT) is the largest clearinghouse for shipments that are not part of a pre-existing hauling contract. Dry van includes freight transported in enclosed
cargo holds.
SOURCE: DAT Freight Analytics.

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Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

increases in imports and personal consumption Coast to rise 578 percent from February 2020
expenditures.9 Despite fuel price increases in (the month prior to COVID-19 being declared
2021, downbound barge rates remained fairly a national emergency) to August 2021 [White
stable in 2021, hovering around $20 per ton, House 2022]. Ocean freight rates from Central
before increasing in the fall of 2022 when China to the United States have fallen, but as of
the Mississippi River fell to record low levels October 2022, remain 211.0 percent above the
(Figure 4-19). External factors likewise pre-pandemic rate (Figure 4-20).
contributed to the rise in ocean freight rates.
COVID-19 increased the demand for imported Producers, such as automotive manufacturers,
goods, which combined with port issues purchase a variety of services to acquire raw
(e.g., congestion, labor disputes, and COVID-19 materials, produce goods and services, and
protocols) and the control of a few companies move their products to market. From January
over prices, caused freight container shipping 2021 through July 2022, transportation and
rates from Central China to the U.S. West related services, such as freight forwarding,

9
See U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Latest Supply Chain Indicators, Personal Consumption on
Durable Goods and U.S. Goods Imports, available at https://www.bts.gov/freight-indicators#durable as of December 2022.

Figure 4-19 Downbound Grain Barge Rates (Dollars per Ton): January 2012

NOTES: Weekly barge rates for downbound freight originating from seven locations along the Mississippi River System, which includes the Mississippi
River and its tributaries (e.g., Upper Mississippi River, Illinois River, Ohio River, etc.). The seven locations are: (1) “Twin Cities,” a stretch along the Upper
Mississippi; (2) “Mid-Mississippi,” a stretch between eastern Iowa and western Illinois; (3) “Illinois River,” along the lower portion of the Illinois River;
(4) “St. Louis”; (5) “Cincinnati,” along the middle third of the Ohio River; (6) “Lower Ohio,” approximately the final third of the Ohio River; and (7) “Cairo-
Memphis,” from Cairo, IL, to Memphis, TN. Under the percent-of-tariff system, each city on the river has its own benchmark, with the northern most cities
having the highest benchmarks. They are as follows: Twin Cities = 619; Mid-Mississippi = 532; St. Louis = 399; Illinois = 464; Cincinnati = 469; Lower
Ohio = 446; and Cairo-Memphis = 314. Breaks in the lines indicate no rate record for that week at that location.
SOURCE: United States Department of Agricultures, Downbound Grain Barge Rates, available at https://agtransport.usda.gov/Barge/Downbound-Grain-
Barge-Rates/deqi-uken as of December 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

contributed an increasing share to the year- ● Granular employment data to measure unmet
over-year increase in the price for all services transportation labor needs.
purchased by producers. Transportation In addition, decision makers would benefit from:
and related services have accounted for a
progressively smaller share of inflation since ● Information related to the economic
July 2022, reaching its lowest share since contribution of shared transportation services
August 2021 in September 2022 (Figure 4-21). (e.g., ride-hailing and bikeshare),
● Timely data to measure public transportation
Data Gaps expenditures and revenue across all levels of
government, and
Needs for the Future
● Expanded financial statistics to measure
Changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative finance in transportation, such as
including price increases and supply chain public–private partnerships.
issues, underscore the need for: BTS has begun to improve and expand its
● Timely data on the volume of transportation transportation financial data series.
services to better gauge the current supply
and demand for freight transportation services
and

Figure 4-20 Freight Rates in Dollars per 40 foot container from Central China (Shanghai) to U.S. West
Coast (Los Angeles): February 2020–September 2022

NOTE: Spot ocean freight rates for a single container transaction in the selected eastbound transpacific trade routes.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Market Service, Container Ocean Freight Rates from Drewry Supply Chain Advisors’ Container
Freight Rate Insight.

4-21
Chapter 4—Transportation Economics

Figure 4-21 Contribution of Transportation and Related Services to Inflation Faced by Producers of
Goods and Services: January 2021–October 2022

NOTES: Includes air transportation of freight, airline passenger services, rail transportation of freight and mail, rail transportation of passengers, truck
transportation of freight, courier and messenger services (except air), U.S. postal service, arrangement of freight and cargo, marine cargo handling,
operation of port waterfront terminals, airport operations (excluding aircraft maintenance and repair), towing, tugging, docking, and related services,
freight forwarding, warehousing, storage, and related services purchased by industries to produce output.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ calculations from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Producer Price Index (Current Series), Unadjusted WPU301601, WPU301602, WPU3021, WPU3022, WPU3011, WPU3012, WPUFD42,
WPU3131, WPU3132, WPU3211, WPU3111, WPU3112, WPU3113, and WPU3121, available at https://www.bls.gov/ppi/data.htm.

4-22
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

References
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS). 2022. Employer
Costs for Employee Compensation
for Total Civilian compensation for All
occupations and Total Civilian compensation
for Transportation and material moving
occupations, available at http://www.bls.gov/
ncs/ect/#tables, September 2022.

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS):

—2022a. National Transportation Statistics.

Available at https://www.bts.gov/ as of
September 2022.

—2022b. Government Transportation

Financial Statistics. Available at http://www.
bts.gov/gfts as of September 2022.

—2022c. Transportation Economic Trends.

Available at http://www.bts.gov/tet as of
December 2022.

U.S. Executive Branch. White House. 2022.

Fact Sheet: Lowering Prices and Leveling
the Playing Field in Ocean Shipping,
February 28, 2022. Available at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/
statements-releases/2022/02/28/fact-sheet-
lowering-prices-and-leveling-the-playing-
field-in-ocean-shipping/ as of December
2022.

4-23
CHAPTER 5
Transportation Safety

Introduction
While transportation is safer today than a claimed 40,851 lives in 2020, of which all but
generation or two ago, it continues to be 2,027 involved highway motor vehicles.
risky—especially on the Nation’s highways,
which account for 95 percent of the fatalities Fatalities involving highway motor vehicle
and over 99 percent of the injuries from crashes and collisions rose sharply in 2020, the
transportation incidents. Transportation incidents first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting
in 38,824 fatalities—nearly 2,500 more than in

Highlights
● In 2020, the most recent year with complete data, ● In 2020, rural areas continued to have a highway
more than 40,000 people died and 2.3 million fatality rate notably higher per 100 million VMT
were injured in transportation incidents. than urban areas: 1.84 vs. 1.08.
● In the 3 years prior to the start of the pandemic in ● Contributing factors to the rise in the highway
early 2020, highway fatalities, people injured, and fatality rate during 2020 include increased
crashes were trending downward, although still speeding, alcohol use, and failure to wear safety
above the 60-year low reached in 2011. belts.
● In 2020, fatalities for all modes of transportation ○ Speeding coupled with drinking is common in
rose 6.3 percent over 2019, people injured fell highway crashes. Specifically, 37 percent of
16.3 percent, and crashes and accidents fell speeding drivers in fatal crashes in 2020 were
22.3 percent. found to be alcohol-impaired Blood Alcohol
● Highways remained the dominant cause of Content (BAC) of 0.08 or above compared to
transportation fatalities (about 94 percent), people just 17 percent of non-speeding drivers in fatal
injured (99 percent), and crashes and accidents crashes.
(about 99.6 percent) in 2020, the last year for ○ About 46 percent of the drivers in fatal
which crash and injury data are complete. speeding-related crashes in 2020 were not
● Highway fatalities in the first year of the pandemic wearing seat belts at the time of the crash,
increased in spite of the decline in vehicle miles versus 21 percent of drivers involved in
traveled (VMT), resulting in a 2020 fatality rate non-speeding fatal crashes [USDOT NHTSA
of 1.34 deaths per 100 million VMT, compared to 2022a].
1.11 in 2019. The 2020 rate was the highest rate Continued »
since 2008.

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Highlights Continued
● The estimated economic costs of alcohol-impaired fell to 1 person injured for every 2.3 crashes in
highway crashes in 2010 was $44 billion, and 2020.
$201.1 billion when quality of life considerations ● The projected 2021 traffic fatality rate per
were included. This is nearly one-fourth of the 100 million VMT is 1.33, lower than the 2020 rate
$836 billion estimated total societal cost of motor of 1.34. The projected 2022 traffic fatality rate
vehicle accidents in 2010 [USDOT NHTSA 2018c]. per 100 million VMT for the first half of the year is
● While highway fatalities went up, people injured 1.27, lower than the projected rate of 1.30 for the
went down in 2020. On average, 1 person was first half of 2021.Highlights
injured in every 2.5 crashes in 2019, but this ratio

2019. This was a surprise given the reduced level COVID-19 consequences for transportation safety
of highway travel in 2020 during the pandemic. is limited to the first 10 months of the pandemic.
Highway travel increased in 2021 and so did
motor vehicle involved deaths—which neared Fatalities and People Injured
43,000, a level of fatalities last seen in 2005.
by Mode
NHTSA’s early estimates for the first two quarters
of 2022 suggest a minimal increase of 0.5 percent Transportation’s toll in fatalities and people
compared to the same quarters of 2021 [USDOT injured is notably high—the number two cause
NHTSA 2022k]. of unintentional fatalities when all modes are
considered [USDHHS CDC WISQAR]. Figure
As for the other transportation modes, rail and 5-1 shows the transportation fatalities by mode
transit rail, air, water, and pipelines collectively in 2020, when nearly 41,000 people died, and
had a slight increase in fatalities between 2019 Table 5-1 shows deaths in 2010 and from 2016–
and 2020—1,879 vs. 2,027—but rail, transit, and 2021.1 Over 2.3 million people were injured in
water fatalities all increased in the 2020–2021 transportation crashes and accidents in 2020,
period compared to 2019. with more than 99 percent of injuries attributable
to highway motor vehicles (Table 5-2).
This chapter discusses recent transportation
fatality and injury statistics, focusing especially Owing to a change in estimation procedures,
on 2019, 2020, and 2021 (and partial 2022 injury estimates are only given for 2016 and
data as available), thus illuminating changes in onwards in Table 5-2, with no estimate provided
transportation safety from just before to during the for 2010. Appendix D discusses why fatality and
first 2 years of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. other safety data differ among various sources.
It also examines data on factors that contribute to
crashes and accidents, progress made to improve Highway Motor Vehicles2
safety, and the challenges that remain. Data on
transportation fatalities, injuries, and accidents As shown in Figure 5-1, highway motor
are incomplete for 2021, so a complete view of vehicles were involved in about 94 percent of

1
As for the decade between 2011 and 2020, about 376,000 people died in transportation incidents, of which all but about 22,000 involved
highway motor vehicles. While fatalities averaged about 37,600 fatalities per year over the 10 years, there was considerable year-by-year
variation: deaths in 2011 were at their lowest point in 6 decades, then rose for 5 straight years through 2016, before falling in 2017–2019 and
then rising steeply in 2020, the first pandemic year.
2
Highway-Rail Grade crossing crashes are discussed in the subsection of the chapter called “Ignoring risks and warnings.”

5-2
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

all transportation fatalities in 2020, and also, as even higher increase in 2021, with road fatalities
shown in Table 5-2, over 99 percent of people projected to surpass 40,000, a level not seen in
were injured in U.S. transportation crashes and 15 years [USDOT NHTSA (a)]. Early estimates
incidents. Both the number and rate of highway for the first half of 2022 project yet another
fatalities have decreased over the last half- increase of 0.05 percent in highway fatalities
century—with deaths falling from a yearly rate of over what NHTSA had projected for the first half
more than 5 per 100 million VMT in the 1960s to of 2021 [USDOT NHTSA 2022k].
1.08 per 100 million VMT in 2014, a historic low
point. The fatality rate subsequently fluctuated As discussed in appendix D, the rise in highway
before jumping from 1.11 in 2019 to 1.34 in the fatalities in the pandemic year 2020 could be
pandemic year 2020, the largest annual rise on associated with risky behaviors by vehicle
record [USDOT NHTSA 2022a]. occupants, as evidenced by

● A 17 percent increase in deaths in speed-

The 2010 to 2020 period saw a dramatic
related crashes,
increase in highway fatalities, with increases
projected to continue through 2021 and at least ● A 14 percent increase in deaths from alcohol-
the first half of 2022 [USDOT NHTSA 2022k]. impaired driving crashes, and
In 2011 fatalities had fallen to 32,479, the lowest ● A 21 percent increase in deaths from vehicle
number since 1949. Over the next 5 years, occupants being ejected (reflecting a failure to
fatalities rose, reaching 37,806 in 2016, then wear a seat belt).
declined each year in 2017, 2018, and 2019,
Data are not yet available to determine if theses
but were still 12 percent more than in 2011.
same factors may contribute to the projected
Then came the pandemic in 2020, with dramatic
high number of fatalities for 2021. It is also
increases in fatalities followed by estimates of an
possible that additional factors are affecting

Figure 5-1 Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 2020

NOTES: Transit and Railroad counts include some roadway fatalities. Caution must be exercised in comparing fatalities across modes because
significantly different definitions are used. In particular, Rail and Transit fatalities include incidents that do not involve vehicles, such as fatalities from falls
in transit stations or railroad employee fatalities from a fire in a work shed.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Roadway Safety Strategy (February 2022), available at www.transportation.gov as of September
2022..

5-3
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

highway safety not yet isolated from the data nonoccupants—increased by 2,310, from
[USDOT NHTSA 2022a].3 5,110 in 2010 to 7,420 in 2019 and then rose
another 3.9 percent in 2020 [USDOT NHTSA
Fatalities of nonoccupants—pedestrians, 2022a]. Nonoccupants accounted for just under
bicyclists, and other cyclists4, and other 20 percent of U.S. motor vehicle related deaths

3
A change instituted with the release of 2020 data rounds people injured, injury crash, and property-damage-only crash estimates to the
nearest whole number. Prior year reports presented these estimates rounded to the nearest thousand.
4
Bicyclists and other cyclists including riders of two-wheel, non-motorized vehicles, tricycles, and unicycles powered solely by pedals.

Table 5-1 Transportation Fatalities by Mode: 2010 and 2016–2021

Change
from 2019
Mode 2010 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 to 2020
TOTAL fatalities 35,040 39,748 39,364 38,755 38,425 40,851 U ▲
Air 477 408 347 395 452 349 U ▼
Highway 32,999 37,806 37,473 36,835 36,355 38,824 (P) 42,915 ▲
Railroad 1
631 631 677 662 727 649 762 ▼
Transit rail 2
197 150 151 174 173 176 176 ▲
Water 821 737 709 682 707 838 696 ▲
Pipeline 22 16 7 7 11 15 13 ▲
Other counts, redundant with above
U.S. Air carrier3 2 0 0 1 4 0 U ▼
On-demand air taxi and
commuter carrier 17 27 16 16 34 26 U ▼
General aviation 458 386 331 379 414 332 U ▼
Railroad, trespasser deaths not
at highway-rail crossing 441 468 505 499 536 518 614 ▼
Railroad, killed at public
crossing with motor vehicle 136 130 140 132 128 94 128 ▼
Rail, passenger operations 215 254 307 255 266 197 234 ▼
Rail, freight operations 520 507 510 539 590 546 656 ▼
Transit, non-rail 102 109 98 86 95 113 146 ▲
Recreational boating 672 701 658 633 613 767 658 ▲
Commercial waterborne 149 36 51 49 94 71 38 ▼
1
Includes Amtrak. Fatalities include those resulting from train accidents, highway-rail crossing incidents, and other incidents.
Includes transit employee, contract worker, passenger, revenue facility occupant, and other fatalities for all modes reported in the National Transit
2

Database.
3
Air carriers operating under 14 CFR 121, scheduled and nonscheduled service.
NOTES: Highway-2021 is a statistical projection of 2021 fatalities. For more information, see the complete notes from the source. Pipeline fatalities
includes those resulting from asphyxiation, fire, and explosions, which include causes such as excavation, natural or outside forces, and other causes
of damage or failure. Other counts, redundant with above help eliminate double counting in the Total fatalities. See NTS table 2-1 in source below for
adjustments to avoid double counting, complete source notes and an expanded time-series.
SOURCES: Various sources as cited by U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-1,
available at www.bts.gov as of August 2022. Highway-2021: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early
Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities And Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories in 2021, DOT HS 813 298, Available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov
as of September 2022..

5-4
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

in 2020 [USDOT NHTSA 2022a]. However, motorcycle riders and passengers). Between
pedestrian deaths remain below the high point 1996 and 2020, the share of fatalities of people
of 8,096 in 1979 [as cited in USDOT BTS NTS inside vehicles (occupants) fell while the share
table 2-1]. of fatalities outside vehicles rose—from an
80:20 percent ratio in 1996 to a 66:34 percent
Some other countries of comparable economic ratio in 2020. In 2020, all categories of fatalities,
status to the United States have shown greater whether inside or outside vehicles, increased
reductions in highway fatalities on a per-capita from 2019, except for occupants of vans and
basis, both in recent decades and during the large trucks [USDOT NHTSA 2022a].
pandemic. The 27 countries of the European
Union (EU)—excluding the United Kingdom, In 2020, 5,579 motorcyclists died, the highest
which left the EU in early 2020—reduced their number since NHTSA began collecting statistics
road fatalities by 36 percent between 2010 and in 1975. This was an 11 percent increase, and
2020. 535 more deaths than in prepandemic 2019.
Factors that may contribute to the increase
Analysts often examine two categories of people include increased ridership, the increasing age
when looking at safety data: those inside the of riders, reduced helmet usage, speeding, and
vehicle and those outside the vehicle (including alcohol impairment [USDOT NHTSA 2022a].

Table 5-2 Transportation Injuries by Mode: 2016–2020

Change
from 2019
Mode 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 to 2020
TOTAL 3,080,975 2,762,866 2,727,427 2,757,277 2,304,701 ▼
Air 240 229 271 260 202 ▼
Highwaya 3,061,885 2,745,268 2,710,059 2,740,141 2,282,015 ▼
Railroad 8,027 8,890 8,326 7,997 5,503 ▼
Transit rail 7,264 6,307 6,368 6,648 4,094 ▼
Water 3,357 3,084 3,004 3,002 3,536 ▲
Pipeline 87 32 78 36 42 ▲
Other counts, redundant with above
U.S. Air carrierb 0 0 1 4 0 ▼
On-demand air taxi and commuter carrier 27 16 16 34 26 ▼
General aviation 386 331 379 414 332 ▼
Railroad, injured at public crossing with motor
vehicle 468 505 499 536 518 ▼
Transit, non-rail 109 98 86 95 113 ▼
Recreational boating 701 658 633 613 767 ▲
Commercial Wterborne 36 51 49 94 71 ▼
a
2016–2020 estimates are not comparable to earlier year estimates due to methodology change.
b
Air carriers operating under 14 CFR 121, scheduled and nonscheduled service.
NOTE: Please see the National Transportation Statistics table 2-2 in source below for complete source notes and an expanded time-series.
SOURCES: Various sources as cited U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics
(NTS), table 2-2. Available at www.bts.gov as of August 2022; Highway-2020: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020, DOT HS 813 266, Available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov as of September 2022.

5-5
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

In the 10 years between 2011 and 2020, nonoccupants) die in large truck crashes as the
motorcyclist fatalities for the 55-and-older age truck occupants. The occupants of other vehicle
group rose from 23 to 27 percent. The average fatalities in large truck crashes had fallen to
age of motorcycle riders who died in crashes under 3,000 in 2009, but subsequently increased
increased from 40 in 2008 to 43 in 2020. The in most years, and has exceeded 3,500 in every
number of motorcyclist fatalities per 100 million year since 2017. There were 4,134 deaths for
VMT was about 28 times greater than that for people outside of large trucks in 2020 crashes
passenger car occupants [USDOT NHTSA involving large trucks, 5 fewer than in 2019
2022c]. [USDOT NHTSA 2022i].

Large-truck occupant fatalities increased Some fatalities and people injured from motor
each year between 2015–2019, as fatalities vehicle incidents take place off of public
climbed to 893 in 2019—up from 530 in roadways (e.g., pedestrians struck in driveways,
2010—but declined in 2020 to 831. Every year, people injured in parking lot collisions, bicyclists
several times as many people outside large hit on private roads, and children and other
trucks (e.g., occupants of other vehicles and people unintentionally run over in driveways)

Box 5-A COVID-19 and Highway Safety: 2020 vs. 2019

38,824 people died on U.S. roads in 2020.
Fatalities compared to 2019’s 36,355:
▲ 6.8% overall ▲ 14% unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants
▲ 21% rate per 100 million VMT ▲ 21% ejected passenger vehicle occupants
▲ 14% in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes ▲ 9.4% in single-vehicle crashes
▲ 17% in speeding-related crashes ▲ 8.5% in urban areas
▲ 11% motorcyclists ▲ 12% during nighttime
▲ 3.9% pedestrians ▲ 9.5% during weekend

Estimated 2,282,015 people injured on U.S. roads in 2020.

Injured compared to 2019’s 2,740,141:
▼ 17% overall ▼ 7.8% people in large-truck crashes
▼ 6.0% rate per 100 million VMT ▲ 4.1% large-truck occupants in single-vehicle crashes
▼ 17% drivers and passengers ▼ 10% other people in large-truck crashes
▼ 1.5% motorcyclists ▼ 40% nonoccupants in large-truck crashes
▼ 28% pedestrians
▼ 21% pedalcyclists

Estimated 5,215,071 non-fatal crashes on U.S. roads in 2020.

Non-fatal crashes compared to 2019’s 6,756,084: Travel patterns compared to 2019:
▼ 22% overall ▼ 11% overall VMT
▼ 17% injury crashes
▼ 25% property-damage-only (PDO) crashes
▼ 6.8% injury crash rate per 100 million VMT
▼ 15% PDO crash rate per 100 million VMT

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020. March 2022.
DOT HS 813 70. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of September 2022.

5-6
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

and are not usually included in roadway levels (Figure 5-2). While the number of fatal
statistics. The National Highway Traffic Safety crashes increased, injury crashes declined, as
Administration (NHTSA) has been surveilling did property-damage-only crashes—an outcome
these incidents since 2007 and released its more in line with expectations, given reduced
latest annual estimates for the 2016 through VMT.
2020 period in September 2022 [USDOT NHTSA
2022m]. NHTSA found that 12,247 people died For the year 2020, highway fatalities increased
in these non-traffic incidents over these 5 years, by 6.8 percent despite an 11 percent decrease in
an average of 2,449 people per year. On VMT. VMT rebounded in 2021 to nearly the level
average, about 87,000 people from non-traffic in 2019, and fatality projections for 2021 post
incidents were estimated to be injured each year a further increase of 10.5 percent in fatalities
as well. The number of fatalities went up each of compared to 2020.
these year too, with 3,157 fatalities in 2020. The Interestingly, the number of people injured in
number of people injured in non-traffic incidents highway crashes declined by 17 percent in
declined each year, with the low point, 66,426, 2020, and the number of non-fatal crashes
occurring in 2020. These fatalities and people decreased by 22 percent. Fender benders and
injured are normally not added to NHTSA’s similar property-damage-only crashes declined
annual totals for highway fatalities and people by 25 percent. These reductions appear to be
injured; the combined annual total in 2020 would in line with the reduction in VMT, which declined
be 8.1 percent more if the motor vehicle involved by 11 percent overall. The ratio of fatalities to
non-traffic fatalities are added in. injuries between 2019 and 2020 changed from
The figure shows the contrasts between 2019 0.0132 to 0.0170, a 28 percent increase, while
and 2020 for deaths from fatal motor vehicle the ratio of fatalities to total crashes changed
crashes, people injured in crashes, and the from 0.0054 to 0.0074, a 37 percent increase.
estimated outcomes from non-fatal crashes. The ratio of people injured to total crashes also
increased, but not as steeply—from 0.4056 in
In 2019, the calendar year before the pandemic, 2019 to 0.4346 in 2020, an increase of about
motor vehicles accounted for 36,355 fatalities 7 percent.
and 2.7 million people injured. There were
declines in fatalities in March, April, and May Differences in Highway Fatalities by Sex
2020 due to a sharp drop in driving, but motor and Age
vehicle fatalities increased dramatically in the
remaining months so that deaths for the full The number of highway fatalities varies
2020 year rose by 2,469. Projections for 2021 significantly by sex and age. Although males
anticipate a further 10.5 percent rise in fatalities comprise about half of the U.S. population
over 2020, when VMT very nearly returned to (estimated at 49 percent according to the U.S.
pre-pandemic levels. Census) and 48 percent of VMT, they accounted
for 72 percent of highway fatalities in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared About 2.6 males died in highway crashes to
a national emergency on March 13, 2020. As every 1 female that year—28,033 males vs.
shown, after the decline in deaths and VMT in 10,690 females [USDOT NHTSA 2022a].
March, April, and May, highway vehicle fatalities The number of males killed in 2020 was up
moved sharply higher in the remaining months 8.6 percent from 2019, versus 1.9 percent for
of 2020 compared to the same months in 2019, females.
even though the VMT remained below 2019

5-7
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Figure 5-2 VMT and Percentage Change in Fatalities by Month: 2019 and 2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Over-view of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020. March 2022.
DOT HS 813 70. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of September 2022.

Males, on average, drive about 6 more miles per both sexes in all age groups until age 75 and
day than females—about 22.2 versus 16.1 miles above, when they again rise [NHTSA 2022a].
[USDOT FHWA 2018]. Also, males account for
large majorities of the three categories of road Despite the continued high involvement rate
users for whom fatality numbers have risen most for teenage drivers in fatal crashes, that rate is
in recent years, accounting for about appreciably lower than in earlier decades. Many
factors contributed to this decline, including
● 71 percent of pedestrian fatalities, greater adoption of graduated licensing systems,
● 87 percent of bicycle fatalities, and restrictions on nighttime driving, and prohibiting
teenage drivers from having teenage passengers
● 92 percent of motorcycle fatalities in 2020
in their car [IIHS no date].
[IIHS no date].
Males are the drivers in 72 percent of fatal Rural/Urban Highway Fatalities
crashes and have a higher risk than females of
being the driver in fatal crashes as measured Urban area highway fatalities first exceeded
by100 million miles of vehicle travel. They are those in rural areas in 2016, a trend that has
also more likely than females to be speeding continued in subsequent years, so that in 2020
(30 vs. 20 percent) and to be alcohol impaired there were about 5,000 more urban than rural
(33 vs. 23 percent) when they are in fatal deaths (Figure 5-3). Rural fatalities decreased
crashes [IIHS no date]. by 6 percent between 2011 and 2020, while
urban fatalities increased by 49 percent [USDOT
In every age group in 2020, male drivers have NHTSA 2022d].
higher rates of involvement in fatal crashes
than females. Involvement rates for the 16 to In comparison to 2019, traffic fatalities in urban
20 year age group are the highest, with the rate areas increased by 9 percent in the pandemic
for teenage males over twice that of their female year 2020, compared to 2 percent in rural
cohort. Thereafter, involvement rates decline for areas. Urban area fatalities involving an alcohol-

5-8
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

impaired driver increased 17 percent versus were the location for 43 percent of 2020 traffic
9 percent in rural areas. Some 30 percent of the fatalities.
deaths in fatal crashes in urban areas involved
speeding, slightly more than the 28 percent in NHTSA’s analysis of fatal crashes indicates a
rural area crashes. Before the pandemic in 2019, notably slower emergency medical response
26 percent of the deaths in urban fatal crashes time in rural areas than in urban areas. In 2020,
involved speeding, compared with 27 percent in rural fatal crashes, about 37 percent of victims
rural areas. did not arrive at a hospital for 1 to 2 hours
from the time of the crash. This compares with
The overall number of rural traffic fatalities 9 percent in 2020 urban fatal crashes [USDOT
had been declining for many years, before the NHTSA (a)]. Differences in hospital arrival
slight rise during 2019. By contrast, urban traffic times could reflect such factors as emergency
fatalities had been on the rise for several years notification time, distances between crash
before the pandemic, and before the dramatic scenes and medical facilities, and ambulance
jump in 2020 [USDOT NHTSA 2022d]. Rural availability.
areas accounted for about 55 percent of fatal
crashes involving large trucks in 2020. This People Injured in Motor Vehicle Incidents
represents a decline from 63 percent in 2015
[USDOT NHTSA 2022( i) and FMCSA 2021a]. In contrast to the increase in highway fatalities
during the pandemic, people injured in motor
Yet, despite these differentials, in 2020 rural vehicle crashes dropped appreciably—by
areas continue to have a fatality rate that is 17 percent, from an estimate of 2.74 million
much higher per 100 million VMT than urban to 2.28 million between 2019 and 2020. The
areas: 1.84 in rural areas compared to 1.08 in reduction in police reported crashes including
urban areas (Figure 5-4). Accounting for only injury crashes reflects an even greater reduction
31 percent of total VMT in 2020, rural areas than people injured—down 22 percent in 2020

Figure 5-3 Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities, by Rural or Urban Location: 2010–2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Rural/Urban Comparison of Motor Vehicle
Traffic Fatalities (July 2022).

5-9
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Figure 5-4 Fatality Rates per 100 Million VMT, by Rural or Urban Location: 2010–2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Rural/Urban Comparison of Motor Vehicle
Traffic Fatalities (July 2022).

over 2019, falling by 1.5 million to 5.25 million. The human and economic costs of injuries
In contrast with the 6.8 percent increase in fatal from motor vehicle crashes are great. In 2020,
crashes in 2020, the reduction of 22 percent in there were over 463,000 motor vehicle related
injury crashes is consistent with the overall drop hospitalizations, entailing nearly $36 billion
in highway transportation activity in 2020. in direct medical costs, work loss costs of
$10 billion, and $82 billion in lost quality of
Even with the injury crash reduction, motor life, the latter being an effort to quantify the
vehicle occupants were the fifth largest category impact of injuries from the perspective of pain,
of people treated in hospital emergency rooms lost mobility, and trauma [WISQAR 2022].
for non-fatal injuries in 2020, a change from Motor vehicle injuries also result in other costs,
third largest in 2019 [USDHHS CDC WISQAR]. such as lowered household productivity, and
NHTSA estimates that about 8 percent, or indirect costs arising from traffic stoppage at
185,000, of the people injured in motor vehicle the crash site—not reflected here. The last
crashes in 2020, were incapacitated [USDOT comprehensive examination of the total costs of
NHTSA a]. In 2016, NHTSA redesigned the motor vehicle crashes was for data year 2010
nationally representative sample of police- ($836 billion) [USDOT NHTSA 2015]. With the
reported traffic crashes, which estimates the costs of motorcycle crashes accounting for
number of police-reported injury and property- $12.9 billion in economic costs and $66 billion in
damage-only crashes. Thus, it is not appropriate comprehensive societal economic costs.
to compare data for 2016 and beyond with
earlier year estimates. Also, for the data year
2020, NHTSA began reporting people injured
Other Transportation Modes
estimates to the nearest whole number, Non-highway modes—civil aviation (both
compared to the nearest thousand as in past commercial air carriers and general aviation),
years. (See Appendix D.) railroads, rail transit, water (including

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

recreational boating), and pipeline—account In 2021, 23 percent of the transit fatalities were
for slightly over 5 percent of total transportation suicides involving transit assets.
fatalities and less than 1 percent of injuries
in most years. In 2020, 2,027 people died in Water
accidents/incidents involving these non-highway
modes compared to 1,879 in 2019. Water transportation fatalities increased in the
pandemic years 2020 and 2021 as recreational
The safety record of the other modes during the boating deaths increased. Recreational boating
pandemic have been mixed. (also called boating below) accounts for the
lion’s share of water transportation fatalities in
Transit5 most years and are sufficient to make the water
mode the third highest in transportation fatalities
Transit deaths increased during the pandemic, (after highways and railroads). Boating fatalities
despite the precipitous drop in transit use were declining in the 2017–2019 period. That
beginning in March 2020 as is discussed in decline ended in 2020 when the U.S. Coast
Chapter 2 - Passenger Travel and Equity. From Guard (USCG) reported 767 fatalities in boating
268 in 2019, fatalities rose 9 percent to 289 in accidents—25 percent more than in 2019, before
2020, and then jumped a further 11 percent to the pandemic. Boating fatalities fell to 658 in
322 fatalities in 2021, the highest number since 2021 (but were still more than in 2019) [USDOT
1990 according to data reported to the Federal BTS NTS table 2-1].
Transit Administration (FTA) [USDOT FTA]. The
reason for the increase in transit fatalities during In addition to the 658 people who died in 2021,
the pandemic is unknown for now. The number an additional 2,641 people were injured, and
of reported collisions of transit vehicles dropped $67.5 million in property damage was reported.
from 23,000 in 2019 to about 17,000 in 2020, The USCG notes that non-fatal accident
rebounding to 19,000 in 2021. The data show statistics are “severely” underreported because
most of the increases in transit fatalities occurred people may be unaware that they are supposed
outside the transit vehicle (e.g., occupants to report these incidents or are unwilling to
of other vehicles, pedestrians walking along report.
tracks).
Nearly all boating fatalities happen while the
Sixty-two percent of the 2021 fatalities involved vessel is engaged in or transporting people to
transit rail, and about 38 percent involved bus. and from a recreational, fishing, or watersport
Most of the fatalities in transit-related accidents activity [USDHS USCG 2022].
are not passengers or transit employees/
contractors inside the transit vehicle. Onboard Many boating fatalities occur on calm, protected
fatalities in 2021, 20 passengers (12 on transit waters; in light winds; or with good visibility.
rail, 8 on bus) and 3 vehicle operators, together Alcohol use, operator distraction, failure to
accounted for roughly 7 percent of the transit wear life jackets, and lack of operator training
fatalities (Figure 5-5). There are more people continue to play key roles in fatal recreational
killed who are hit by the transit vehicle while boating accidents. Where power source was
waiting to be picked up or after they have been reported, just under two-thirds of the deaths
dropped off than on the vehicle. in 2021 boating accidents involved motorized
craft; the remaining one-third involved kayaks,

5
Rail transit accounts for slightly more than half of the transit fatalities reported to the Federal Transit Administration: however, commuter rail
and Port Authority Trans Hudson heavy rail safety data are counted in Federal Railroad Administration data.

5-11
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Figure 5-5 Transit Fatalities by Category: 2019, 2020, and 2021

NOTE: The number of transit patron fatalities includes both passengers on the vehicle and those transit patrons at stations who are struck while waiting
to get on or who have just gotten off the vehicle.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd as
of August 2022.

canoes, rowboats, and other non-motorized vessels, there were 84 vessel-related fatalities in
boats [USDHS USCG 2022]. In terms of 2020, down from 94 in 2019.6
number of fatalities, recreational boating has
become clearly safer over the decades. In Railroad
1980, there were twice as many fatalities as in
2021—1,360 vs. 658 [as cited in USDOT BTS Railroad fatalities declined 15 percent overall
NTS table 2-1]. As measured by the amount between 2019 and 2020, reflecting a one-
of boating activity per fatality, however, it is third decline in fatalities at rail-highway grade
less clear that recreational boating is safer, crossings. Rail fatalities rose in 2021 as both
due in part to a lack of adequate risk exposure trespassing and grade crossing fatalities
measures. The USCG currently measures the increased. Most fatalities associated with
number of fatalities per 100,000 registered railroad operations occur outside the train,
boats, but it is not known how many boats in such as people struck by trains while on track
use are unregistered, creating uncertainty about rights-of-way or people in cars struck at highway
using registered boats as an exposure metric. rail-grade crossings. Very few train passengers
or crew members die in train accidents in
As for commercial waterborne transportation, most years. Nearly all railroad-related fatalities
such as excursion boats, freighters, and fishing were “trespasser” and grade crossing fatalities

6
This does not include people who died in incidents judged not to involve the vessel, such as slips and falls. Suicides, homicides, and some
other causes of death are excluded.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

discussed further in the ignoring risks and to year-to-year variation in the number of plane
warnings section of the chapter. occupants who died. The other measure, the
GA fatal accident rate per 100,000 flight hours,
Of the people who died in railroad-related which had been trending downward for several
accidents in 2021, the Federal Railroad years to less than 1 in 2016 and 2017, has
Administration (FRA) attributes about 27 percent subsequently ticked upwards and was slightly
of the fatalities to passenger train operations and over 1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (1.049) [NTSB
the remaining fatalities to freight train operations, no date b].
which accounted for far more train-miles than
passenger train-miles [USDOT FRA OSA]. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or “drones,”
pose several challenges for aviation safety, but
Aviation as of this writing no crashes in the United States
have resulted. While there have been numerous
Air transportation fatalities totaled 349 in 2020, sightings of unauthorized drones from planes in
which were below the 2019 level (452). the air and near airports, information is currently
Aviation safety statistics can be separated too limited to determine the risks of collision with
into commercial (for-hire aviation, including planes piloted by humans or damage on the
freight and passenger air carriers, commuter ground to people or facilities.7
air carrying 10 or fewer passengers, and air
taxis) and general aviation. There were 7 years Oil/Hazardous Liquid and Gas Pipelines
between 2010 and 2020 with no passenger In 2021, 13 people died and 32 were injured in
fatalities on U.S. passenger airlines, with a total 631 pipeline incidents. Gas pipelines (especially
of 11 fatalities reported over the entire 11-year gas distribution pipelines) account for most of the
period. U.S. air carriers that only carry freight fatalities in most years and all the 2021 fatalities
had 3 fatalities in 2019. Commuter air had [USDOT PHMSA portal]. Pipeline incident
6 years with no fatalities over this period, with costs averaged $525.2 million per year over
21 total fatalities over the other 5 years. Air taxis, the period, most of which involved oil or other
an on-demand service, registered fatalities in hazardous liquid spills [USDOT PHMSA portal].
every year, averaging about 22 per year. This
compares with annual averages of 21 between As for injured people, air, railroad, water, and
2010 and 2018, 44 fatalities per year between pipeline injuries fell from about 10,500 in 2019
2000 and 2009, and about 54 fatalities annually to roughly 9,300 in the pandemic year 2020
between 1990 and 1999 [as cited in USDOT (Table 5-2). People injured on transit rail fell from
BTS NTS, table 2-1]. about 6,600 in 2019 to just under 4,100 in 2020.
On the bus and other non-rail transit modes
General aviation (GA) fatalities fell from 414 in (e.g., ferry) injured people averaged slightly less
2019 to 332 in 2020. Two other measures of than 17,000 per year between 2016 and 2019,
general aviation safety trends showed a mixed but then declined to slightly more than 11,000
record. One measure, the number of fatal in 2020 when far fewer people took transit, and
accidents, continued its steady decline from then rose again to about 12,000 in 2021 [USDOT
over 400 per year in the early 1990s to 227 in BTS NTS table 2-2 and USDOT FTA].
2019 and 205 in 2020. The number of fatal
crashes differs from the number of fatalities due

7
UAS sightings and near misses are further discussed in USDOT BTS Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2018, p. 6–8.

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

On-the-Job Transportation- In 2020, 857 people died in work zones, a

14 year high. Of these, 51 were work zone
Related Facilities and Injuries
workers. About 44,000 people were injured in
Transportation incidents accounted for the most crashes in work zones in 2020, including roughly
frequent cause of on-the-job fatalities in 2020. 600 pedestrians. The data suggest that most of
those injured or killed in crashes in work zones
There was a drop in overall on-the-job fatalities
are people in vehicles, not workers in the work
in 2020, reflecting the impact of the pandemic
zone [USDOT NHTSA].
on employment. While transportation accounts
for about 40–45 percent of on-the-job fatalities in
most years, that share fell to 37.3 percent in the
Harassment and Crime in
first year of the pandemic. Some 1,778 workers Transportation Facilities and
died in job-related transport incidents in 2020, Vehicles
down from 2,122 fatalities in 2019, according
People using any transportation mode are to
to the latest census by the Bureau of Labor
some extent vulnerable to harassment and
Statistics (BLS) [USDOL BLS 2022].
crime, whether when walking on a sidewalk,
Motor-vehicle operators accounted for roughly parking a car, leaving a bike at a place of
half of on-the-job transportation-related work, or waiting for or sitting on a bus or light
fatalities (993); of that total, heavy or tractor rail train. While such risks always accompany
trailer truck drivers accounted for 776 fatalities. transportation trips, they have received wide
Drivers had the eighth highest occupational attention during the pandemic, especially in the
fatality rate (25.8 deaths per 100,000 workers). air and transit modes, as highlighted below.
There were 50 fatalities among aircraft pilots
and flight engineers, giving them the third Unruly Airline Passengers
highest occupational injury fatality rate per
Interfering with a crewmember’s ability to
100,000 full time equivalent workers—34.3 (the
carry out duties is a violation of Federal law.
fatal injury rate for all workers was 3.4 per
Firm data on the number of such incidents
100,000 workers). Transportation events
are not available, but the Federal Aviation
accounted for under 6 percent of the non-fatal
Administration (FAA) does investigate incidents
occupational injuries and illnesses in 2018
reported by crewmembers. The number of new
[USDOL BLS 2019].8
investigations jumped to 1,099 in 2021 from
Construction and maintenance of the Nation’s 146 in 2019. A high proportion of these incidents
highways often take place while traffic is flowing involved mask wearing [USDOT FAA].
in close proximity, creating dangerous conditions
for highway workers and for people in passing Crimes on Transit Vehicles or at Transit
vehicles. Short of stopping traffic altogether, all Facilities
measures used to separate work zones from
traffic present risks to both workers and those in Data indicate that murders increased from 18 in
vehicles, whether concrete barriers separating 2019 to 31 in 2020, before falling to 24 in 2021.
traffic lanes, barrels filled with sand or water, or Rapes declined as did robberies and assaults.
workers holding handheld flags to route traffic on The data are from jurisdictions serving at least
two-lane highways.

8
Includes non-fatal occupational injuries/illnesses requiring at least 1 day away from work.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

50,000 people and operating 30 vehicles or more accidents, and outcomes, such as operator
[USDOT BTS NTS table 2-38].9 inattention, mechanical problems, hazards in
the environment or infrastructure, and risky
Suspected Crimes on Cruise Ships behaviors. Most of these apply to some degree
to all modes of transportation.
Cruise ship companies that pick up or drop off
passengers in the United States are expected Numerous human (e.g., operator) factors and
to report suspected on-board criminal activity to vehicle-related factors, as well as circumstances
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and in the surrounding environment, may contribute
to make quarterly reports to USDOT. Of the to crashes. The most commonly cited human
130 alleged crimes reported to the FBI in 2019, factors noted in accident reports involve
101 involved sexual assaults, 15 were property driver or operator errors or risky behaviors,
thefts of $10,000 or more, and 5 were serious such as speeding, not using available safety
assaults. While no homicides were reported, equipment, and operating vehicles or carrying
there was 1 report of a suspicious death, and out transportation operations while under the
2 missing U.S. nationals. There was very little influence of alcohol or drugs, or while distracted
cruise ship activity in 2020 and 2021, due to the or fatigued. These often occur in combination.
pandemic, with few incidents reported by the
cruise lines [USDOT] In 2020, at least one driver-related factor was
cited in 54.6 percent of fatal crashes, with
Harassment speeding, under the influence of alcohol, drugs,
or medication and operating vehicle in a careless
A recent survey of 892 students at San Jose manner as the top 3 factors. In contrast, about
State University found that 63 percent of the one-third (31.6 percent) of large truck drivers
participants that rode transit experienced some in fatal crashes had at least one driver-related
form of harassment while using transit. The most factor, with speeding, distraction, and impairment
common form was obscene/harassing language (including fatigue) the top 3 in 2019 [USDOT
(41 percent), but 22 percent had been stalked, FMCSA 2021].
18 percent subjected to indecent exposure, and
11 percent had been groped or subjected to Vehicle-related factors also play a role. These
inappropriate touching. Women were especially, include equipment- and maintenance-related
although not exclusively, harassment victims, failures (e.g., tire separations, defective brakes
reporting roughly twice as much harassment as or landing gear, engine failure, and worn-
male respondents, and were much more likely to out parts) [USGAO 2003]. In 2019, vehicle
say that they were less likely to take transit as a factors, most commonly tires, were recorded
result—45 vs. 7 percent [MINETA 2020]. for 5.3 percent of large trucks and 2.6 percent
of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes
[USDOT FMCSA 2021].
Potential Contributing Factors
to Transportation Crashes and Factors related to the surrounding environment
include roadway or bridge condition,
Accidents
infrastructure design (e.g., short runway, no
Many factors have been identified that road shoulders), hazards (e.g., utility poles at
may contribute to transportation crashes, the side of the road, hidden rocks under water),

9
Security events must meet the National Transit Database reporting threshold i.e., injury requiring immediate transport away from the scene,
fatality, an evacuation for life-safety reasons, or estimated property damage equal to or exceeding $25,000.

5-15
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

and operating conditions (e.g., fog, turbulence, crashes. In 2020, 35 percent of male drivers
choppy waters, wildfire, wet roads). About involved in fatal crashes in the 15- to 20-year-
10 percent of fatal highway vehicle crashes take old age groups were speeding at the time of the
place in adverse weather. crashes, compared to 18 percent of the female
drivers in the same age group. This difference
In some cases, a single factor is the clear cause among the sexes was evident in all age groups,
of the accident (e.g., cars falling into a river due even for those 75 and older, albeit the difference
to a sudden bridge collapse or a tree falling on narrows with age.
a passing car). But often it is hard to delineate
among the various factors. In the case of general Speeding coupled with drinking is common in
aviation, many accidents occur in bad weather highway crashes. Specifically, 37 percent of
when the consequences of human error are speeding drivers in fatal crashes in 2020 were
magnified by outside conditions. The same is found to have a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or above
true with recreational boating, where operator compared to 17 percent among non-speeding
inattention, inexperience, and alcohol use may drivers in fatal crashes. About 53 percent of
act in combination to lessen reactions to, say, an the passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal
impending storm. crashes who were speeding in 2020 were not
wearing seat belts at the time of the crash,
Speeding versus 24 percent of passenger vehicle drivers
in fatal crashes who were not speeding, based
Excessive speed is the fifth greatest known on known restraint use [USDOT NHTSA 2022a].
factor contributing to boating accidents, and
excessive speed is often found in National Alcohol Abuse
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
investigations of transit and railroad mishaps. Forty-nine States, Puerto Rico, and the District
of Columbia make it illegal to drive when an
Speeding tops the law enforcement notation adult has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
list for drivers of both passenger vehicles and of 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL). One state,
large trucks in fatal crashes. In 2020, 11,258 Utah, has a more stringent limit of 0.05 g/dL.
out of the 38,824 people killed in motor vehicle A lower threshold exists for commercial vehicle
crashes involved speeding. This was 1,666 more operators—0.04 g/dL. All states have more
than in 2019, and a 17 percent increase. Prior stringent thresholds for drivers under the age
to this increase, speeding-related fatalities had of 21—ranging from zero alcohol to 0.02 g/dL
been falling, dropping by over 1,000 and from [USDHHS NIH NIAAA].
31 to 26 percent of highway fatalities in the prior
10 years. About 34 percent of motorcyclists in Drivers whose BACs are at or above these
fatal crashes in 2020 were speeding, the highest thresholds are considered to be alcohol-
share among vehicle driver types, as were impaired or inebriated. Using the 0.08 g/dL as a
22 percent of passenger car drivers, 16 percent criterion, National Highway Safety Administration
of light-truck drivers, and 7 percent of large-truck (NHTSA) estimates that, in 2020, an average
drivers. With the exception of large truck drivers, of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred
the percentage of speeders increased for all every 45 minutes [USDOT NHTSA 2022h].
vehicle types between 2019 and 2020.
As shown in Table 5-3, in 2020, 11,654 people
Males, especially young males, account for died in motor vehicle crashes in which at least
a high proportion of speeding drivers in fatal one driver had a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or higher; this

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Table 5-3 Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in Highway Crashes: 2010 and
2017–2020
Mode 2010 2017 2018 2019 2020
TOTAL fatalities 32,999 37,473 36,835 36,355 38,824
BAC = 0.00
Number 21,005 24,589 24,186 24,251 25,038
Percent 64 66 66 67 64
Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (BAC = 0.01+) 11,906 12,775 12,560 12,029 13,695
Percent 36 34 34 33 35
BAC = 0.01–0.07
Number 1,771 1,895 1,850 1,834 2,041
Percent 5 5 5 5 5
BAC = 0.08+
Number 10,136 10,880 10,710 10,196 11,654
Percent 31 29 29 28 30
KEY: BAC = blood alcohol concentration.
NOTES: Total fatalities include those in which there was no driver or motorcycle rider present. BAC values have been assigned by U.S. Department of
Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when alcohol test results are unknown. Alcohol-related crashes pertain to the
BAC of the driver and nonoccupants struck by motor vehicles. For some years, numbers for Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (BAC = 0.01+) may not
add to totals due to rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving
(Annual Issues)..

was an increase in deaths of nearly 1,500 from levels by many organizations. Broad acceptance
2019 and the most since 2008. Fatalities in of the 0.08 g/dL standard dates to the 1990s
alcohol-impaired-driving crashes remain below as increasing numbers of states adopted this
the 2000 level, which was above 13,000.10 standard and a federal law-imposed penalties
on states that did not adopt this standard.
Many inebriated drivers have a BAC that greatly New measures continue to be put forward to
exceeds the 0.08 g/dL level and/or are repeat further reduce fatalities related to drunk driving.
offenders. In 2020, two thirds of the fatalities in According to the Governors Highway Safety
alcohol-impaired driving crashes had a driver Association, 44 states, the District of Columbia,
with a BAC of 0.15 g/dL or above—nearly twice and 1 territory have adopted additional
the inebriation threshold. Impaired drivers in fatal penalties that kick in when a driver has a
crashes were also 4 times more likely to have BAC substantially higher than 0.08 g/dL, most
a prior DWI conviction in the last 5 years then commonly 0.15 g/dL. Some 19 states require all
drivers in fatal crashes in which no alcohol was DUI offenders to use ignition interlocks (requiring
involved [USDOT NHTSA 2022h]. use of a breathalyzer before the vehicle will
The nationwide effort to reduce drunk driving start), while 11 others require interlocks for
has gained momentum over decades through repeat offenders. A majority of states have
concerted efforts at the local, state and federal adopted laws restricting open containers and

10
According to the USDOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an alcohol-impaired crash involves at least one driver or motorcycle
rider with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of at least 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL). Crashes where the BAC of the driver or rider
measures over 0.01 are considered alcohol-related or alcohol-involved crashes.

5-17
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

The estimated economic costs of alcohol-

Figure 5-6 Fatalities, by Role, in Crashes impaired crashes in 2010 was $44 billion, and
Involving at Least One Driver $201.1 billion when quality of life considerations
with a BAC of 0.08 or Higher: were included. This is nearly one-fourth of the
2020 $836 billion estimated total societal cost of motor
vehicle accidents in 2010 [USDOT NHTSA
2018c].

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) found alcohol

use to be the primary contributing cause in
16 percent of fatal boating accidents in 2021,
resulting in 113 fatalities; drug use was the
primary contributing factor in 5 accidents,
resulting in 4 fatalities [USDHS USCG 2022]. As
of January 1, 2019, 48 States and the District of
Columbia limit BAC to 0.08 g/dL for operators of
recreational boats. The remaining two States—
North Dakota and South Carolina—have a
0.10 g/dL standard [USDHHS NIH NIAAA].

NOTE: Nonoccupants includes pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and others Drugs and Fatal Crashes
not listed.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Many states test drivers for presence of alcohol
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-
Impaired Driving 2020 (April 2022). and drugs after fatal crashes.11 A study by the
Governors Highway Safety Association analyzed
the results of these tests in 2016, finding that
repeat offender requirements that meet federal
among drivers in fatal crashes that were tested
standards [GHSA no date a].
for drugs and/or alcohol, about 44 percent tested
Figure 5-6 displays categories of people who positive for drugs and just under 38 percent
died in fatal crashes when the driver had a tested positive for alcohol. More than half of
BAC of 0.08 g/dL or higher in 2020. Drivers those testing positive for drugs were positive for
accounted for 7,281 (62 percent) of the fatalities; two or more drugs, and over 40 percent were
3,148 (27 percent) were either passengers in also positive for alcohol. The tests were for
a vehicle with an impaired driver or occupants any presence of alcohol or drugs in the driver’s
of other vehicles, and 1,225 were pedestrians system. The study noted that presence of drugs
or other nonoccupants (11 percent). Some does not imply impairment [GHSA 2018]. Since
27 percent of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes 1991,12 Federal transportation agencies have
were alcohol-impaired, the highest share among required testing on the job for safety-sensitive
highway motor vehicle driver types. transportation operators and workers in many
industries.13

11
Driving while under the influence may include by any legal or illegal substance such as alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines, or
any potentially impairing prescribed or over the counter drugs.
12
The testing is required by the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, Public law 102-143.
13
For citations to Federal regulations and minimum standards for required random testing rates under regulations issued by the USDOT
operating administrations and the U.S. Coast Guard, see Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2018, box
6-C, page 6-17.

5-18
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Distraction and Fatigue distracted when struck (e.g., walkers using a cell
phone while crossing a street).
Distracted and fatigued vehicle operators are
found in all modes of transportation, including Although many activities (e.g., eating, sipping
airline pilots, bus drivers, train engineers, and coffee, smoking, grooming, tending to a child)
tugboat operators [NTSB 2016]. In the case of are distracting to drivers, such activities can also
recreational boating, operator inattention was distract bicyclists, pedestrians, and other vehicle
cited as the top contributing factor in all boating operators. Cell phone use and texting have
accidents (non-fatal as well as fatal) in 2021, received the most attention as these devices
according to the U.S. Coast Guard—resulting in have attained nearly universal usage in the last
41 deaths and 398 injuries [USDHS USCG]. few years. Eight percent of all fatal crashes in
2020 (2,880) were affected by driver distraction.
As for motor vehicles, the number of fatalities in In 354 of these, a cell phone was in use at the
distraction-affected highway crashes declined time of the crash. Twenty six States, the District
from 2015 to 2020, from 3,526 in 2015 to of Columbia, and Puerto Rico prohibit drivers’
3,142 or 8 percent of total motor vehicle related use of handheld cell phones, and 48 states plus
fatalities in 2020 (Figure 5-7). Drivers aged the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico ban
25 to 35 represent 25 percent of all distracted texting while driving.
drivers involved in fatal crashes [USDOT
NHTSA 2022f]. Vehicle occupants comprised Drowsy driving was found to be a factor in
81 percent of fatalities in distraction-affected 579 fatal crashes (about 1.6 percent), resulting
crashes in 2020. In addition, 587 nonoccupants, in 633 fatalities in 2020 [USDOT NHTSA online
mostly pedestrians, died in these crashes. It is a]. However, it is likely that the role of fatigue in
not known how many nonoccupants were also crashes has been underestimated [AAA 2018].

Figure 5-7 People Killed in Distracted-Driving Crashes: 2010–2020

NOTE: Distracted driving involves any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving, such as texting, using a cell
phone, eating and drinking, grooming, using a navigation system, adjusting a radio, etc.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, Research Note, Distracted Driving
2020 and previous editions, available at www.nhtsa.gov as of August 2022..

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

New research, facilitated by use of dash-cam Highway rail-grade crossing fatalities averaged
video, may make more accurate estimation about 247 per year in the 10 year span ending in
possible. In 2018, the AAA Foundation for Traffic 2021, or roughly one-third of all railroad-related
Safety examined dash-cam footage of drivers fatalities. This compares to 550 deaths per year
in the moments before 589 crashes and found in the 1990s. In 2021, there were 237 fatalities
drowsiness in about 11 percent of crashes at grade crossings, [as cited in USDOT BTS
[AAA 2018]. NTS].14

Distracted or inattentive driving by commercial Suicide accounted for an even higher proportion
motor vehicle drivers was a contributing factor of transit fatalities—23 percent in 2021, with all
in approximately 5.3 percent of fatal crashes but 6 of the 74 suicides involving transit rail (see
involving large trucks in 2019. In addition, truck Figure 5-5).
driver impairment (e.g., fatigue, drugs/alcohol,
illness, etc.) was a factor in 4.7 percent of these Suicides involving motor vehicles are seldom
fatal crashes [USDOT FMCSA 2021a]. officially reported and data are insufficient to
determine their frequency. Crash investigations
Ignoring Risks and Warnings sometimes identify suicide as a cause of
plane crashes, but frequency data are seldom
Ignoring warnings is a problem common across compiled. Better data on the number and
all transportation modes, whether a changing circumstances of transportation-related suicide
traffic light, a railroad crossing signal, or could be useful in devising approaches and
instructions to wear life jackets on boats. The countermeasures for addressing this sizeable
sheer number of railroad trespassers dying and continuing problem.
each year equal or exceed the number of
deaths in the transit or air modes in most years. Countermeasures to Reduce
After reaching an historic low of 399 in 2011,
Safety Risks
trespasser fatalities have since risen, averaging
about 530 per year. In 2020, the first full year of Many studies over the years have concluded
the pandemic, trespasser fatalities fell to 520, but that safety devices, such as flotation devices
then increased to 625 in 2021, the most since for boaters, seat belts, frontal air bags, child
at least 1975. While trespassers accounted for restraints, and motorcycle helmets, help save
about 61 percent of the total railroad fatalities lives and reduce injuries in crashes and other
between 2010 and 2019, the 2021 number transportation incidents. About 81 percent of
comprised 69 percent of the 902 railroad deaths people who died in boating accidents in 2021
that year. drowned, and 83 percent of those who drowned
were not wearing a life jacket [USDHS USCG
A report by the USDOT Federal Railroad 2022].
Administration (FRA) found that about three-
fourths of fatalities in the 10 counties with the Over time, occupant protection devices,
highest trespasser fatalities occurred within advances in vehicle design, improved road and
1,000 feet of a highway rail-grade crossing infrastructure design, graduated driver licensing
[USDOT FRA 2018]. for teenagers, safety campaigns, enforcement of
drunk-driving laws, and many other preventative
measures contributed to declines in highway

14
Counts of highway grade-crossing fatalities are reported to both rail and highway agencies. In table 5-1, to avoid double-counting, these
fatalities are included in the overall count for highways, but not for rail.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

vehicle and other transportation fatalities and cases where restraint use was noted by officials
injuries [KAHANE, MASTEN]. Advancements at the crash scene) [USDOT NHTSA 2022m].
in emergency medical response capabilities NHTSA estimated that seat belts saved about
and treatment also played important roles. 14,955 lives in 2017 [USDOT NHTSA 2019].
Installation of crash avoidance technologies in
new vehicles and conveyances are also working Among states and territories in 2020, observed
to ensure vehicles are becoming safer than ever seat belt use ranged from a low of 68.3 percent
before. in South Dakota to a high of 97.1 percent in
Hawaii. States with primary enforcement laws,
Seat Belt Use allowing police to ticket vehicle occupants
solely for not wearing seat belts, have higher
About 90 percent of front seat occupants of belt usage (91 percent in 2021) than states with
passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and sport weaker or no enforcement (88 percent) [USDOT
utility vehicles (SUVs) used safety belts in 2020 NHTSA 2021].
and 2021, up from 71 percent in 2000 and
85 percent in 2010 [USDOT NHTSA 2021]. Rear Helmet Use
seat occupants had a lower rate of seat belt
use—about 80 percent in 2020 and 78 percent Good helmets can be effective in protecting
in 2021. Pickup truck occupants had the lowest people from head injuries when riding
usage at 85 percent in 2020 (Table 5-4). motorcycles, bicycles, and the increasing
number of human powered or motorized
Fifty-one percent of passenger vehicle personal transportation devices, such as two-
occupants killed in 2020 were unrestrained. As wheel scooters, skateboards, and e-scooters
for fatal crash survivors in 2020, 84 percent used [MINETA]. Helmets not only protect riders in
restraints, while 16 percent did not (based on collisions, but from falls, which are common.

Table 5-4 Safety Belt and Motorcycle Helmet Use: 2010 and 2018–2021
Mode 2010 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Overall safety belt use a
85 90 90 91 90 90
Drivers 86 90 90 91 91 91
Right-Front Passengers 83 88 89 90 90 89
Passenger cars 86 91 90 91 91 91
Vans and sport utility vehicles 88 92 92 93 92 92
Pickup trucks 75 83 84 86 86 85
Motorcycle helmet use ab
54 65 71 71 69 65
Operators 55 68 71 75 69 67
Passengers 51 51 69 48 72 52
a
Seat belt use is as of the Fall each year. Motorcycle helmet use is as of the Fall each year.
b
Only those operators and riders wearing safety helmets that met U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards are counted. Those safety
helmets that do not meet DOT standards are treated as if the operator/rider were not wearing a helmet.
KEY: U = data are unavailable.
NOTE: Occupants of commercial and emergency vehicles are excluded.
SOURCES: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts: Research Notes, Seat
Belt Use (Annual issues); and Motorcycle Helmet Use—Overall Results (Annual issues). Available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov as of August 2022 as
cited in USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-30, available at http://www.bts.gov as of August 2022.

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

NHTSA estimates that DOT-compliant helmets15 location is often wherever the last rider left the
are 37 percent effective in preventing fatal micromobility device, and helmet use by new
injuries to motorcycle riders and 41 percent riders often is not monitored. Box 5-B describes
effective for motorcycle passengers [USDOT the safety issues associated with the emergence
NHTSA 2022c]. In 2017, according to NHTSA, of e-scooters and other powered mobility devices
helmets saved the lives of 1,872 motorcyclists in U.S. cities.
[USDOT NHTSA 2019]. Overall usage of DOT-
compliant helmets has fluctuated in recent years Training and Refresher Training
(table 5-4), reaching a high of 71 percent in 2018
and 2019 before falling to 65 percent in 2021 For all transportation modes, operator training
(with a 4 percent drop between 2020 and 2021) can enhance safety. Driver education courses for
[USDOT NHTSA 2022b]. high school students under the age of 18 are a
prerequisite for a driver’s license in many states,
In 1975, 47 states and the District of Columbia and a certain degree of proficiency is expected.
had adopted universal helmet use laws that Commercial driving licenses require training on
required motorcycle helmets for all riders, but the type of highway equipment the driver seeks
many states subsequently made their helmet to operate.
laws less restrictive [COSGROVE]. In 2021, only
18 states and the District of Columbia continued The Federal Aviation Administration requires
to have universal helmet use laws—29 states pilots to have not only pilot licenses but also
required helmet use for only a subset of riders, currency (i.e., recent flying experience), even in
such as people under 21, and 3 states (Illinois, general aviation. In the case of general aviation,
Iowa, and New Hampshire) had no helmet loss of control of the aircraft while maneuvering
requirements [NHTSA 2022b] (Figure 5-8). is the single biggest cause of fatal general
aviation crashes, and pilot error is a major
Helmet use has long been advocated for bicycle reason [USDOT FAA].
riders, and many states have laws requiring
children riding bicycles to wear helmets but Many general aviation crashes occur each
no similar requirement for adults, who account year when pilots who are not instrument rated
for the most fatalities and injuries. A study (licensed to fly using instruments in the plane
of 76,000 bicyclists treated in hospitals and when visibility is limited) or who are deficient
intensive care units for head and neck injuries in their instrument flying skills unexpectedly
between 2002 and 2012 found only 22 percent encounter adverse weather conditions that they
of the adult bicyclists wore helmets, and only are ill-prepared to handle [SKYBRARY].
12 percent of injured children under 17 wore Most states require mandatory recreational
helmets [SCOTT ET AL]. boating education and safety training courses,
Helmet use (or lack thereof) is also a prominent but eight states do not (Alaska, Arizona,
issue in many cities where battery powered California, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota, Utah,
e-bikes, e-scooters, and a range of other so- and Wyoming). About 43 percent of U.S. boat
called micromobility devices are in use. Many owners have taken a boating safety course.
of these devices are for rent, and often used Most boating fatalities occur on vessels in which
by novice riders in traffic or on sidewalks. the operator had no formal instruction in boating
Due to apps on smart phones, the rental safety. Only 16 percent of deaths in fatal boating

15
DOT-compliant helmets provide a standard of protection specified in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 218, which includes
standards for energy attenuation, penetration resistance, chin strap structural integrity, and labeling requirements.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

accidents in 2021 occurred in boats operated by (e.g., broken taillight) at around 12 percent.
a person known to have received a certificate Among many other reasons given for stops were
for boating safety from a nationally approved seatbelt violations (about 3 percent), cell phone
provider [USDHS USCG 2022]. violations (about 2 percent), and sobriety checks
(about 1 percent).
Monitoring and Enforcement of Safety
In 2017, according to the FBI, law enforcement
Standards
agencies across the country made just under
Traffic safety enforcement can encourage good 1 million arrests for driving under the influence
driving habits (e.g., wearing a safety belt) and (DUI). Males accounted for three out of four
discourage unsafe behaviors (e.g., speeding, DUI arrests [USDOJ FBI]. Studies have
impaired driving). According to the Bureau shown sobriety checkpoints are an effective
of Justice Statistics, about 8.1 percent of countermeasure to reduce alcohol-impaired
the Nation’s 231 million drivers in 2018 were driving. Such checkpoints reduce alcohol-
stopped by police. In 2015, speeding was related crashes by roughly 20 percent [USDHHS
the leading reason, accounting for about CDC 2015]. Not all states authorize these
41 percent of stops, followed by vehicle defects checkpoints, however.

Figure 5-8 Percentages of Motorcyclists Killed Not Wearing a Helmet, by State Helmet Use Law:
2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2021—Overall Results. DOT
HS 813 70. March 2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of August 2022.

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Box 5-B Micromobility Safety and Shared Travelways

Before the pandemic, the number of bikeshare and e-scooter systems reached almost 300, serving more than
200 cities, but many suspended operations at least temporarily in 2020. These devices are seen by some
transportation planners as a solution to the “last mile problem,” making it easier for people to get to and from
their homes to transit stations and to their ultimate destinations. Speed is an issue as riders on some of these
mobility devices can cruise at 15 miles per hour or even faster—a speed too fast for most pedal bicyclists to
maintain, too slow for highways, and too fast for sidewalks.

Rider safety, and to some extent pedestrian safety, are a concern as rental opportunities for these devices
have proliferated. Some users don’t wear helmets and training even for first time users is often limited to
tutorials presented on the app. Sidewalk and road maintenance is also an issue, as riders can be bumped off
by cracks and other imperfections in the sidewalk or potholes. Scooters and other devices left on sidewalks
can also be a tripping hazard for pedestrians, especially the el-derly and vision impaired.

Data on injuries from these fast-growing transportation options are limited. A study by the Federal Consumer
Products Safety Commission (CPSC) examined injury, fatality, and hazard patterns covering just e-scooters,
e-bikes, and hoverboards in the 2017 through 2020 period. It found that injured riders of these devices who
were treated in emergency departments increased from 34,000 in 2017 to 57,700 in 2020. The number of
fatalities increased from 5 to 24 over this period [US CPSC].

CPSC conducted follow up on 142 e-scooter visits to emergency departments, finding that renters comprised
28 percent of the visits; 57 percent of injuries were on paved roads, and 79 percent were wearing a helmet.

Micromobility mishaps often go unreported to police unless a motor vehicle is involved. Riders often go to
hospital emergency rooms for treatment of their injuries if they fall or run into something, but many hospitals
do not separately keep data on scooter injuries. Some cities with widespread scooter use, such as Austin, TX,
are collecting data, but coverage is spotty. As more e-scooters and other kinds of personal or micromobility
devices appear on sidewalks, streets, and other public ways, complete data about safety risks will be crucial to
developing strategies to reduce injuries.

The USDOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety inspectors, about a million fewer inspections
Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for then in 2019 before the pandemic, and the
reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities number of safety inspectors fell from 13,588 to
involving commercial motor carriers such as 12,760, with the number of inspections declining
trucks and buses. In 2020, there were roughly from 3.5 million to 2.6 million [USDOT FMCSA
590,000 interstate freight carriers (including 2021b].
a large number of self-employed truckers),
36,600 intrastate hazardous material (HazMat) In 2020, regulators sent 14 percent fewer
carriers (in addition to those HazMat carriers warning letters to motor carriers whose safety
counted in the interstate freight carrier category), data showed a lack of compliance with safety
and 10,800 interstate passenger carriers regulations and whose safety performance
(e.g., bus companies). That year, there were was unacceptable. The number of warnings fell
about 2.5 million roadside inspections of trucks from 26,379 in 2019 to 22,686 in 2020 [USDOT
and buses conducted by state and federal FMCSA no date]. Inspections may reveal

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

violations that must be corrected before the reporting system applies to oil, gas, and other
driver or vehicle can return to service. In 2019, hazardous liquid pipelines.
vehicle violations, such as defective lights, worn
tires, or brake defects, put about 21 percent of There are about 1 million daily shipments of
inspected trucks out-of-service until corrected. hazardous materials by land, water, and air
Truck driver violations put about 5 percent transportation modes. Table 5-5 shows that, in
of drivers out-of-service, often due to non- 2021, over 23,700 hazardous materials incidents
compliance with hours-of-service regulations. (excluding pipeline incidents) associated with
Comparable numbers for motor coaches these shipments were reported to the USDOT
(e.g., intercity buses) were about 6.5 percent Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration
for vehicle violations and 4.8 percent for driver (PHMSA)—up about 2,000 from 2020 [USDOT
violations. FMCSA estimated that carrier PHMSA portal].
interventions saved 212 lives and prevented Most hazardous materials incidents occur
7,136 crashes and 3,965 injuries in fiscal year during the storage or handling of the materials,
2014, the last year of published data [USDOT such as manipulating containers or loading
FMCSA 2018]. and unloading them for transport. Of the
U.S. railroads, most of which are privately total incidents shown in Table 5-5, about
owned and operated, are responsible for 4,500 occurred during loading and 11,000 during
maintaining their own track and rolling stock unloading. Spillage during transport accounted
in a state of good repair adequate to meet for additional incidents. Vehicle crashes or train
public safety requirements. Railroad operators derailments account for a relatively small share
must comply with detailed track inspection of the incidents—PHMSA’s database shows
standards promulgated by the Federal Railroad 7 vehicular crashes and 8 rollovers in 2021—
Administration. As is discussed in the section on although these may have major community
the deployment of innovations, some railroads impacts.
are exploring technology to partially automate The above incidents do not include pipelines,
the inspection process. which are reported separately to PHMSA. In
2018, the United States had 215,993 miles of
Hazardous Materials oil pipeline and 2,542,504 miles of gas pipeline.
Transportation Table 5-6 shows the severity of pipeline incidents
from 2010 through 2021 in terms of fatalities,
Special precautions are needed when handling,
injured people, property damage, and liquid
packaging, and transporting hazardous materials
spilled. Year-to-year variation in the number
(chemicals or items that pose a risk to public
of hazardous liquid incidents is evident, with
safety, property or the environment when
no consistent trend apparent. The number of
transported in commerce). Specialized safety
barrels of oil moved by pipeline increased from
regulations, standards, and reporting systems
594 million barrels in 2010 to 1,484 million
apply to hazardous materials transported by rail,
in 2019, 1,159 in 2020, and 1,165 in 2021.
highway, air, and marine vehicles. A separate
[USDOT BTS NTS].

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

Table 5-5 Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents: 2010 and 2017–2021

Mode 2010 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
TOTAL Incidents 14,805 17,485 19,725 22,565 21,542 23,706
TOTAL vehicular accident/derailment incidents 358 290 312 256 168 106
Vehicular accident-related percent of total incidents 2.4% 1.7% 1.6% 1.1% 0.8% 0.4%
Air 1,295 1,159 1,327 1,489 1,443 951
Vehicular accident-related 2 15 5 10 4 2
Highway 12,658 15,744 17,882 20,648 19,717 22,372
Vehicular accident-related 320 251 280 220 133 79
Rail 747 573 507 422 380 378
Vehicular accident-related/derailment incidents 35 24 27 26 31 25
Water1 105 9 9 6 2 5
Vehicular accident-related 1 0 0 0 0 0
1
Water include only packages (nonbulk) marine. Non-packaged (bulk) marine hazardous material incidents are reported to the U.S. Coast Guard and are
not included.
NOTES: Incidents are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): 49 CFR 171.15 and 171.16 (Form F 5800.1). Accident-related are the result of
a vehicular crash or accident damage (e.g., a train derailment).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, HAZMAT
Intelligence Portal, available at https://hip.phmsa.dot.gov/ as reported in National Transportation Statistics, table 2-6, as of October 2022.

Rail Tank Car Safety and/or community evacuations in the United

States or Canada [AP NEWS]. In Canada, a
The rapid growth in crude oil shipments by 2013 rail catastrophe in Lac-Marantic, Quebec,
freight rail was a surprising transportation involving Bakken crude oil being transported to
trend in the second decade of this century. Rail a refinery in Maine, resulted in 47 deaths and
shipments grew from 23.7 million barrels in substantial property destruction in the town.
2010 to a peak of 382.0 million in 2014, before
declining to a 2021 level that was still roughly Under a 2015 law,16 the Bureau of Transportation
5 times that of 2010 (117.6 million barrels) Statistics (BTS) assembles and collects data on
[USDOE EIA]. Great concern arose over the rail tank cars transporting Class 3 flammable
suitability of rail tank cars used to transport this liquids17 in order to track the progress of
oil, after a series of dramatic oil train accidents upgrades to the rail tank car fleet to meet new
between 2013 and 2016. At least 13 oil train safety requirements. By the end of 2029, rail
derailments or other accidents took place in that tank cars carrying class 3 flammable liquids must
period that resulted in explosions, fires, oil spills,

16
Section 7308 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act; P. L. 114-94; Dec. 4, 2015).
17
A flammable liquid (Class 3) is a liquid with a flash point of not more than 60 °C (140 °F) or any material in a liquid phase with a flash point
at or above 37.8 °C (100 °F) that is intentionally heated and offered for transportation or transported at or above its flash point in a bulk
packaging. This includes liquids such as refined petroleum products, crude oil, and ethanol.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

meet the DOT-117 or DOT-117R (retrofitted) tank cars that meet or exceed the new standards
specification or equivalent.18 [USDOT BTS 2021].

In 2020, new and retrofitted DOT-117 rail tank

cars grew to 54 percent of the entire fleet used
Future Development of
to carry Class 3 flammable liquids, compared Innovations
to 8 percent in 2016. Of these, 52 percent NHTSA data on new car safety have shown that
(30,883 tank cars) are new, and 48 percent new vehicles are safer than older vehicles, but
(28,803 tank cars) are retrofitted. It is expected these data are not fine-tuned enough to take
that by the end of the transition period in 2029, automated driver assistance and automated
all Class 3 flammable liquids will be carried in rail driving technologies into account. Several high-
profile crashes involving vehicles equipped

18
DOT-117 (TC-117 in Canada): A non-pressurized tank car with a shell thickness of 9/16 of an inch and insulating material that provides
thermal protection. Additionally, DOT-117s have a skin that holds the insulation and thermal protection in place and doubles as additional
protection from punctures. The tank cars have protected top fittings, a fully protected head shield, and a bottom outlet valve with an enhanced
handle designed to prevent the tank car from emptying its contents in an incident. All the enhancements are designed to protect the tank
from being punctured and to prevent the valves from being disrupted. DOT-117R tank cars are cars that have been retrofitted to meet the 117
specifications

Table 5-6 All Reported Hazardous Liquid and Gas Incidents: 2010–2021
Property
Number of Damage As Barrels Spilled Net Barrels
Year Incidents Fatalities Injuries Reported (M$) (Haz. Liq.) Lost (Haz. Liq.)
2010 577 22 108 $1,690 100,558 49,452
2011 578 13 55 $425 89,110 57,375
2012 558 12 57 $227 45,884 29,247
2013 611 9 44 $367 117,464 85,595
2014 694 19 94 $269 48,383 22,155
2015 705 11 48 $348 102,226 81,100
2016 629 16 87 $376 86,135 46,221
2017 625 7 32 $334 89,700 45,008
2018 625 7 78 $2,174 108,300 70,600
2019 643 11 35 $344 58,869 26,287
2020 560 15 39 $277 156,310 105,559
2021 534 13 32 $199 53,998 31,532
KEY: Haz Liq = Hazardous Liquid, LNG = Liquefied Natural Gas.
NOTES: Hazardous Liquid includes crude oil; refined petroleum products (e.g., gasoline, diesel, kerosene); highly volatile, flammable, and toxic liquids
(e.g., propane); liquid carbon dioxide; and biodiesel. Gross Barrels Spilled is the amount before clean-up, whereas Net Barrels Lost is the amount after
clean-up is attempted. Incident means any of the following events: 1) An event that involves a release of gas from a pipeline, or of liquefied natural
gas, liquefied petroleum gas, refrigerant gas, or gas from an LNG facility, and that results in one or more of the following consequences: i) A death, or
personal injury necessitating in-patient hospitalization; ii) Estimated property damage of $50,000 or more. Accident is a failure in a pipeline system in
which there is a release of the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide transported resulting in any of the following: a) Explosion or fire not intentionally set by
the operator. b) Release of 5 gallons (19 liters) or more of hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide. Please see the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration’s Incident Report Criteria History for a complete definition of past and present reporting requirements, which is available at https://hip.
phmsa.dot.gov/Hip_Help/pdmpublic_incident_page_allrpt.pdf as of November 2019.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline
Incident 20 Year Trends, available at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-20-year-trends as reported in National
Transportation Statistics, Table 2-50, as of October 2022.

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

with advanced driver assistance systems have While data are lacking to support a full analysis
occurred in which a human driver may not have of innovative safety technologies, all USDOT
been playing an active role as driver, leading to operating administrations have programs
concern that these systems may not be fail-safe. underway, such as:

To obtain better data, NHTSA issued a standing ● A range of inspection technologies and
order in June 2021 requiring manufacturers and approaches are being phased in to identify
operators of vehicles equipped with certain levels problems affecting infrastructure, such as
of advanced driving systems to immediately bridges, highways, and pipelines. These
report certain kinds of crashes in which the could assist in setting priorities for limited
advanced system deployed within 30 seconds maintenance funding. Robotic inspection
of the crash. NHTSA released initial data in devices and drones are increasingly in use.
June 2022. One set of data are for Society of ● The pipeline industry is adopting many
Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 2 Advanced technical innovations, several of which
Driver Assistance Programs and the other for involve easier and less intrusive means for
SAE Levels 3–5 automated driving systems detecting existing pipelines, a key concern in
(currently, vehicles now being road tested that are areas where new construction might result in
capable of car control without a human driver). damage to gas distribution pipelines. Other
(See Chapter 1 - State of the Transportation innovations focus on leak detection, detecting
System for discussion of SAE levels.) corrosion or other pipeline defects, and
advanced welding techniques for the repair of
Of the 130 incidents involving automated driving
in-service pipelines.
systems in the data posted in June 2022,
108 involved crashes with another vehicle, and
Transportation Safety Data Needs
11 involved a pedestrian or bicyclist or other
vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists, but Data gaps and needs related to transportation
no serious injuries were reported. As for vehicles safety include the following:
equipped with advanced driver assistance
● Given the large number of non-traffic fatalities
systems, 116 involved collisions with another
and injuries involving motor vehicles that
vehicle, and 4 involved a pedestrian or other
occur off the public roadways—over 3,100
vulnerable road user. Serious injuries or a fatality
in 2020—more frequent and detailed data
occurred in 11 of the 98 episodes in which crash
need to be collected on the circumstances of
severity was reported [USDOT NHTSA b].
these incidents. This “non-traffic surveillance”
These initial data are not sufficient for data was published in 2022 for the years
conclusions to be reached. NHTSA is now 2016–2020. These incidents do not get the
planning to post new data on a monthly basis on detailed reporting that is typically collected in
its website [NHTSA 2022g]. The U.S. National police accident reports. More frequent data
Transportation Safety Board in a May 2022 letter collection and publication is needed to bring
to NHTSA on a proposed revamp of the U.S. greater attention to this major contributor to
New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) called transportation fatalities and injuries every
on NHTSA to add more emerging technologies year.
to the NCAP program and noted that several ● Fatal and serious-injury crashes involving
technologies proposed to be included in pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other
NHTSA’s 10-year road map for future steps are vulnerable road users are increasing.
currently available [NTSB a]. More data on these crashes are necessary

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

to develop appropriate countermeasures and compiling new data and conducting a new
evaluate related vehicle safety technologies. analysis could help determine whether the
NHTSA’s expansion of the Crash Investigation total cost to society has risen or fallen since
Sampling System will add amendments to 2010, and could assist in the allocation of
collection protocols in other systems that will limited resources.
help provide this critical information. ● One of FMCSA’s top data gaps is exposure
● Collecting more country level comparative data. VMT totals are released nationally
data and conducting analyses to reveal the from FHWA by vehicle type (combination
factors behind the decline in U.S. road safety truck, straight truck, and bus) but it is not
record since 2011 could help to identify released by State or major road segment
corrective measures. Once the world leader (i.e., interstate, major arterials, etc.) which
in road safety, the U.S. highway safety record would be helpful to ongoing initiatives on truck
now contrasts poorly with many of the 27 EU safety.
countries, and with the EU as a whole, both ● FMCSA Large Truck Causation Study is
in the two decades before and again during groundbreaking in the large truck industry
the pandemic. One area that could be fruitful safety data. The study will determine the
to explore would be whether the different causes of, and contributing factors to, crashes
safety outcomes in comparable countries to that involve commercial motor vehicles.
the United States reflect different levels of Results from this study will help policy
deployment of advanced driver assistance makers, regulators, and law enforcement
features in their passenger vehicle fleets. identify activities and measures to improve
● Much new data will be needed to ascertain commercial motor vehicles safety.
the safety implications of advanced driving ● Additional data gaps include carrier usage
systems, which is in the early stages of of exemptions (e.g., covered farm vehicle
collection. There will be a continuing need exemptions, emergency exemptions) and
to obtain more and better safety data from how they impact driver performance and
crashes (and crash precursors or close safety. Finally, a database of work zones
calls) involving advanced driver assistance that is kept up to date to account for daily, or
technologies and automated driving systems weekly, changes would be beneficial. Within
as they are increasingly deployed in new the work zone database, information on not
vehicles and to analyze resulting safety only where the work zone is (and if it is active)
implications. but also the queue leading into and out of the
● As e-scooter and other “micromobility” work zone has been of interest to the FMCSA
devices have become pervasive on city to better determine where in the work zone
streets, better data on the extent of their use crashes involving large trucks are occurring.
and their interactions with walkers and traffic ● The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
will be an important data need, as will their (IIJA) of 2021 has included measures that
users travel behaviors (such as helmet and will be obligated to help States carry out
other protective gear usage). activities to support progress toward safety
● It has been more than a decade since a performance targets. New data collected will
comprehensive analysis has been done of the support analysis for projects, activities, and
economic and social costs of motor vehicle strategies for IIJA funding.
crashes. In addition to updating earlier data,

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Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

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et al). Meta-analysis of graduated driver
AP NEWS: A timeline of recent oil train in the
licensing laws (November 2015), Report No.
US and Canada. June 4, 2016. Available at
DOT HS 812 211. Washington, DC: National
https://apnews.com as of August 2022.
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Cosgrove, Linda. Historical Perspective Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of August
of Motorcycle Helmet Laws (May 2022.
2007). National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. Available at http://www.nhtsa.
gov/ as August 2022.

5-30
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Mineta Transportation Institute [Mineta]: U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), Energy

Information Administration (EIA), Crude Oil
—2020.Crime and Harassment on Public
Movements by Rail. Available https://www.
Transportation: A Survey of SJSU Students
eia.gov/ as of October 2022.
Set In International Context. Available at
https://transweb.sjsu.edu/ as of August 2022. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (USDHHS), Centers for Disease
—2019. How and Where Should I Ride This
Control and Prevention (CDC):
Thing? “Rules of The Road” for Personal
Transportation Devices. May 2019. Available —WISQAR (Web-based Injury Statistics
at https://transweb.sjsu.edu/ as of August Query and Reporting System):
2022.
Leading Causes of Death and Injury, 1981-
National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB]: 2020. Available at www.cdc.gov/ as of
August 2022.
—no date a. Letter from the Chair to U.S.
DOT Docket Management Facility re Docket 10 Leading Causes of Nonfatal Emergency
Number NHTSA 2021-0002. Dated May 24, Visits, United States, 2020. Available at
2022. Available at NTSB.gov as of August www.cdc.gov/ as of August 2022.
2022.
—2015. Sobriety Checkpoints: Intervention
—no date b. Accidents, Fatalities, and Rates, Fact Sheet (2015). Available at https://www.
2020 Statistics. Spreadsheet. Available at cdc.gov/ as of November 2019.
NTSB.gov as of August 2022.
U.S. Department of Health and Human
National Work Zone Safety Information Services (USDHHS), National Institutes of
Clearinghouse (NWZSIC). National Health (NIH). National Institute on Alcohol
Estimates of Total and Injury Work Zone Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol
Crashes. Available at www.workzonesafety. Policy Information System 9. Available at
org as of August 2022. alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/ as of August
2022.
Norfolk Southern [NS]. With homegrown
ingenuity, Norfolk Southern achieves a first U.S. Department of Homeland Security
with innovative track inspection technology. (USDHS), United States Coast Guard
News: March 5, 2020: Available at nscorp. (USCG), Recreational Boating Statistics
com as of August 2022. 2021 (2022). Available at www.uscgboating.
org/ as of August 2022.
Scott, Lagina R.; Bazargan-Hejazi, Shahrzad;
Shirazi, Anaheed; Pan, Deyu; Lee, Steven; U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). Bureau of
Teruya, Stacey A.; & Shaheen, Magda. Justice Statistics (BJS). Contacts Between
(Scott, et al). Posted on-line September Police and the Public, 2015. October 2018.
2019. Helmet use and bicycle-related trauma Special Report NCJ 251145. Available at
injury outcomes. Brain Injury. Available at http://www.bjs.gov/ as of August 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2019.1650
U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). Federal
201 as of August 2020.
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Uniform Crime
Skybrary. Inadvertent VFR flight into IMC. Report: 2018. Available at http://www.fbi.gov/
Available at http://skybrary.org/ as of August as of July 2020.
2022.

5-31
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Bureau of U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),

Labor Statistics: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA):
—2021a: Census of 2020 Fatal Occupational
Injuries (CFOI) - Current and Revised Data. —no date. Motor Carrier Safety Progress
Available at https://www.bls.gov/ as of Report Federal Motor Carrier Safety
August 2022. Administration. All data from Motor Carrier
Management Information System, as of
—2021b: Survey of Occupational Injury and
December 31, 2021. Available at www.
Illness – 2020. Available at https://www.bls.
fmcsa.dot.gov/ as of August 2022.
gov/ as of August 2022.
—2021a. Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT):
2019 (October 2021). Printable version.
—a. National Roadway Safety Strategy. Available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ as of
January 2022. Available at www.dot.gov as August 2022.
of September 2022.
—2021b. 2021 Pocket Guide to Large
—b. Cruise Line Incident Reports. Available Truck and Bus Statistics (December 2021).
at https://www.transportation.gov/ as of Available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ as of
August 2022. August 2022.

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). —2018. FMCSA Safety Program

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS): Effectiveness Measurement: Carrier
Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM),
—no date (a). National Transportation
Version 1.1 Report for Fiscal Year 2014
Statistics (NTS). Available at http://www.bts.
Interventions. April 2018. Available at
gov/nts as of August 2022
ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/ as of November 2018.
—2021: Fleet Composition of Rail Tank
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
Cars That Transport Flammable Liquids:
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA):
2019 Report. Available at www.bts.gov as of
August 2022. —Office of Safety Analysis Web Site and AIP
Statistics. Available at safetydata.fra.dot.gov
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
as of October 2020.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
—2018: National Strategy to Prevent
—no date (a) Unruly Passengers. 2021 data.
Trespassing on Railroad Property. Report
Available at faa.gov as of August 2022.
to Congress. October 2018. Available at
—no date (b) Fly Safe: Prevent Loss of safetydata.fra.dot.gov as of September 2019.
Control Accidents. Available at www.faa.gov
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
as of August 2022.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA):
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Transit Database (2019 data viewed
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): in October 2020) Available at http://www.fta.
dot.gov as of October 2020.
—2018. The 2017 National Household Travel
Survey: Summary of Travel Trends. Available
at nhts.ornl.gov as of August 2022.

5-32
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

U.S. Department of Transportation —2022i. Large Trucks. 2020 data. April

(USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety 2022. DOT HS 813 286. Available at www.
Administration (NHTSA): nhtsa.gov/ as of August 2022.

—(a): Traffic Safety Facts: Annual Report —2022j. Overview of the 2022 Crash
Tables. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of Investigation Sampling System. February
August 2022. 2022. DOT HS 813 255. Available at www.
nhtsa.gov/ as of August 2022..
—(b): Standing General Order on Crash
Reporting for Incidents involving ADS and —2022k. Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle
Level 2 ADS. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (January–
of August 2022. June) of 2022. DOT HS 813 376. September
2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of
—2022a: Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes
November 2022.
in 2020. DOT HS 813 266. March 2022.
Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of August —2022l. Non-Traffic Surveillance: Fatality
2022. and Injury Statistics in Non-Traffic Crashes,
2016 to 2020. DOT HS 813 363. September
—2022b: Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2021—
2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of
Overall Results. DOT HS 813 70. March
September2022.
2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of
August 2022. —2022m. Occupant Protection in
Passenger Vehicles. DOT HS 83326. July
—2022c: Motorcycles: 2020 Data. May 2022.
2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of
DOT HS 813 306. Available at www.nhtsa.
September2022.
gov/ as of August 2022.
—2021: Seat Belt Use in 2021—Overall
—2022d: Rural/Urban Comparison of Motor
Results. December 2021. DOT HS 813 241.
Vehicle Traffic Fatalities. DOT HS 813 336.
Available at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ as of August
July 2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of
2022.
August 2022.
—2019: Lives and Costs Saved by
—2022e: Speeding: 2020 Data. June 2022.
Motorcyle, Helmets, 2017. December 2019.
DOT HS 813 320 Available at www.nhtsa.
DOT HS 812 867. Available at www.nhtsa.
gov/ as of August 2022.
dot.gov/ as of November 2022.
—2022f: Distracted driving in fatal crashes,
—2015: The Economic and Societal Impact
2020. May 2022. DOT HS 813 309).
of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (May 2015,
Available at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of August
revised edition). DOT HS 812 013. Available
2022.
at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of December 2018.
—2019g: Summary Report: Standing
U.S. Department of Transportation
General Order on Crash Reporting for
(USDOT), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Automated Driving Systems. DOT HS 813
Administration (PHMSA):
324. June 2022. Available at www.nhtsa.gov/
as of August 2022. —Portal: Pipeline Data Portal All Significant
Incidents. Available at www.phmsa.dot.gov/
—2022h: Alcohol-Impaired Driving: 2020
as of August 2022.
Data. April 2022. DOT HS 813 294. Available
at www.nhtsa.gov/ as of August 2022.

5-33
Chapter 5—Transportation Safety

—2022: Technology Research and

Development: Success Stories. Available at
www.phmsa.dot.gov/ as of August 2022.

U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO).

HIGHWAY SAFETY Factors Contributing
to Traffic Crashes and NHTSA’s Efforts
to Address Them. Testimony Before the
Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign
Commerce, and Infrastructure, Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
U.S. Senate. May 22, 2003. Available at
www.gao.gov/ as of August 2022.

5-34
CHAPTER 6
Energy and Sustainability

Introduction
Energy used by cars, trucks, buses, planes, [BP 2022]. Specifically, the U.S. transportation 
ships, trains, and pipelines accounted for system used 26.9 quadrillion Btu of energy to
27.6 percent of total U.S. energy use in 2021, generate five trillion passenger-miles of travel 
making transportation the second largest and five trillion ton-miles of freight. From the 
user of energy in the economy, behind only global perspective, the U.S. accounts for about 
electricity generation (Figure 6-1); China and the 17 percent of world energy use and 15 percent
Russian Federation are the only two countries of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
that consumed more energy for transportation [EIA 2022d; EPA, 2022d].

Highlights
● Transportation energy use in 2021 rebounded ● In 2021, 1.4 million hybrid electric vehicles (HEV),
from the 15.6 percent decrease experienced in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery
2020 due to steep reductions in vehicle travel electric vehicles (BEV) were sold in the United
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but remained States. Compared with 2020, sales increased
6.5 percent below 2019 energy use. 153 percent for PHEVs, 93 percent for BEVs, and
● Data for the first six months of 2022 indicate 76 percent for HEVs.
a continuing increase of transportation energy ● A typical 200-mile range all-electric vehicle sold
use to 95.8 percent of the 2019 level despite the in the United States today will use about half
increased fuel prices. as much energy and emit about half as much
● Transportation remains the largest source of carbon dioxide as a comparable gasoline-powered
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: 28.1 percent of vehicle.
U.S. emissions in 2021. ● In a decades-long trend, the U.S. air quality
● U.S. transportation remained dependent on continued to improve due in large part to
petroleum for 90.1 percent of its energy in 2021. reductions in motor vehicle pollutant emissions,
80–85 percent drop over 2000 rates.
● Electricity remains a minor source of energy for
transportation. Sales of electric vehicles (EV) and
charging stations have increased rapidly driven
by technological progress, public policy incentives
and industry support.

6-1
Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Figure 6-1 U.S. Consumption of Energy from Primary Sources by Sector: 1960–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 4-2, available at www.bts.gov
as of September 2022.

While reductions in transportation air emissions to electricity, electric motors, and renewable
have improved air quality in urban areas,  energy. Reliable, relevant, and timely data 
air quality, including impacts on the global are essential for tracking progress, informing
climate, remains the biggest consequence of decision-making, and planning for the future.
transportation energy use. Transportation also
affects the environment via the production and  This chapter describes the status, patterns, and
disposal of vehicles and infrastructure, through  trends of transportation energy use in the United
spillage of transportation fuels and runoff from States and the environmental effects of the 
roads and other facilities, by interactions with quantity and variety of mobility services provided 
wildlife, by the effects of noise from vehicles  by our transportation system. The closing
and aircraft, and indirectly by its influence on  section identifies data gaps and information 
the nature and intensity of land use, a complex needed to anticipate and plan for changes in
subject not addressed in this chapter. transportation’s energy requirements and their
environmental effects.
Technological innovation, public policy, and 
decisions by organizations and individuals  Energy Use Patterns and Trends
are constantly changing the relationship
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is evident 
between transportation and the environment. 
in the sudden 15.6 percent decline in energy
Progress has been made towards reducing the
use in 2020 over 2019, but equally evident is the 
environmental impacts of transportation through 
rapid recovery in 2021. Transportation energy 
gains in vehicle fuel efficiency despite increases 
use in 2021 rebounded to within 6.5 percent
in passenger and freight transportation. Today,
of the 2019 level. Data for the first six months 
the world’s transportation system enters the
of 2022 indicate a continuing increase to
early stages of an energy transition from
95.8 percent of the 2019 level despite prices for 
fossil fuel-based internal combustion engines

6-2
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

gasoline and diesel fuel that were approximate

$1.50/gallon higher than in 2019 [EIA 2022a]. Figure 6-2 Transportation Energy Use by
Mode: 2020
The highway travel mode continued to dominate 
transportation energy use in 2020, the latest
year for which data are available, accounting 
for 84.4 percent of the total 22.4 quads Btu
of energy used for transportation [USDOT
BTS]. On the highways, passenger cars and
light trucks are the biggest energy users at
60.3 percent of total transportation energy use
(Figure 6-2). Light-duty vehicle with longer 
wheelbases, mostly larger sport-utility vehicles 
(SUVs), pickup trucks, and vans, have been 
growing in importance and comprised one-fifth of 
transportation energy use in 2020.

Together, tractor trailers and single-unit trucks KEY: WB = wheelbase.

accounted for almost one-fourth of transportation SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of
energy use, and their share is likely to increase Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 4-6,
available at www.bts.gov as of August 2022.
in the future as light-duty vehicle fuel economy 
improves and the popularity of electric cars 
and light trucks grows. All non-highway modes with petroleum exports exceeding imports by
combined used 15.6 percent of transportation 164,000 barrels per day (Figure 6-4).
energy use, reflecting their generally higher  This dramatic change in the Nation’s
energy efficiency on either a ton-mile or  dependence on imported petroleum was
passenger-mile basis and their much smaller accomplished mostly by a combination of
share of passenger- and ton-miles. improved vehicle fuel economy, increased 
domestic oil production, and blending ethanol
Reliance on Petroleum with gasoline.
In 2020 and 2021, transportation relied on
Fuel economy improvements to cars and light 
petroleum for 90.1 percent of its energy
trucks since 1975 saved over two trillion gallons 
requirements, making it by far the largest
of gasoline, reducing the rate of gasoline used
consumer of petroleum in the U.S. economy
today by about five million barrels per day over 
(Figure 6-3). In 2021, the U.S. consumed
1975 fuel economy levels [Greene et al., 2020]. 
24.3 quadrillion (quads) Btu of petroleum,
exceeding every other country’s petroleum  Although transportation relies on petroleum for
consumption with the exception of China’s 90 percent of its energy needs, 90 percent is
29.0 quads [BP 2022]. the lowest level of transportation’s petroleum 
dependence since 1953 (Figure 6-5). Blending
U.S. oil imports are predominantly crude
biomass-derived ethanol with gasoline at 
petroleum, while U.S. oil exports are
10 percent by volume has displaced the greatest 
predominantly refined petroleum products. In 
amount of petroleum. Ethanol and biodiesel
2021, the United States imported slightly less
supplied 5.5 percent of transportation energy
than 8.5 million and exported slightly more
in 2021.
than 8.5 million barrels of oil per [EIA 2022a],

6-3
Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Figure 6-3 Petroleum Use by Sector of the U.S. Economy: 1990–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, tables 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, as cited in U.S.
Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 4-3, available at www.bts.gov as of
September 2022.

Figure 6-4 U.S. Petroleum Use, Domestic Supply and Net Imports: 1950–2021

SOURCE:U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, table 3.1, available at www.eia.gov/ as of
September 2022.

6-4
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

The use of domestic natural gas has almost [EIA 2010-2022]. Because they are model
doubled since 2004 and provided 4.1 percent  estimates rather than direct measurements,
of transportation’s energy needs in 2021. Most they should be interpreted cautiously. However, 
natural gas used in transportation powers the according to those estimates, energy use by
pumps of natural gas pipelines and to a lesser electric highway vehicles has grown rapidly, 
extent powers cars, trucks, buses, and ships in from approximately 90 million kilowatt-hours
the form of compressed liquified natural gas. (kWh) in 2010 when the first commercial electric 
passenger car since the early 20th century
Statistics on transportation’s use of electricity was introduced in the United States to over 
reported by the U.S. Department of Energy, 7 billion kWh in 2021. Despite this rapid growth,
Energy Information Administration (EIA) do not including these estimates indicate that electricity
include electricity used by electric cars, trucks, accounted for 0.3 percent of transportation’s
buses, or micromobility vehicles. The National energy use in 2021 versus the 0.2 percent 
Transportation Statistics (NTS) data in Figure 6-2 shown in Figure 6-5.
represent electricity use by transit and intercity
rail. At present, there is no direct measurement Natural gas use shown in Figure 6-5 includes
or statistically validated estimate of electricity  uses in pipeline compressors and motor
use by all highway vehicles, nor are data  vehicles. Over the past decade, natural gas use 
available on total electricity use for operations of  in pipelines increased from 0.70 to 1.04 quads
supporting transportation infrastructures, such as a result of increased domestic natural gas
as streetlights, stations, and airport terminals. production and consumption. Natural gas use
The data shown in Figure 6-5 include estimates by vehicles, whether in compressed or liquefied 
for highway vehicles in historical years obtained  form is notably smaller. From 2011 to 2021,
from the EIA’s National Energy Modeling System use by motor vehicles increased from 0.031 to 
and published in the Annual Energy Outlook 0.055 quads per year, peaking at 6.3 percent

Figure 6-5 Transportation Energy Use by Fuel Type: 1950–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, table 2.5, available at www.eia.gov/ as of
August 2022. Estimates of electric vehicle energy use are from the EIA Annual Energy Outlooks 2010-2022, table 38.

6-5
Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

of transportation’s natural gas use in 2017 measures efficiency in terms of energy use per 

and declining to 5.0 percent in 2021. The EIA unit of service provided (e.g., passenger-mile, 
statistics do not distinguish between use by ton-mile, and vehicle-mile). Energy intensities 
vehicle type. However, the Annual Energy are relatively crude measures of efficiency 
Outlook [EIA 2012, 2022] includes estimates of because they do not reflect important qualitative 
current-year consumption by vehicle type. Those  aspects of transportation services, including 
estimates indicate that use by passenger cars speed, reliability, trip distances and circuities,
and light trucks comprised about 50 percent of and more. The estimates shown in Table 6-1
motor vehicle use of natural gas in 2011, but that  include only the energy use by transportation
by 2021 light-duty use had fallen to 3 percent, vehicles and exclude upstream energy use 
with medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses  and energy used in vehicle manufacture and 
consuming 97 percent. disposal.

Passenger travel has become more energy 
Energy Efficiency efficient over time. Air and transit travel in 2020 
The long-term trend of improving energy  are exceptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
efficiency was interrupted by the pandemic,  The energy intensity of light-duty vehicles 
dramatically so for air travel. Together with  (passenger cars and light trucks) has decreased
the number of vehicle-miles traveled and  by approximately 30 percent since 1980, due
ton-miles transported, the efficiency with  to improved vehicle fuel economies. Non-
which transportation fuels are converted into  transit bus, the most energy-efficient passenger 
transportation services determines the amount of  mode, delivers more than three times as many 
energy used in transportation. Energy intensity passenger-miles per Btu as light-duty vehicles 

Table 6-1 Energy Intensities of Transportation Modes: 1980, 2000, and 2020
Passenger Modes 1980 2000 2020 Freight Modes 1980 2000 2020
Air, certificated carrier (Btu/passenger-mile) Air Freight NA NA NA
Domestic operations 6,029 3,892 4,423 Highway (Btu/vehicle-mile)
International operations 4,374 3,857 8,353 Single-unit truck 23,888 18,635 18,017
Highway (Btu/passenger-mile) Combination truck 26,079 26,114 22,027
Light -duty vehicle, short Rail (Btu/ton-mile)
wheelbase 4,184 3,454 2,851 Class I railroad 584 347 282
Motorcycle 2,045 2,187 2,271 Classes II and III NA NA NA
Light-duty vehicle, long Water
wheelbase 5,494 4,339 3,894
Waterborne domestic* NA 270 NA
Bus 1,567 1,081 920
Waterborne international NA NA NA
Transit motor bus 2,742 3,677 4,069
Rail (Btu/passenger-mile)
Amtrak 2,130 2,665 2,862
Rail transit* 763 923 851
Commuter rail* NA 1,542 1,583

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit; NA = not available.

SOURCE: National Transportation Statistics, Tables 4-20 and 4-22. Waterborne, domestic, Rail Transit and Commuter Rail are from Davis & Boundy,
2022, tables 2.16 and 2.15.

6-6
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

due to higher load factors. The energy intensity about 20 percent). Although this is likely due to
of transit motor buses averaged 3,198 Btu/ lower load factors (fewer ton-miles per truck-
passenger-mile over the decade from 2010– mile, due either to lighter freight or more empty
2019, varying by +5.2 to –14.5 percent. Transit  truck miles) the available data are not adequate 
bus energy intensity increased by 23.1 percent, for verifying that theory. Energy use per ton 
due to the loss of ridership and lower load transported by Class I railroads is well known,
factors during the COVID-19 pandemic that and today is less than half what was required in
began in mid-March 2020. Passenger-miles 1980. Data on the energy intensity of freight rail
traveled by bus and heavy rail, which accounted  operations other than Class I are lacking.
for 83.6 percent of transit trips fell, by 39.9 and
48.3 percent, respectively [USDOT FTA, 2022].  Fuel economy improvements to cars and light 
As a result, heavy rail occupancy rates declined  trucks have saved an estimated two trillion 
from 48.7 percent to 27.3 percent and bus gallons of gasoline since 1975, enough fuel
load factors decreased from 23.1 percent to to power every light-duty vehicle in the United 
17.9 percent. Other transit modes experienced States for 15 years. Prior to 1975, vehicle travel 
similar reductions. Despite the impacts of the and gasoline use increased along the same
pandemic, rail modes continued to be among the trajectory [USDOT FHWA 2021, table VM-1;
most energy-efficient modes. Greene et al., 2020]. After the oil price shock
of 1973–74 and the enactment of Corporate 
The lack of comprehensive national statistics  Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in late 
on freight energy efficiency is evident in Table  1975, the growth of fuel consumption became
6-2. Air freight efficiency is poorly understood  disconnected from the growth of light-duty
because of the difficulty of allocating the energy  vehicle travel, as shown in Figure 6-6. Improved 
used in commercial airline operations between fuel economy reduces the cost of fuel required
passengers and freight carried on board the to drive a mile, which causes vehicle travel to 
same aircraft. In Table 6-2, the energy intensity increase, a phenomenon known as the “rebound
of highway freight is measured in Btu/vehicle- effect.” The National Highway Traffic Safety 
mile for separate estimates for single-unit and Administration and the Environmental Protection 
combination trucks, but truck ton-mile estimates Agency used estimates of the rebound effect
are available only for both truck types combined.  to remove the additional miles attributed to the 
The vehicle definitions for the separate vehicle  rebound effect to produce the lower bound of
type versus combined estimates are not  vehicle travel shown by the dashed line in Figure 
identical, which results in inconsistent estimates 6-6. Fuel savings due to increased miles per 
of Btu/vehicle-mile. A combined truck ton-mile  gallon (MPG) are the difference between the
energy intensity measure is not ideal because adjusted vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) trend and 
single-unit trucks not only perform different actual fuel consumption, just under 75 billion
goods delivery functions, but some perform  gallons, as indicated by the green line in Figure
non-freight service functions (e.g., a plumber’s  6-6. The sum of all fuel estimated to have been 
truck or electric utility’s bucket truck). The saved is 2.1 trillion, more than all the fuel used 
combined ton-mile and vehicle-mile energy  by cars and light trucks from 2005–2020.
intensity numbers indicate that although vehicles 
have become more energy efficient (Btu/ In 2021, Executive Order 14037 directed the 
vehicle-mile decreasing by about 20 percent  USDOT to set new fuel economy standards, and
from 1980 to 2020), ton-miles have become  the Environmental Protection Agency to set new 
more energy intensive (Btu/ton-mile increasing  greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for
passenger cars, light trucks, and medium- and

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Table 6-2 U.S. Electricity Generation by Energy Source: 2010 vs. 2021
Billion kWh Percentage
Energy source 2010 2021 2010 2021
TOTAL 4,112 4,103 100 100
Coal 1,847 899 44.9 21.9
Petroleum 37 19 0.9 0.5
Natural gas 999 1,587 24.3 38.7
Nuclear 807 778 19.6 19.0
Hydropower 255 255 6.2 6.2
Solar 1 115 0.0 2.8
Wind 95 380 2.3 9.3
Other 71 72 1.7 1.8
KEY: kWh = kilowatt hour.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2022 Monthly Energy Review, table 7.2a, available at https://www.eia.gov/
totalenergy/data/monthly/ as of October 2022.

Figure 6-6 Miles of Travel and Fuel Use by Light-duty Vehicles: 1965–2020

KEY: VMT = vehicle-miles traveled.

SOURCE: Greene, et al., 2020, updated spreadsheet provided by authors, 9/20/22. VMT and fuel consumption data from U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, annual issues, table VM-1.

heavy-duty motor vehicles [Executive Order,  1970 and 1980 by switching from turbojets to

2021]. The light-duty vehicle fuel economy  turbofans, increasing aircraft size, and filling 
standards were finalized in March of 2022  more seats with customers (Figure 6-7). The
and require that new vehicle MPG increase by  period from 1980 to 2019 saw slower but steady
8 percent per year in 2024 and 2025 and by progress, as continued technological advances 
10 percent in 2026 [USDOT NHTSA 2021]. and increased occupancy rates offset the
increased use of smaller regional jets. Among
Air carriers achieved dramatic reductions  the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on the airline
in energy use per passenger-mile between

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

industry was a sudden and dramatic increase in credits for ZEVs and charging stations, along 

energy use per mile as load factors dropped and with subsidies for the domestic production of
normal operations were disrupted. From 2019 electric vehicles and batteries [P.L. 117-169, 
to 2020, revenue passenger-miles carried by  2022]. In the same month, the California Air
domestic and international carriers plummeted Resources Board adopted a plan to require
from 1.1 trillion to 382 billion, a 64 percent loss. 100 percent ZEVs in California by 2035 which 
Although air carriers reduced the number of may be joined by other states that have adopted 
flights, aircraft occupancy rates plunged from  California’s motor vehicle emissions standards 
84 percent in 2018 to 58 percent in 2020. Since [CARB 2022]. Many other nations, including
then, passenger traffic has largely recovered, but  the European Union, China, have adopted 
in May 2022 it still remained 6 percent below the similarly ambitious policies [IEA 2022], and the
pre-pandemic level in May 2019 [BTS, 2022b]. world’s largest automobile manufacturers have 
announced plans to transition to electric vehicles 
Transition to Clean Fuels and over the next few decades [Motavalli 2021]. In 
2021, however, electricity provided a fraction 
Vehicles
of transportation’s energy requirements, similar
The world’s transportation systems have  in magnitude to natural gas and far less than
begun a transition to new sources of energy. biofuels.
On August 5, 2021, Executive Order 14037 
established a national goal that 50 percent of Electricity
passenger car and light-truck sales in 2030 be
zero-emission vehicles (ZEV): battery-powered  The future electric vehicle goals set in 2021 
electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or hydrogen fuel remain uncertain; however, the numbers of 
cell electric vehicles [Executive Order, 2021]. In  plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) makes and 
August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was  models, sales, and charging infrastructure have 
signed into law, providing funding to extend tax  grown rapidly over the past few years, both in 

Figure 6-7 Energy Intensity of Certificated Air Carriers, All Services

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 4-21, available at
www.bts.gov as of August 2022.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Box 6-A Electric Vehicle Definitions

Battery electric vehicle (BEV): An all-electric vehicle that receives power by plugging into an electric power
source and storing the power in a battery pack. BEVs do not use any petroleum-based or other liquid- or gas-
based fuel during operation and do not produce tailpipe emissions.

Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV): An electric vehicle that generates on-board electricity with a fuel cell powered
by hydrogen rather than relying on electricity from a high-capacity battery.

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV): Combines an internal combustion engine (ICE) with a battery pack, regenerative
braking, and an electric motor to provide high fuel economy. HEVs rely on gasoline or diesel fuel for power and
cannot be plugged into an electric power source. The battery packs are charged by the ICE and regenerative
braking.

PEV/Electric vehicle (EV): A general term for any on-road licensed vehicle that can plug into an electric power
source and uses electric power to move. EVs plug into a source of electricity and store power in a battery
pack for all or part of their power needs. Includes Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
(PHEVs). Can also be referred to as Plug-in Electric Vehicles.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV): A vehicle that can both (1) plug into an electric power source and store
power in a battery pack and (2) use petroleum-based or other liquid- or gas-based fuel to power an internal
combustion engine.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency, Glossary, available as of October 2022.

the United States and worldwide. Worldwide, intensified their marketing efforts (Figure 6-8). 

450 EV makes and models of vehicles were on  Sales of PHEVs increased by the greatest
the market in 2021, a 15 percent increase over  percentage (153 percent), followed by BEVs
2020 [IEA 2022]. In the United States, 43 battery (93 percent), and HEVs (76 percent). Total Plug-
electric (BEV) car and light truck makes and in electric vehicle (PEV) sales exceeded 630,000 
models were available in 2021, along with  in the model year 2021, just over 4 percent 
49 plug-in hybrids (PHEV) makes and models of total U.S. passenger car and light truck
[Davis and Boundy 2022, tables 6.7, 6.8 and  sales. California’s new car buyers purchased
6.9]. The 92 plug-in vehicles (PEV) models  250,000 zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) in 2021, 
compare with 83 in 2020 and 1 in 2010. Five  12.4 percent of total car and light truck sales in
hydrogen fuel cell electric (FCEV) models were the state and the highest ZEV market share in 
available for purchase by the public but only in  the United States. [CEC, 2022]. Three-quarters
California, the only state with retail hydrogen of the ZEVs sold in California were BEVs. 
refueling stations open to the public. (See Box Worldwide, 6.6 million BEVs and PHEVs were
6-A for a description of the different types of sold in 2021, again almost twice as many as in
electric vehicles.) 2020 [USDOT EIA 2022]. At the end of 2021,
there were a total of 2.4 million PEVs on U.S.
U.S. sales of BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs nearly roads, of which two-thirds were BEVs.
doubled (88 percent) in 2021 over 2020 as 
the economy rebounded from the pandemic, Vehicle use data from the 2017 National
gasoline prices rose, and manufacturers Household Travel Survey (NHTS) indicate that 

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 6-8 Sales of Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles: 1999–2021

SOURCE: Argonne National Laboratory, Electric Drive Vehicle Sales, available at www.anl.gov/es/light-duty-electric-drive-vehicles-monthly-sales-
updates as of September 2022.

households drove battery electric vehicles fewer  is used to produce, refine, transport, and deliver 
miles per year (9,972) than gasoline-powered gasoline. The energy in a gallon of gasoline in a
vehicles (11,082), despite being newer (more  vehicle’s tank comprises about 83 percent of the 
information on household vehicle travel can  total energy used from oil wells to the vehicle’s 
be found in Chapter 2 - Passenger Travel and  wheels. In contrast, only about 35 percent of the
Equity). Ninety percent of households owning energy in coal and 50 percent of the energy in
a BEV owned at least one other vehicle, and  natural gas is converted into electrical energy at 
66 percent of those households had a non-BEV U.S. power plants [Kelly et al., 2022, table 18].
that was driven more miles per year than the  About 5 percent of the electricity generated is
BEV vehicle [Davis 2022]. However, the median  lost in transmission and distribution [EIA 2022,
range on a fully charged for BEV models sold in table 7.1] so that only 30 to 45 percent of the
the model year 2015 and earlier was 90 miles energy in coal and natural gas, respectively, 
or less [USDOE 2021, 2022]. Since 2015, is delivered to an EV as electricity. Losses 
median ranges have averaged well over 200  in battery charging and discharging used up
miles, and more recent evidence indicates that  another 10 percent. Including energy use
today’s BEVs are used in much the same way as upstream of the vehicle diminishes an EV’s 
gasoline vehicles [Chakraborty et al., 2022]. energy efficiency advantage over an ICE vehicle. 
Over its full lifecycle, including manufacture, use, 
From electrical outlet to vehicle energy use,  and disposal, a typical 200-mile range BEV sold
electric vehicles are more energy efficient than  in the United States today requires about half as
gasoline-powered internal combustion engine much energy as a comparable gasoline, internal
(ICE) vehicles, delivering three to four times the  combustion engine vehicle [Kelly et al., 2022, 
miles per electrical energy equivalent of a gallon  tables 46 and 47].
of gasoline. However, far more energy is used 
to produce and deliver electricity to a BEV than 

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

BEVs sold in the United States today have  dropping 0.2 percent [EIA 2022a, tables 11.6

a clear emissions advantage over internal  and 7.2a].
combustion engine vehicles powered by 
gasoline and diesel fuel. Not only do BEVs emit If electric vehicles are to achieve mass-market 
zero tailpipe pollutants but upstream emissions success consistent with national goals, public
have been substantially reduced. Since 2005  charging will have to become as accessible, 
U.S. electricity generation has shifted away from rapid, and economical as refueling with
coal and towards natural gas and renewable gasoline. Deploying an effective national 
energy. In 2005, 50 percent of U.S. electricity charging infrastructure is challenging, chiefly 
was generated at coal-fired plants, 19 percent  because the EV market is in the early stages
by natural gas, and 0.5 percent by solar and of development, and battery and charging 
wind combined. In 2021, coal produced only technologies are evolving. Today, EV owners 
22 percent of U.S. electricity, natural gas do 80 to 90 percent of their charging at home,
generation accounted for 38 percent, and solar a major departure from traditional vehicle 
and wind generated 12 percent [USDOE EIA petroleum refueling [Greene et al. 2020]. In
2022, table 7.2a]. As a result, greenhouse gas 2011, the year after introduction of the first 
(GHG) emissions from U.S. electricity have fallen  commercially mass-produced battery electric
from 2.4 billion metric tons of CO2 to 1.6 billion, passenger car, there were 2,100 public charging
a 33 percent reduction, substantially diminishing stations operating in the United States. [USDOE
the upstream emissions due to electricity use AFDC 2022]. From 2011 to 2022, approximately
[EIA 2022, table 11.6]. Adding greenhouse gas 11,100 charging stations were added each year
emissions in vehicle manufacturing and disposal,  to reach 124,088 stations in 2022 (Figure 6-9A).
the full lifecycle emissions of a 234-mile range However, the vast majority of public charging 
BEV sold in the United States today is about half stations, 97,410, offer relatively slow “Level 2” 
that of a comparable gasoline vehicle [Kelly et  charging, capable of delivering only 10–20 miles 
al., 2022, figure ES-1]. of driving range per hour spent charging [USDOT 
2022]. Only 26,249 stations have direct current 
The environmental impacts of electricity use  fast chargers (DCFC) capable of delivering 
by transportation depend on how the electricity 240 miles of range in under 20 minutes of
is generated, which varies by time and place.  charging (Figure 6-9B). This compares with
National averages provide a high-level overview  approximately 142,000 gasoline stations capable
of patterns and trends. In 2010, 44.9 percent of of refueling ICEs in about 6 minutes [Davis and 
U.S. electricity was generated by burning coal, Boundy 2022, table 4.24].
while wind power produced 2.3 percent and solar
power generation was negligible (Table 6-1). By Natural Gas
2021 coal’s share had dropped to 21.9 percent,
largely replaced by natural gas, which produces Over 175,000 natural gas vehicles on U.S. 
substantially fewer emissions. Generation by roads in 2021 consumed 55 billion cubic feet
renewable energy sources increased, with solar of gas, the energy equivalent of 459 million 
and wind combining to produce 12.1 percent gallons of gasoline [EIA 2022b]. Most natural
of U.S. electricity (Table 6-2). Carbon dioxide gas vehicles are high mileage, centrally fueled 
emissions from electric power generation buses or medium- to heavy-duty trucks, which 
decreased by 31.6 percent, while electricity accounts for their relatively high consumption of 
production remained relatively unchanged,  over 2,600 gallons of gasoline-equivalent natural 
gas per year [AFDC 2022]. About 40 percent

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 6-9 Fast Charging Stations in the U.S.

A. Electric Vehicle Public Unrestricted Direct Current Fast Charging Stations in the U.S.

B. Electric Vehicle Public Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charging Stations in the U.S.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations as of September 2022.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

of natural gas used in vehicles is consumed by  to remain minimal due to the low energy density

transit vehicles. Motor vehicle use of natural  of compressed natural gas and the cost and
gas has increased at an average annual rate  infrastructure requirements for cryogenic
of 8 percent per year since 1997 (Figure 6-10), LNG. To date, natural gas has been limited to
encouraged by abundant and economical experimental use in aircraft for much the same
supplies of domestic gas and lower tailpipe reasons [Dubois 2021].
emissions than equivalent vehicles powered by 
gasoline or diesel fuel. Still, total vehicle natural  Biofuels
gas use amounted to only 0.35 percent of total
gasoline consumption by vehicles. Ethanol and renewable diesel are the most
widely used biofuels in transportation,
In the United States the great majority of natural accounting respectively for 88 percent 
gas vehicles are powered by compressed natural  (13.9 billion gallons) and 11 percent
gas (CNG) stored on-board at approximately (1.8 billion gallons) of transportation biofuel
2,000 psi (pound force per square inch). Some use in 2021 [EIA 2022c]. The majority of fuel
of the larger vehicles are fueled by liquefied  ethanol is blended with gasoline at a volume of 
natural gas (LNG), whose higher energy content 10 percent (E10), and almost all gasoline sold
per gallon enables greater range. However, at  in the United States contains up to 10 percent
–260° Fahrenheit, LNG is more expensive to  ethanol. Gasoline powered vehicles of model 
make and store. CNG refueling is supported by year 2000 and earlier are equipped to handle
882 public and 661 private refueling stations,  no more than 10 percent ethanol blends. In
while LNG vehicles are refueled at 54 public and  2011, the saturation point for this “blend limit”
48 private LNG stations. was reached for U.S. gasoline, and thereafter
ethanol use grew at approximately the same rate
Small amounts of natural gas are used by ships. as overall gasoline use (Figure 6-11). Gasoline-
Use of natural gas as a maritime fuel is expected powered vehicles of model year 2001 and later 

Figure 6-10 Natural Gas Use by Vehicles: 1997–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Composition, available at https://www.eia.gov/
dnav/ng/hist/n3025us2A.htm as of October 2022.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

are capable of using ethanol blends of up to Because weight is a critical factor for aircraft, air
15 percent, but to date a safe and convenient  travel relies on energy dense petroleum fuels. If 
way of delivering E15 to only vehicles qualified to  battery-powered aircraft become commercially
use it has not been found. Flex-fueled gasoline/ viable, they will at least initially be limited to 
ethanol vehicles are capable of using blends of  short distance flights because of the relatively 
up to 83 percent ethanol, but the market for E85 low energy density of even the best batteries 
has not developed beyond several midwestern  available today [USDOE 2022b]. If aviation 
states. is to achieve major reductions in greenhouse 
gas emissions, low-carbon jet fuel appears to
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with diesel  be essential. Today, low-carbon sustainable
engines can purchase biodiesel or renewable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from biomass via 
diesel blended at 2, 5, or 20 percent with processes similar to the production of biodiesel.
petroleum diesel fuel [EIA, 2022c]. Much of the SAF supply is limited, however, with only about 
diesel fuel sold in the United States contains 2 million gallons of SAF produced in the United
approximately 1 percent biodiesel because of its States in 2018, about 0.01 percent of annual jet
lubricating properties. Developing economical  fuel production. In 2021, the President set goals
processes for producing low-carbon fuels for of producing 3 billion gallons of SAF in 2030 and
medium- and heavy-duty vehicles is an ongoing  35 billion by 2050 [White House 2021].
development.

Air travel accounted for 5.2 percent of 
Transition to Clean Modes
transportation’s energy use in 2020 Electrically assisted micromobility modes are
(1.2 quadrillion Btu), approximately the same small but growing innovative transportation 
quantity of bioenergy used by highway vehicles  services that include non-motorized and electric 
(1.3 quadrillion Btu) (Figure 6-2 and Figure 6-11). pedal-assisted (e-bike) bike-sharing, electric
scooters, and electric skateboards. Patterns

Figure 6-11 Transportation Use of Biofuels: 1980–2021

KEY: Btu = British thermal unit.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, table 10.2c, available at www.eia.gov/as of August 2022.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

and trends in micromobility travel are covered in  electrically assisted e-bike because the scooter

greater detail in Chapter 2 - Passenger Travel  rider provides little or no power.
and Equity and safety issues are discussed in
Chapter 5 - Transportation Safety. An estimate of electricity used by e-bikes
and scooters can be derived from the energy 
Although accurate sales data for e-bikes and intensity estimates and estimates of number
e-scooters are not available, it is estimated that  of trips and trip lengths [NACTO 2019;
790,000 e-bikes were sold in the United States NABSA 2021]. The calculations in Table 6-3
in 2021, up from 463,000 in 2020, and 185,000 apply to e-bikes and e-scooters provided by 
in 2013 [Boudway 2022]. In 2015, there were micromobility services. Estimates of energy 
3,372 bikesharing docking stations open to the consumption per mile for e-bikes are based
public in U.S. cities; since then, the number on the usage of two trips per day, on average, 
more than doubled to 8,457 in 2021 [USDOT and consume approximately 9 kWh per year,
BTS 2022b]. E-scooter systems have grown  and a full recharge every 2 weeks. E-scooters 
the most rapidly, from 135 systems when they are estimated to take about 1.3 trips per day
first appeared in 2018, to 190 systems in 2021,  and consume about 9 kWh of electricity per
and to 300 systems serving 300 cities in 2022.  year. Based on sales statistics, there were
In 2021, 281 bikeshare and e-scooter systems about 3 million e-bikes in the United States in
provided 232,000 vehicles, 57 percent of which  2021, mostly owned by individuals, 30 times 
were scooters [NABSA 2022]. as many vehicles as considered in Table 6-3. 
Substantial growth in micromobility modes Even considering these vehicles, energy 
occurred despite the temporary suspension and/ consumption by e-bikes and e-scooters is on
or closure of many docked bikeshare system the order of 1 percent of the 7 billion kWh of
operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A estimated electricity use by EVs in 2021, shown
fully charged electric bike will have an electrically  in Figure 6-5.
assisted range of 40–120 miles, depending on 
how much electrical assistance a rider uses Greehouse Gas Emissions and
[ElectricBikeInfo.com]. The average cost of  Air Quality
electricity to operate an e-bike is roughly one-
While pollutant emissions affecting local
tenth of a cent per mile. The battery capacities
and regional air quality continue to decline,
of e-scooters vary widely, but a typical e-scooter 
contributing to cleaner air in metropolitan areas,
with a 15-mile range, consumes about $0.16 cents
emissions of greenhouse gases appear to be
worth of electricity per 100 miles (about 6 miles
returning to pre-COVID levels; transportation 
per penny spent on electricity), more than an

Table 6-3 Estimates of Energy Use by E-Bikes and E-Scooters in the U.S.: 2021
Total
Annual Annual kWh per Electricity
E-bike/e- Vehicles Trips Trips per Miles per Miles per Wh per Vehicle per (thousand
scooter (thousands) (millions) Vehicle Trip Vehicle Mile Year kWh)
E-bikes 24 18.8 783 1.5 1,175 8 9 226
E-scooters 134 62.2 464 1.3 603 15 9 1,213
KEY: kWh = kilowatt hour.
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ calculations NACTO 2019; NABSA 2021.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

remains the largest source of carbon dioxide

emissions. Transportation’s other effects on Figure 6-12 Transportation’s Greenhouse
the environment are water pollution to wildlife,  Gas Emissions by Gas: 2020
equipment waste, and noise pollution.

Transportation continues to rely on fossil

hydrocarbon fuels for energy and continues
to emit more carbon dioxide (CO2) than the
electricity generation, industry, or commercial
and residential buildings sectors, accounting for
28.1 percent of total U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions in 2021 [USDOE 2022].

Carbon dioxide dominates transportation’s

greenhouse gas emissions (Figure 6-12).
Emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), the 
KEY: CH4 = methane; CO2 = carbon dioxide; eCO2 = carbon dioxide
second largest component, are not a result of from electric power plants; HFCs = hydrofluorocarbon; N2O = nitrous
fuel combustion but leakage from vehicle air  oxide.
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Inventory of U.S.
conditioners. Because the carbon content of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2020, table 2-12,
transportation fuels does not vary greatly, the  available at www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/ as of August 2022.
distribution of GHG emissions by mode closely
resembles the distribution of energy use by
concentrations of nitrous oxides now average 
mode shown in Figure 6-2.
60–80 percent below National Ambient Air 
Trends in CO2 emissions by energy sector Quality Standards (NAAQS); concentrations
show similar patterns over time, decreasing for  of particulate matter averaged 30–60 percent 
a few years following the energy crises of the below NAAQS; and concentrations of lead,
1970s and early 1980s, increasing for the two sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (CO)
decades of low energy prices following 1985, average 80 percent below the current standards 
then trending downward due to economy-wide [EPA 2022c]. Even so, there are hundreds of 
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions days each year in which residents of one of the
(Figure 6-13). Also evident are the single-year  35 largest U.S. cities experience unhealthy air. In
reductions caused by the Great Recession 2000, there were 2,076 exposure days on which
of 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic. After air quality was unhealthy for sensitive groups in 
2005 transportation emissions decreased the the 35 cities, 16 percent of the total days. The
least of any sector and in fact resumed growth number of unhealthy days fell to 1,112 in 2010
after the Great Recession. Sharp reductions in and 666 in 2021, 5.2 percent of total days.
vehicle and air travel in 2020 are evident, as is 
Transportation is a major source of air pollution.
an almost equally rapid rebound in 2021 that
Transportation vehicles produce 61 percent 
continued into 2022.
of carbon monoxide emissions, 53 percent
Air quality in the United States has been of nitrogen oxides, and 17 percent of volatile 
systematically improving despite population and  organic compound emissions that combine to
economic growth. Major pollutants regulated create ozone pollution, and 13–15 percent of 
under the Clean Air Act of 1970 have been  emissions of particulate matter (Table 6-4). As
declining for decades (Figure 6-14). Average  Table 6-4 shows, non-highway transportation

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Figure 6-13 U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Consumption: 1975–2021

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, table 11.2-11.6, available at www.eia.gov/ as of
August 2022.

Table 6-4 Sources of U.S. Air Pollutant Emissions: 2021 (Percentages)

Industrial
Stationary Fuel and Other Highway Non-Road Total Mobile
Air Pollutant Combustion Processes Vehicles Mobile Sources
Carbon Monoxide 9.1 30.2 34.6 26.1 60.7
Ammonia 1.8 95.9 2.2 0.1 2.2
Nitrogen Oxides 30.3 16.2 29.3 24.2 53.5
PM2.5 44.3 42.2 5.7 7.8 13.5
PM10 32.5 52.5 9.6 5.4 15.0
Sulfur Dioxide 70.1 27.7 0.8 1.5 2.2
Volatile Organic Compounds 4.3 78.4 8.5 8.7 17.3
KEY: kWh = kilowatt hour; PM10 = particulate matter with diameter = 10 micrometers; PM2.5 = particulate matter with diameter <= 2.5 micrometers.
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022. Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2021.

sources produce almost as much pollution as 6.7 percent, with passenger cars burning about
highway vehicles. 0.5 percent. Since 1975, highway use of diesel
has grown more rapidly than gasoline use,
Highway vehicles with diesel engines emit more  and more recently increased from 21.6 percent
nitrogen oxides and particulates per mile than in 2010 to 26.3 percent in 2020 [Davis and 
gasoline vehicles but have lower emissions  Boundy 2022, table 2.12]. In spite of this, vehicle 
of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions of all types have decreased over time 
(Table 6-5). Medium- and heavy-duty trucks  as emissions standards have tightened.
consume the great majority of highway diesel
fuel (92.7 percent), light trucks account for

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

Figure 6-14 National Average Air Pollutant Concentrations: 1990–2021

KEY: CO = carbon monoxide; NO2 = nitrogen dioxide; O3 = ozone; Pb = lead; PM10 = particulate matter with diameter = 10 micrometers;
PM2.5 = particulate matter with diameter <= 2.5 micrometers; SO2 = sulfur dioxide.
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022. Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2021, available at https://gispub.epa.gov/air/
trendsreport/2022/#home as of October 2022.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Transportation vehicles have emitted fewer  Additional Effects on the

pollutant emissions as new gasoline and
diesel vehicles meeting stricter emissions 
Environment and Sustainability
standards have replaced older, more polluting  In addition to air pollution, transportation affects
vehicles. From 2000 to 2021, the rate of  the environment in many ways, from runoff into 
emissions per vehicle-mile of every pollutant  streams and lakes, to waste disposal, impacts
for which transportation vehicles are a major  on wildlife, unwanted noise, and effects on land
source decreased by more than 80 percent use. In some cases, available data are adequate 
(Figure 6-15). Current and future standards are to identify patterns and trends, and assess
projected to continue reducing vehicle emissions  transportation’s progress toward sustainability.
per mile through 2030.

Table 6-5 Emission Rates of Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles: 2020

Light-duty Trucks Percentage
Gasoline Diesel Difference Gasoline Diesel Difference
Emission (g/mi) (g/mi) (%) (g/mi) (g/mi) (%)
Total HC 0.339 0.308 -9% 1.161 0.269 -77%
Exhaust CO 5.422 2.458 -55% 14.894 2 -87%
Exhaust NOx 0.376 1.804 380% 0.875 4.169 376%
Exhaust PM2.5 0.007 0.078 1014% 0.026 0.106 308%
Brakewear PM2.5 0.003 0.003 0% 0.006 0.009 50%
Tirewear PM2.5 0.001 0.002 100% 0.002 0.004 100%
KEY: CO = carbon monoxide; HC = hydrocarbons; NOx = nitrogen oxides; PM2.5 = particulate matter with diameter <= 2.5 micrometers.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, Table 4-43, available at
www.bts.gov as of August, 2022.

Figure 6-15 Estimated National Average Emissions per Vehicle (g/mi)

KEY: CO = carbon monoxide; HC = hydrocarbons, NOx = nitrogen oxides; PM2.5 = particulate matter with diameter <= 2.5 micrometers.
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, personal communication, April 30, 2021.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

In many cases, data are fragmentary and must maintaining the safety benefits of road salt use 

be gleaned from sources of uncertain statistical while minimizing the quantity applied.
validity. 
Thousands of oil spills occur in U.S. waters
Water Quality each year, but most involve less than a barrel 
(42 gallons) and occur, for example, when ships
Transportation affects water quality via rainwater  are refueled (Figure 6-16). Major spills that
runoff from roadways, parking lots, airports, occur when pipelines break, oil tankers leak or
and other infrastructure; spills of transportation sink, and drilling operations catastrophically fail
fuels into waterways; and leaking underground cause extensive environmental damage that can 
fuel storage tanks. Water pollutants from persist for decades. For example, on October
vehicles and infrastructure include sediments  2, 2021, rupture of an underwater pipe from a
from construction sites and erosion, lubricants, drilling platform off the coast of Long Beach, CA,
antifreeze, heavy metals from engine, tire and  released 25,000 gallons of oil, creating an oil
brake wear, and de-icing salts [EPA 2022a]. slick of 13 square miles. Worldwide, six oil tanker
Stormwater runoff from state highway rights-of- spills of over seven metric tons, releasing a total 
way alone has been estimated at 8 million-acre of over 10,000 metric tons of oil, occurred in 
feet per year [TRB 2020]. The geographical 2021 [NOAA 2022].
dispersion and chemical heterogeneity of runoff
from transportation facilities makes pollution Petroleum fuels are also released into the
control challenging. ground, potentially contaminating ground water,
when underground fuel storage tanks leak.
Road deicing salts are a contributor of runoff, From 1990 to 1995, the number of confirmed 
but they reduce vehicle accidents rates by an  releases increased by over 40,000 new releases 
estimated 78–87 percent under icy conditions,  per year. Since 2015, there have been fewer 
justifying their widespread use on the 70 percent than 7,500 new releases per year, and fewer
of U.S. roads in cold regions. Common salt, than 5,000 during 2021. As of 2021, 502,786
sodium chloride, is by far the most frequently of the 564,767 confirmed releases to date had 
used deicer applied to roadways, accounting for been cleaned up. The number not cleaned up
about 95 percent of reported salt use. Despite decreased from 62,493 in 2020 to 61,981 in
usage becoming more efficient over time, total  2021 [BTS NTS 2022, table 4-55].
tons of deicing salts applied to roads has more
than tripled since 1975 and is approximately Solid Waste and Recycling
20–25 million metric tons per year. As a result, 
chloride concentrations in lakes, streams, Transportation produces solid waste in the
and wetlands, especially in colder regions, form of scrapped vehicles and dismantled 
have increased dramatically. Road salt use is  infrastructure, the great majority of which is
partly responsible for an eight-fold increase in recycled. Available data indicate that 95 percent 
chloride concentrations in Lake Erie and Lake of automobiles undergo recycling, which
Ontario since the 1800s [Hintz, et al. 2021]. recovers over 80 percent of the weight of the 
Contamination of drinking water by road salts vehicle for reuse [USCAR 2019]. In general, only 
has also been documented in numerous case shredded plastic, fabrics, and glass and about
studies. At present there are no ecologically 10 percent of used tires [USTMA 2020] go to
friendly and cost-effective alternatives to deicing  landfill. Although statistics are scarce, heavy-
with road salts. Best practices are aimed at duty vehicles, aircraft, ships, and locomotives 
are likely recycled at similar rates (e.g., Gubisch

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Figure 6-16 Petroleum Spills Into Navigable Waterways: 2000–2021

NOTES: The spike in gallons spilled for 2005 can be attributed to the passage of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi on Aug. 29, 2005,
which caused numerous spills of approximating 8 million gallons of oil in U.S. waters. The largest spill in U.S. waters began on Apr. 20, 2010, with an
explosion and fire on the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon. Subsequently, the MODU sank, leaving an open exploratory well to
discharge crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks. The commonly accepted spill amount from the well is approximately 206.6 million gallons,
plus approximately 400,000 gallons of oil products from the MODU. The totals in this table may be different from those that appear in the source, due to
rounding by the source.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, Table 4-54, available at
http://www.bts.gov as of October 2022.

2018). Lead-acid batteries appear to be the most reclaimed asphalt pavement was incorporated 

recycled consumer product, with 13.5 billion in asphalt paving mixtures, displacing 82 million 
pounds of lead recovered from 99 percent of  tons of new asphalt and 4.4 million tons of
batteries from all types of transportation vehicles  binder [Williams, et al., 2021]. Reclaimed asphalt
from 2014 to 2018 [Battery Council 2019]. It comprised about 20 percent of total asphalt
is probable that the lithium-ion batteries used production of 420 million tons in 2019 [NAPA,
in electric vehicles will also be extensively  2021]. Recycling asphalt pavement reduced 
repurposed or recycled. The EV battery recycling greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated
industry is only just beginning to develop  three million metric tons in 2019 [Shacat et al.
because very few EVs have been scrapped. The  2022].
first mass-market EV in the United States was 
introduced in December 2010, automobiles tend Collisions with Wildlife
to last 15–20 years [Greene and Leard 2022], 
and EV batteries are expected to outlast the Collisions between vehicles and wildlife 
electric vehicle itself [Reid 2022]. caused an estimated 202 human fatalities in
2020 [IIHS 2022] and 2.1 million fatalities to
Transportation infrastructure is also extensively  animals between July 2020 and June 2021, a
recycled. In 2020, 96 million tons of asphalt 7.2 percent increase over the same period a 
paving was reclaimed and 87 million tons of  year earlier [State Farm 2022]. Two-thirds of

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

the reported wildlife fatalities were collisions The first regulations limiting noise production 

with deer, while 111,000 were with rodents, by aircraft were imposed in 1973 and since
93,000 with dogs, 58,000 with raccoons, and then have been tightened four times, most 
190,000 with other unidentified animals. These  recently in 2017 [ICAO 2016]. The benefits 
statistics undoubtedly underreport collisions of regulation and abatement are evident in 
that kill smaller animals. Total vertebrate  decreasing population exposure to aircraft noise.
roadway fatalities, including birds, reptiles, In 1975, 3.25 percent of the U.S. population was
and amphibians, may number in the hundreds exposed to noise levels in excess of 65 decibels. 
of millions per year [Shilling et al., 2021]. The Exposure dropped to 1.1 percent in 1990, and
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, section  to 0.1 percent in 2000, where it remained until
11123 [Public Law 117-58] directs the Secretary the dramatic reduction in air travel caused by the 
of Transportation to conduct a wildlife-vehicle  COVID-19 epidemic reduced the exposure level 
collision reduction and habitat connectivity  to 0.05 percent [BTS 2022d].
improvement study and to establish data 
standards to better understand the causes and Data Gaps
effects of these collisions.
Data gaps on three major areas are identified:
Transportation Noise 1. Transition to Electrified Transportation

Noise pollution, defined as unwanted or  Achieving a transition from a transportation 
disturbing sound, has a variety of effects  system powered by petroleum to one that
on human health including stress-related relies predominantly on electricity is a massive, 
illnesses, high blood pressure, interference with lengthy, and complex challenge in which public
communication, hearing loss, sleep disruption, policy and planning must play an important
and reduced productivity [EPA 2022c]. Noise is  role. New kinds of data are needed to inform
also known to adversely affect wildlife [National  decision-making. Data are needed to inform
Geographic 2022]. decisions about deploying and sustaining
electric vehicle charging infrastructure. There 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  are important differences between refueling
regulates noise from highway vehicles and  gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine
railroads, with most regulations dating to (ICE) vehicles and recharging electric vehicles 
the 1980s. Highway noise is mitigated by that affect the types, quantities, and locations
constructing noise barriers along high-speed of recharging stations necessary to support the
routes. For the past 30 years, between 60 widespread adoption of EVs. While ICEs are
and 120 miles of noise barriers have been  refueled in minutes at retail stations, current
constructed per year, with no apparent change in EV owners do 80 percent or more of their
that trend [BTS 2022c]. recharging at their residences or the EVs home
base. Although electricity is already available 
Aircraft noise is mitigated by managing
throughout the United States, not all vehicle-
operations to avoid populated areas during 
owning households have access to convenient 
take-off and landing by sound-proofing affected 
home-based charging, which may make the
buildings and by improvements to aircraft 
transition especially challenging for lower-income
technology. The correlation between operations
households and communities and those living in 
at the New York Metropolitan Areas three
multi-unit dwellings.
largest airports and average noise exposure is 
illustrated in Figure 6-17.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

Figure 6-17 Geography of Transportation Noise in the New York Metropolitan Region: 2020

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Noise Map: https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/
NationalTransportationNoiseMap/ as of September 2022.

Likewise, data are also needed on the availability  charging, yet data on long-distance travel by 
of workplace recharging stations, especially for households is scarce and not designed for
workers who depend on curbside parking at understanding EV charging behavior. Data on 
home as well as time-of-day recharging demand the acquisition, ownership, and use of EVs by
because overnight charging may stress the  households at all income levels are needed to 
grid during peak demand or when solar power understand the equity effects of the transition to
is not available. Long-distance trips will be a  electrified transportation.
critical component of the demand for high-speed

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

While most vehicle owners pay highway  3. Environmental Impacts

user fees (e.g., gas tax) when they purchase Finally, accurate and reliable statistics for
petroleum for their vehicles, this is not currently  many of the environmental impacts discussed 
the case for EV owners. The quantity and in the Additional Effects on the Environment 
patterns of electricity consumption by plug-in and Sustainability section are missing or must
vehicles are not directly measured, nor are  be obtained from industry or interest group
there information systems in place to insure sources. This is the case for water pollution
that EVs pay an appropriate share of the costs from transportation infrastructure, impacts on
of highway infrastructure. Data are needed to wildlife and wildlife habitats, and for components
quantify EV energy use and to inform decisions of the waste streams from scrapped vehicles 
about assessing cost responsibility to EVs. and infrastructure. Over the coming decade, 
Understanding how and when EVs are charged significant numbers of EVs will be scrapped. 
is important for assessing their impacts on the Information on the disposal and recycling of
environment and the electricity grid [Powell et  unique EV components, such as batteries,
al. 2022]. Comprehensive and validated data  electric motors and controllers, and high-voltage 
on charging behavior, especially the use of  cables, are needed to understand their lifecycle
workplace and public charging infrastructure is environmental impacts and to inform policies and 
needed, particularly by households in multi-unit plans to insure the sustainability of electrified 
dwellings or lacking off-street parking. transportation.
Better data on the use, energy usage, and duty
cycles of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are 
needed to understand where electrification can 
be effective and economical and where other 
solutions might be needed to achieve air quality 
and climate goals. As noted above, even basic 
measures of the energy intensity of medium- and
heavy-duty truck and air freight are lacking.

2. Actual Fuel Economy and GHG Emissions of

All Vehicles
As regulation of transportation’s greenhouse gas
emissions becomes increasingly important, data
are needed to better understand what regulatory
standards for new vehicles are accomplishing. In 
the case of ICE motor vehicles, there is a need 
for accurate data on real-world fuel economy and
GHG emissions, not just for light-duty vehicles 
but for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well.

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Chapter 6—Energy and Sustainability

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Congress.
median-driving-range-all-electric-vehicles-
Reid, C. 2022. Electric Car Batteries Lasting tops-250 and https://www.energy.gov/eere/
Longer Than Predicted Delays Recycling vehicles/articles/fotw-1221-january-17-2022-
Programs. Forbes. Available at https://www. model-year-2021-all-electric-vehicles-had-
forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2022/08/01/ median on 9/5/2022.
electric-car-batteries-lasting-longer-
—2020. Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Review 
than-predicted-delays-recycling-
of Technical Pathways. Available at https://
programs/?sh=2aa55ed15332.
www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/09/f78/
Shacat, J., J. Willis and B. Giavola. 2022.  beto-sust-aviation-fuel-sep-2020.pdf.
GHG Emissions Inventory for Asphalt 
U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), Energy
Mix Production in the United States.
Information Administration (EIA):
National Asphalt Pavement Association. 
Available at https://www.asphaltpavement. —2022a. Monthly Energy Review August
org/uploads/documents/Sustainability/ 2022. Available at https://www.eia.gov/
SIP-106_GHG_Emissions_Inventory_ totalenergy/data/monthly/.
for_Asphalt_Mix_Production_in_the_
—2022b. U.S. Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel
US_%E2%80%93_NAPA_June_2022.pdf.
Consumption. Available at https://www.eia.
Shilling, F., T. Nguyen, M. Saleh, M. Khant gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3025us2A.htm.
Kyaw, K. Tapia, G. Trujillo, M. Bejarano,
D. Waetjen, J.Peterson, G. Kalisz, R. —2022c. Biofuels explained. Available at 
Sejour, S. Croston, E. Ham. 2021. A https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biofuels/.
Reprieve from US wildlife mortality on  —2022d. Primary Energy: International. 
roads during the COVID-19 pandemic. Available at https://www.eia.gov/international/
Biological Conservation, 256: 1-6. https://doi. data/world.
org/10.1016/j,biocon.2021.109013.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
State Farm. 2022. Drivers struck more than  2022. Electric Vehicle Charging Speeds.
2 million animals during the pandemic. Available at https://www.transportation.gov/
Available at https://newsroom.statefarm.com/ rural/ev/toolkit/ev-basics/charging-speeds.
november-the-most-dangerous-month-for-
animal-collisions/.

6-28
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), —2022b. Refrigerant Transition &

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS): Environmental Impacts. Available at https://
www.epa.gov/mvac/refrigerant-transition-
—2022a. May 2022 U.S. Airline Traffic Data. 
environmental-impacts.
Available at https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/
may-2022-us-airline-traffic-data. —2022c. “Clean Air Act Title IV – Noise 
Pollution. Available at https://www.epa.gov/
—2022b. Bikeshare and E-scooter Systems
clean-air-act-overview/clean-air-act-title-iv-
in the U.S. Available at https://data.bts.gov/
noise-pollution.
stories/s/fwcs-jprj.
—2022d. Overview of Greenhouse 
—2022c. Leaking Underground Storage Tank
Gases. Available at https://www.epa.gov/
Releases and Cleanups. Available at https://
ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases.
www.bts.gov/content/leaking-underground-
storage-tank-releases-and-cleanups. —2021. Regulatory Impact Analysis:
Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light
—2022d. Highway Noise Barrier Construction,
Duty Vehicle GHG Emissions Standards.
table 4-56. Available at https://www.bts.gov/
EPA-420-R-21-028, December. Available 
content/highway-noise-barrier-construction.
at https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.
—2022e. Number of People Residing in cgi?Dockey=P1013ORN.pdf.
Areas of Significant Noise Exposure Around 
—2022c. Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through
U.S. Airports, table 4-57. Available at https://
2021. Available at https://gispub.epa.gov/air/
www.bts.gov/content/number-people-
trendsreport/2022/#home.
residing-areas-significant-noise-exposure-
around-us-airports. U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, (USTMA).
2020. 2019 U.S. Scrap Tire Management
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
Summary. Available at https://www.ustires.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA). 2022.
org/sites/default/files/2019%20USTMA%20
2020 National Transit Summaries and
Scrap%20Tire%20Management%20
Trends. Available at https://www.transit.dot.
Summary%20Report.pdf.
gov/ntd/data-product/2020-national-transit-
summaries-and-trends-ntst. White House. 2021. FACT SHEET: Biden 
Administration Advances the Future 
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
of Sustainable Fuels in American
National Highway Traffic Safety 
Aviation. Available at https://www.
Administration (NHTSA). 2022. USDOT
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/
Announces New Vehicle Fuel Economy
statements-releases/2021/09/09/
Standards for Model Year 2024-2026.
fact-sheet-biden-administration-
Available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-
advances-the-future-of-sustainable-fuels-in-
releases/usdot-announces-new-vehicle-fuel-
american-aviation/.
economy-standards-model-year-2024-2026.
Williams, B., J. Willis and J. Shacat. 2021.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey 
—2022a. Stormwater Discharges from on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix
Transportation Sources. Available at https:// Asphalt Usage: 2020. National Asphalt 
www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges- Pavement Association. Available at 
transportation-sources. http://www.asphaltwa.com/wp-content/
uploads/2017/11/2020-NAPA-Recycled-
Materials-Usage-Report.pdf.

6-29
CHAPTER 7
State of Transportation Statistics

Introduction Passenger Transportation and

Evolving transportation issues and the Equity
implementation of legislative mandates increase Data on passenger travel and transportation are
demands on the Bureau of Transportation needed to help answer three basic questions.
Statistics (BTS) and its partners to support Is the transportation system delivering people
decisions with objective, accurate, and timely in a timely, reliable manner and at a reasonable
information. Recent disruptions to supply cost to support the needs of individuals and
chains place new emphasis on the performance households across all spectrums of society?
of freight transportation, underscored by Is the transportation system delivering workers
requirements in the Ocean Shipping Reform Act1 and tourists to support the national, regional,
for BTS to collect and publish dwell times and and local economies? Is passenger movement
out-of-service statistics on maritime containers impeding freight movement, threatening safety,
and chassis. Increased concerns with equity, or causing environmental or societal disruption
reflected in the Infrastructure Investment and at the national, regional, and local levels?
Jobs Act2 and part of learning agendas required Environmental disruptions include contributions
by the Foundations for Evidence-Based of climate change, and societal disruptions
Policymaking Act,3 place a renewed emphasis on include equity impacts.
statistics about users of transportation and about
the effects of transportation on surrounding Current statistical products do not provide the
communities. Disruptions related to climate following:
change bolster longstanding needs for statistics
● Comprehensive measures of the volume of
on topics such as safety. BTS and its partners
passenger movement, the demographic and
must mobilize both traditional and new sources
economic characteristics of travelers, and
of data to understand these issues and inform
the purposes of their travel with geographic
decisionmakers and the public in a rapidly
specificity.
changing world.

1
Section 16 of Pub. L. 117-146 (June 16, 2022).
2
Pub. L. 117-58 (November 15, 2021).
3
Pub. L. 115-435 (January 14, 2019).

7-1
Chapter 7—State of Transportation Statistics

● Statistics on timeliness, reliability, and cost or causing environmental or societal disruption

of passenger transportation, including at the national, regional, and local levels?
the burden of travel costs placed on Environmental disruptions include contributions
disadvantaged groups. of climate change, and societal disruptions
● Statistics on workers who work at multiple include equity impacts such as exposure to
locations or who telework for portions of the traffic and pollution by chronically impoverished
week, potentially causing significant changes communities next to major ports.
in daily travel. The following ongoing programs answer many of
● Estimates of travel affected by disruptions to the questions posed:
the transportation system.
● The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF)
● Estimates of passenger movement by provides a comprehensive picture of
travelers from outside the region who place commodity movements that must be
demands on the local transportation system handled by the freight transportation system,
but also contribute to the local economy. integrating data from sources including
BTS and its partners are tapping new types the Commodity Flow Survey, Rail Waybill
of data such as anonymized mobile tracking program, Waterborne Commerce Statistics,
to improve the completeness, timeliness, and and Transborder Freight Data Program.
geographic detail of passenger movement ● The Transportation Satellite Account, which
estimates. These data identify geographic tracks the purchase of goods and services
patterns of passenger movements over specific among sectors of the national economy to
portions of the transportation network that estimate the contribution of transportation
can be used to support resiliency and equity to gross domestic product, identifies supply
analyses, identify exposure of travelers to safety chain interactions that generate commodity
problems, and understand the performance and movements.
impacts of the passenger transportation system.
● Forthcoming statistics from the recently
BTS will use traditional surveys to measure the
resurrected Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey
demographic characteristics of transit riders and
will include essential information on vehicle
develop estimation models to measure the cost
weights and configurations, commodities
burden of transportation on subgroups of the
carried, fuel type and mileage, economic
population.
activities served, and other truck-specific
characteristics.
Freight Transportation and
Planned improvements to the FAF will increase
Supply Chains the timeliness and geographic detail of data
Data on freight transportation are needed on the value and weight of commodities
to help answer three basic questions that being moved by mode and region. Models
parallel the questions for passenger travel. Is under development that assign freight flows
the transportation system supporting national, among regions to the multimodal network will
regional, and local economies by delivering support future understanding of freight system
goods in a timely, reliable manner and at a vulnerabilities and resilience, assessments
reasonable cost? What markets for obtaining of conflicts between freight movement and
supplies and selling goods can be reached with passenger travel, identification of regional
the transportation system? Is freight movement markets to guide economic development, and
impeding passenger travel, threatening safety, estimates of freight movement that is passing

7-2
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

through a region and affecting local infrastructure movements, information on the economic cost
needs. of freight transportation, observed data on
the domestic transportation of international
New data collections by the Federal Maritime trade, and an understanding of last-mile freight
Commission and BTS in response to the Ocean delivery are frequently requested for but remain
Shipping Reform Act will provide insight into the largely underdeveloped. BTS will explore
role of shipping containers in maritime freight. potential partnerships with private industry and
BTS supports the Freight Logistics Optimization other Federal statistical agencies to find cost-
Works (FLOW) initiative, an endeavor among effective solutions to these data shortcomings
shippers, carriers, terminal operators, and others and provide information that strengthens freight
in supply chains through selected ports to share transportation and supply chain resilience.
data on container volumes and capacities to
improve operational efficiency. BTS also works
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
Safety
resurrect the Ocean Container Availability Report Safety is an issue that transcends the passenger
to measure equipment capacity for handling and freight transportation systems. Every modal
export shipments. As these programs mature, administration has safety data programs, and
BTS will integrate the results into a more robust the data programs for highway safety are larger
Port Performance Freight Statistics Program. in budget and staff than the sum of all BTS
Experience with the FLOW initiative should programs. Rather than duplicate these modal
lead to strategies for creating comprehensive safety programs, BTS provides a comprehensive
statistics on the timeliness, reliability, and cost compilation of safety statistics that accounts
of freight movement beyond ports to the entire for overlaps (e.g., rail–highway grade-crossing
freight transportation system. crashes appearing in both highway and rail
statistics).4 BTS also collects data on the
BTS is exploring more effective uses of probe conversion of the railroad tank car fleet to safer
data, also known as location-based services equipment standards and publishes an annual
data, to measure vehicle and vessel activity report to Congress.5
and enhance understanding of the physical
performance of the freight transportation system. BTS ensures confidentiality when obtaining
BTS is exploring other data-collection strategies sensitive information on precursor safety,
to measure last-mile freight delivery and analyze including close calls and near misses.6 The
the role of e-commerce in freight movements. Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA)7 authorizes
While planned improvements and new data BTS to protect respondents to BTS data
collections provide a useful picture of freight collections from direct or indirect identification.
movements and the physical performance CIPSEA exempts data collected by BTS and
of the transportation system in serving those other Federal agencies from Freedom of

4
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, Section 2, available at https://www.
bts.gov/topics/national-transportation-statistics as of October 2021.
5
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Fleet Composition of Rail Tank Cars Carrying Flammable Liquids
Annual Reports, available at https://www.bts.gov/surveys/annual-tank-car-facility-survey/fleet-composition-rail-tank-cars-carrying-flammable-
liquids as of October 2021.
6
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Close Call Data Program at https://www.bts.gov/close-call as of
October 2021.
7
Title III of Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-435 (reauthorizing 2002 E-Gov Act).

7-3
Chapter 7—State of Transportation Statistics

Information Act requests and judicial processes investment. That distinction becomes less clear
such as subpoenas. BTS uses this confidentiality with the increasing use of innovative financial
protection in its safety precursor data program to instruments and public–private partnerships.
encourage voluntary reports of safety problems Working with the National Academy of Public
from employees and companies without fear Administration, BTS developed strategies to
of discovery and retaliation. BTS analyzes produce more robust, timely statistics that
individual reports and summarizes them into more accurately account for public and private
statistical assessments that inform sponsoring spending on transportation from capital projects
organizations of problems while protecting to operations and maintenance. BTS is working
respondent confidentiality. with State partners and others to implement
those strategies.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA) and the Bureau of Safety
and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) of
Meeting State and Local Data and
the Department of the Interior are current Analytical Needs
sponsors of the BTS safety precursor data Section 25003 of the Infrastructure Investment
program. WMATA, the regional bus and rail and Jobs Act8 requires BTS to determine data
transit operator for the Nation’s capital and the and analysis tools that would assist planning and
greater Washington, D.C., area, has sponsored infrastructure decision-making officials in units
the program since 2012, and BSEE has of local government, and to develop a roadmap
sponsored the program for offshore petroleum for the Federal government to support local
extraction since 2013. Both programs identified communities with their infrastructure investment
safety problems that prompted corrective decisions. Based on a series of meetings with
actions by the sponsors. BTS is working with stakeholders, BTS concludes that the greatest
the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to needs of local officials, listed in prioritized order,
implement a version of the WMATA safety are as follows:
precursor data program in Boston, MA, and with
the Maritime Administration to develop a safety 1. Data-focused technical assistance—ranging
precursor data program for the maritime industry. from basic assistance on data collection and
project development to understanding the
Transportation Financial correct data and tools to use for different
decision-making goals.
Statistics
2. Complete, timely, and granular benchmark
The influx of funding of transportation through data to tell the stories of their communities, to
COVID relief and infrastructure investment inform planning and infrastructure investment
legislation underscores the importance of a decisions, and to measure and deliver better
BTS initiative to improve the economic and investment outcomes.
financial statistics related to transportation.
3. Continued tool refinements to keep pace with
Traditional sources of data on public investment
technology advancements and mounting
in transportation take years to process,
decision-making priorities.
require complicated reconciliations of fiscal
and calendar years and authorizations versus To address these needs, BTS proposed a series
obligations versus final spending, and assume of work plans for the Federal government to
a clear distinction between public and private implement the priorities for evidence-based local

8
Pub, L. 117-58 (November 15, 2021).

7-4
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

infrastructure investment decision-making that into travel behavior and transportation system
would achieve the following: use by supplementing traditional survey-
based methods or providing new, standalone
1. Improve maintenance of existing assets to
products. Additional investment, which is
reduce congestion and strengthen resilience.
critical to advance these programs, should
2. Create economic development through be coupled with research and guidance
infrastructure development. to substitute standalone sensor data—or
3. Establish freight plans and infrastructure that blended data and tools should be used—to
connect the community to supply chains. facilitate thoughtful policy decisions.
4. Rebuild infrastructure to a state of good 3. Develop and access better integrated and
repair. coordinated granular freight data and private
freight data that will allow decision-makers
5. Advance transportation equity by increasing
to establish strategies that adapt rapidly
options for communities to improve access
to changing economic conditions and will
to jobs, affordable housing, schools, medical
support a multitude of applications from
services, food, and other essential services.
performance measurement to supply chain
Improved data and statistics are fundamental management. Local plans will have better
to each of the proposed work plans, and the potential to connect communities to supply
following approaches will be key in assisting chains and create economic development,
local decision-makers: while public agencies will have additional tools
1. Improve decision-making timeliness, to help reduce freight-related congestion.
outcomes, and forecast trends using Privacy and confidentiality concerns are a
geospatial data automation to provide key barrier to local decision-makers collecting
high-resolution, frequent, and sustainable and accessing the information they need to
geospatial products. Cost, technology make evidence-based decisions. Federal
constraints, and skillsets impact the statistical agencies like BTS have the tools
availability and use of these advanced to collect and protect the confidentiality of
resources. Coupling primary, automated data- information not available through traditional
collection streams—imagery, fixed sensors, methods or administrative records. These tools
mobile sensors, and crowdsourcing—with include survey instruments and data analyses
artificial intelligence and machine learning can with strong privacy protections such as BTS
provide more timely and granular geospatial confidentiality provisions and the protections
information, improve data quality, and support of CIPSEA. Leveraging BTS’s powerful and
better multimodal infrastructure decision- targeted data-collection and -analysis abilities
making. will provide high-quality statistics to local
2. Increase data-collection efficiency, enhance decision-makers that answer their questions
data quality, and minimize respondent about the transportation systems and its users.
burden by leveraging administrative data
and sensor-based data sources—Global Meeting Data Needs of
Position System, location-based services, Departmental Priorities
and the Internet of Things—while facilitating
The Department of Transportation has published
frequent, multimodal, and geographic
four priorities: (1) reduce inequities across our
coverage. Sensor-based data sources and
transportation systems and the communities they
administrative records can unlock insights

7-5
Chapter 7—State of Transportation Statistics

affect; (2) reduce greenhouse gas emissions example of purpose-driven research and
and transportation-related pollution and build innovation. The freight transportation system
a more resilient and sustainable transportation includes many private participants who
systems to benefit communities; (3) make our traditionally resist sharing information to protect
transportation safe for all people; and (4) invest proprietary advantages. BTS is using its
in purpose-driven research and innovation authority under CIPSEA to provide a safe harbor
to meet the challenges of the present and for confidential data, allowing shippers, carriers,
modernize a transportation system of the future and others in supply chains to share data without
that serves everyone today and in the decades compromising their proprietary interests. BTS
to come.9 While all BTS programs directly or compiles the data and generates measures that
indirectly relate to these priorities, BTS launched participants can use to diagnose and address
two initiatives that specifically serve the equity disruptions, ease supply chain congestion,
and innovation aspects. speed up the movement of goods, and reduce
costs for American consumers.
BTS is developing a transportation cost
burden measure to help the Department better
understand potential inequities across the
Conclusion
transportation system. Transportation cost is BTS celebrated 30 years of operation on
an aspect of transportation affordability, which October 19, 2022. When BTS was created,
characterizes households’ ability to purchase statistics were used primarily as an input to
basic mobility within their limited budgets to transportation planning and justification for
access basic goods and activities such as investments and regulations. During the early
medical care, basic shopping, education, work, years of BTS, increased emphasis of public
and socializing. Studies show subnational agencies and private companies on managing
variation in the cost of transportation due to and operating transportation assets created
subnational differences in transportation mode demands for large amounts of timely data on the
availability, housing and job density, and other condition and performance of the transportation
factors. BTS is developing a model to estimate system. The COVID-19 pandemic created even
the cost of transportation to a household at the greater demands for timely data to identify
local level using existing, nonproprietary data large, rapid changes in transportation. The
that are released regularly so future updates to Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking
the model can be made. Act is creating new demands for data to support
continuous improvements to public investments
BTS is exploring the feasibility of a and regulations with learning agendas that
neighborhood-level transportation cost burden combine traditional planning statistics with
data collection and developing a roadmap data on program implementation and outputs.
to such a potential future data collection. As “plan-and-done” becomes “plan-do-learn-
Transportation cost burden measures will do better,” statistics are no longer a static
help State and local agencies prioritize input to forecasts that are used for plans and
programs, policies, and investments that target then shelved; statistics are now a key part of
transportation affordability. continuous learning and improvement.
BTS is responding to recent supply chain The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged BTS’s
disruptions with support to FLOW, an important evolution from focusing on annual statistics

9
https://www.transportation.gov/priorities accessed December 9, 2022.

7-6
 Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2022

published through printed reports to that of

weekly and monthly statistics continuously
updated online. The Foundations for Evidence-
Based Policymaking Act will inspire further
evolution of BTS and its products in the years
ahead.

Throughout its history, BTS has worked with its

partners to create increasingly robust, timely,
and credible products in each of the topic areas
identified in legislative mandates and the goals
of the Department of Transportation. BTS
endeavors to produce statistics that are relevant
and useful throughout the Nation and fulfill
Abraham Lincoln’s vision that “statistics will save
us from doing what we do, in wrong places.”10

10
Lincoln, A., “Internal Improvements,” Speech of Mr. A. Lincoln of Illinois in the House of Representatives (Washington, D.C.: June 28, 1848),
Congressional Globe, 30th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 709–711.

7-7
APPENDIX A
Legislative Responsibilities

BTS compiles these and other statistics as required by 49 U.S. Code § 6302 - Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, which requires information on the following:

I. Transportation safety across all modes and VIII. Transportation-related variables that
intermodally; influence the domestic economy and global
II. The state of good repair of United States competitiveness;
transportation infrastructure; IX. Economic costs and impacts for passenger
III. The extent, connectivity, and condition of the travel and freight movement;
transportation system; X. Intermodal and multimodal passenger
IV. Building on the national transportation atlas movement;
database developed; XI. Intermodal and multimodal freight movement;
V. Economic efficiency across the entire and
transportation sector; XII. Consequences of transportation for the
VI. The effects of the transportation system human and natural environment.
on global and domestic economic
competitiveness;
VII. Demographic, economic, and other variables
influencing travel behavior, including choice
of transportation mode and goods movement;

A-1
APPENDIX B
Glossary

Air carrier: Certificated provider of scheduled Commuter rail: Urban/suburban passenger

and nonscheduled services. train service for short-distance travel between a
central city and adjacent suburbs run on tracks
Alternative fuel (vehicle): Nonconventional or of a traditional railroad system. Does not include
advanced fuels or any materials or substances, heavy or light rail transit service.
such as biodiesel, electric charging, ethanol,
natural gas, and hydrogen, that can be used in Consumer Price Index (CPI): Measures
place of conventional fuels, such as gasoline changes in the prices paid by urban consumers
and diesel. for a representative basket of goods and
services.
Arterial: A class of roads serving major traffic
movements (high-speed, high volume) for travel Current dollars: Represents the dollar value of
between major points. a good or service in terms of prices current at
the time the good or service is sold.
Block hours: The time elapsed from the
moment an aircraft pushes back from the Deadweight tons: The number of tons of 2,240
departure gate until the moment of engine pounds that a vessel can transport of cargo,
shutoff at the arrival gate following its landing. stores, and bunker fuel. It is the difference
between the number of tons of water a vessel
Bus: Large motor vehicle used to carry more displaces “light” and the number of tons it
than 10 passengers, including school buses, displaces when submerged to the “load line.”
intercity buses, and transit buses.
Demand-response: A transit mode comprised
Capital stock (transportation): Includes of passenger cars, vans, or small buses
structures owned by either the public or private operating in response to calls from passengers
sectors, such as bridges, stations, highways, or their agents to the transit operator, who then
streets, and ports; and equipment, such as dispatches a vehicle to pick up the passengers
automobiles, aircraft, and ships. and transport them to their destinations.
Chained dollars: A method of inflation Directional route-miles: The sum of the
adjustment that allows for comparing in dollar mileage in each direction over which transit
values changes between years. vehicles travel while in revenue service.
Class I railroad: Railroads earning adjusted Directly operated service: Transportation
annual operating revenues for three consecutive service provided directly by a transit agency,
years of $250,000,000 or more, based on 1991 using their employees to supply the necessary
dollars with an adjustment factor applied to labor to operate the revenue vehicles.
subsequent years.
Distribution pipeline: Delivers natural gas to
Commercial air carrier: An air carrier individual homes and businesses.
certificated in accordance with Federal Aviation
Regulations Part 121 or Part 127 to conduct
scheduled services on specified routes.

B-1
Appendix B: Glossary

E85: A gasoline-ethanol mixture that may Functionally obsolete bridge: does not meet
contain anywhere from 51 to 85 percent current design standards (for criteria such
ethanol. Because fuel ethanol is denatured with as lane width), either because the volume of
approximately 2 to 3 percent gasoline, E85 is traffic carried by the bridge exceeds the level
typically no more than 83 percent ethanol. anticipated when the bridge was constructed
and/or the relevant design standards have been
Energy intensity: The amount of energy used revised.
to produce a given level of output or activity,
e.g., energy use per passenger-mile of travel. GDP (gross domestic product): The total
A decline in energy intensity indicates an value of goods and services produced by labor
improvement in energy efficiency, while an and property located in the United States. As
increase in energy intensity indicates a drop in long as the labor and property are located in the
energy efficiency. United States, the suppliers may be either U.S.
residents or residents of foreign countries.
Enplanements: Total number of revenue
passengers boarding aircraft. General aviation: Civil aviation operations
other than those air carriers holding a Certificate
Expressway: A controlled access, divided of Public Convenience and Necessity. Types
arterial highway for through traffic, the of aircraft used in general aviation range
intersections of which are usually separated from from corporate, multiengine jets piloted by
other roadways by differing grades. a professional crew to amateur-built, single-
Ferry boat: A vessel that provides fixed-route engine, piston-driven, acrobatic planes.
service across a body of water and is primarily Heavy rail: High-speed transit rail operated on
engaged in transporting passengers or vehicles. rights-of-way that exclude all other vehicles and
Flex fuel vehicle: A type of alternative fuel pedestrians.
vehicle that can use conventional gasoline or Hybrid vehicle: Hybrid electric vehicles combine
gasoline-ethanol mixtures of up to 85 percent features of internal combustion engines and
ethanol (E85). electric motors. Unlike 100% electric vehicles,
Footprint (vehicle): The size of a vehicle hybrid vehicles do not need to be plugged into
defined as the rectangular “footprint” formed an external source of electricity to be recharged.
by its four tires. A vehicle’s footprint is its track Most hybrid vehicles operate on gasoline.
(width) multiplied by its wheelbase (length). In-house (transportation): Includes
For-hire (transportation): Refers to a vehicle transportation services provided within a firm
operated on behalf of or by a company that whose main business is not transportation, such
provides services to external customers for a as grocery stores that use their own truck fleets
fee. It is distinguished from private transportation to move goods from warehouses to retail outlets.
services in which a firm transports its own freight Interstate: Limited access divided facility of
and does not offer its transportation services to at least four lanes designated by the Federal
other shippers. Highway Administration as part of the Interstate
Freeway: All urban principal arterial roads with System.
limited control of access not on the interstate
system.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report

International Roughness Index (IRI): A scale Linked trip: A trip from the origin to the
for roughness based on the simulated response destination on the transit system. Even if a
of a generic motor vehicle to the roughness in a passenger must make several transfers during a
single wheel path of the road surface. journey, the trip is counted as one linked trip on
the system.
Lane-mile: Equals one mile of one-lane road,
thus three miles of a three-lane road would equal Local road: All roads not defined as arterials or
nine lane-miles. collectors; primarily provides access to land with
little or no through movement.
Large certificated air carrier: Carriers
operating aircraft with a maximum passenger Long-distance travel: As used in this report,
capacity of more than 60 seats or a maximum trips of more than 50 miles. Such trips are
payload of more than 18,000 pounds. These primarily served by air carriers and privately
carriers are also grouped by annual operating owned vehicles.
revenues: majors—more than $1 billion;
nationals—between $100 million and $1 billion; Major collector: Collector roads that tend
large regionals—between $20 million and to serve higher traffic volumes than other
$99,999,999; and medium regionals—less than collector roads. Major collector roads typically
$20 million. link arterials. Traffic volumes and speeds are
typically lower than those of arterials.
Light-duty vehicle: Passenger cars, light trucks,
vans, pickup trucks, and sport/utility vehicles Minor arterial: Roads linking cities and larger
regardless of wheelbase. towns in rural areas. In urban areas, they are
roads that link, but do not enter neighborhoods
Light-duty vehicle, long wheelbase: within a community.
Passenger cars, light trucks, vans, pickup trucks,
and sport/utility vehicles with wheelbases longer Minor collector: Collector roads that tend to
than 121 inches. serve lower traffic volumes than other collector
roads. Traffic volumes and speeds are typically
Light-duty vehicle, short wheelbase: lower than those of major collector roads.
Passenger cars, light trucks, vans, pickup trucks,
and sport/utility vehicles with wheelbases equal Motorcoach: A vehicle designed for long-
to or less than 121 inches and typically with a distance transportation of passengers,
gross weight of less than 10,000 lb. characterized by integral construction with
an elevated passenger deck located over a
Light rail: Urban transit rail operated on a baggage compartment. It is at least 35 feet
reserved right-of-way that may be crossed by in length with a capacity of more than 30
roads used by motor vehicles and pedestrians. passengers.

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Appendix B: Glossary

Motorcycle: A two- or three-wheeled vehicle Offshore gathering line: A pipeline that collects
designed to transport one or two people, oil and natural gas from an offshore source, such
including motorscooters, minibikes, and mopeds. as the Gulf of Mexico. Natural gas is collected
by gathering lines that convey the resource
Multiple Modes and Mail: the Freight Analysis to transmission lines, which in turn carry it to
Framework (FAF) and the Commodity Flow treatment plants that remove impurities from the
Survey (CFS) use “Multiple Modes and gas. On the petroleum side, gathering pipelines
Mail” rather than “Intermodal” to represent collect crude oil from onshore and offshore
commodities that move by more than one mode. wells. The oil is transported from the gathering
Intermodal typically refers to containerized cargo lines to a trunk-line system that connects with
that moves between ship and surface modes processing facilities in regional markets.
or between truck and rail, and repeated efforts
to identify containerized cargo in the CFS have Offshore transmission line (gas): A pipeline
proved unsuccessful. Multiple mode shipments other than a gathering line that is located
can include anything from containerized cargo to offshore for the purpose of transporting gas from
bulk goods such as coal moving from a mine to a gathering line or storage facility to a distribution
a railhead by truck and then by rail to a seaport. center, storage facility, or large volume customer
Mail shipments include parcel delivery services that is not downstream from a distribution center.
where shippers typically do not know what
modes were involved after the shipment was Onshore gathering line: A pipeline that collects
picked up. oil and natural gas from an onshore source,
such as an oil field. Natural gas is collected
National Highway System (NHS): This by gathering lines that convey the resource
system of highways designated and approved to transmission lines, which in turn carry it to
in accordance with the provisions of 23 United treatment plants that remove impurities from the
States Code 103b Federal-aid systems. gas. On the petroleum side, gathering pipelines
collect crude oil from onshore and offshore
Nominal dollars: A market value that does not wells. The oil is transported from the gathering
take inflation into account and reflects prices lines to a trunk-line system that connects with
and quantities that were current at the time the processing facilities in regional markets.
measure was taken.
Onshore transmission line (gas): A pipeline
Nonself-propelled vessels: Includes dry cargo, other than a gathering line that is located
tank barges, and railroad car floats that operate onshore for the purpose of transporting gas from
in U.S. ports and waterways. a gathering line or storage facility to a distribution
Oceangoing vessels: Includes U.S. flag, center, storage facility, or large volume customer
privately owned merchant fleet of oceangoing, that is not downstream from a distribution center.
self-propelled, cargo-carrying vessels of 1,000 Particulates: Carbon particles formed by partial
gross tons or greater. 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.

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report

Passenger-mile: One passenger transported Self-propelled vessels: Includes dry

one mile. For example, one vehicle traveling cargo vessels, tankers, and offshore supply
3 miles carrying 5 passengers generates 15 vessels, tugboats, pushboats, and passenger
passenger-miles. vessels, such as excursion/sightseeing boats,
combination passenger and dry cargo vessels,
Person-miles: An estimate of the aggregate and ferries.
distances traveled by all persons on a given trip
based on the estimated transportation-network- Short ton: A unit of weight equal to 2,000
miles traveled on that trip. For instance, four pounds.
persons traveling 25 miles would accumulate
100 person-miles. They include the driver and Structurally deficient (bridge): Characterized
passenger in personal vehicles, but do not by deteriorated conditions of significant bridge
include the operator or crew for air, rail, and elements and potentially reduced load-carrying
transit modes. capacity. A “structurally deficient” designation
does not imply that a bridge is unsafe, but
Person trip: A trip taken by an individual. such bridges typically require significant
For example, if three persons from the same maintenance and repair to remain in service,
household travel together, the trip is counted as and would eventually require major rehabilitation
one household trip and three person trips. or replacement to address the underlying
deficiency.
Personal vehicle: A motorized vehicle that is
privately owned, leased, rented or company- TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit): A TEU is
owned and available to be used regularly by a a nominal unit of measure equivalent to a 20’ x
household, which may include vehicles used 8’ x 8’ shipping container. For example, a 50 ft.
solely for business purposes or business-owned container equals 2.5 TEU.
vehicles, so long as they are driven home and
can be used for the home to work trip (e.g., Tg CO2 Eq.: Teragrams of carbon dioxide
taxicabs, police cars, etc.). equivalent, a metric measure used to compare
the emissions from various greenhouse gases
Planning Time Index (PTI): The ratio of travel based on their global warming potential.
time on the worst day of the month compared to
the time required to make the same trip at free- Ton-mile: A unit of measure equal to movement
flow speeds. of 1 ton over 1 mile.

Post Panamax vessel: Vessels exceeding Trainset: One or more powered cars mated
the length or width of the lock chambers in the with a number of passenger or freight cars that
Panama Canal. The Panama Canal expansion operate as one entity.
project, slated for completion in 2015, is intended Transit bus: A bus designed for frequent stop
to double the canal’s capacity by creating a new service with front and center doors, normally with
lane of traffic for more and larger ships. a rear-mounted diesel engine, low-back seating,
Real dollars: Value adjusted for changes in and without luggage storage compartments or
prices over time due to inflation. rest room facilities. Includes motor and trolley
bus.

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Appendix B: Glossary

Transmission line: A pipeline used to transport Trip-chaining: The practice of adding daily
natural gas from a gathering, processing, or errands and other activities, such as shopping
storage facility to a processing or storage facility, or going to a fitness center, to commutes to and
large volume customer, or distribution system. from work.

Transportation Services Index (TSI): A monthly Trolley bus: See transit bus.
measure indicating the relative change in the
volume of services over time performed by the Unlinked trips: The number of passengers who
for-hire transportation sector. Change is shown board public transportation vehicles. Passengers
relative to a base year, which is given a value are counted each time they board vehicles no
of 100. The TSI covers the activities of for-hire matter how many vehicles they use to travel from
freight carriers, for-hire passenger carriers, and their origin to their destination.
a combination of the two. See www.rita.dot.gov Vehicle-mile: Measures the distance traveled
for a detailed explanation. by a private vehicle, such as an automobile, van,
Travel Time Index (TTI): The ratio of the travel pickup truck, or motorcycle. Each mile traveled
time during the peak traffic period to the time is counted as one vehicle-mile regardless of
required to make the same trip at free-flow number of passengers.
speeds.

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APPENDIX C
Abbreviations and Acronyms

AAA American Automobile Association

AAR American Association of Railroads

AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

ABA American Bus Association

ACEA European Automobile Manufacturers Association

ACS American Community Survey

AEO Annual Energy Outlook report

AFDC Alternative Fuels Data Center

AGS American Gas Association

AIP Airport Improvement Program

AIS Automatic Identification System

AMTRAK National Rail Passenger Corporation

AQI Air Quality Index

ARA Automotive Recyclers Association

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

ASR automotive shredder residue

ATA American Trucking Association

ATIP Automated Track Inspection Program

ATUS American Time Use Survey

ATV all-terrain vehicle

AV automated vehicle

BAC blood alcohol concentration

BEA Bureau of Economic Analysis

BEV battery electric vehicle

BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Appendix C: Abbreviations and Acronyms

BTS Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Btu British thermal unit

CAFCP California Fuel Cell Partnership

CAFE Corporate Average Fuel Economy

CBP Customs and Border Protection

CDC Centers for Disease Control

CDL commercial drivers license

CEC California Energy Commission

CEP Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CFS Commodity Flow Survey

CMC Crisis Management Center

CO carbon monoxide

CO2 carbon dioxide

CPI Consumer Price Index

CPI-U Consumer Price Index—Urban

CROS California Roadkill Observation System

CRSS Crash Reporting Sampling System

CTS Center for Transportation Studies—University of Minnesota

DBA-A Weighted Decibel

DOT Department of Transportation

DUI driving under the influence

ECI Employment Cost Index

EDTA Electric Drive Transportation Association

EIA Energy Information Agency

ESC electronic stability control

EU European Union

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report

FAF Freight Analysis Framework

FAF4 Freight analysis Framework, 4th generation

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

FRA Federal Railroad Administration

FTA Federal Transit Administration

FTD Foreign Trade Division

FTSI Freight Transportation Services Index

FY fiscal year

GA general aviation

GAO General Accountability Office

GDP gross domestic product

GES General Estimates System

GHG greenhouse gas

GHSA Governors Highway Safety Association

GIS geographic information system

GPS global positioning system

GTFS General Transit Feed Specifications

Haz Liq hazardous liquid

HEV hybrid electric vehicle

HFC hydrofluorocarbon

hh:mm hours and minutes

IGU International Gas Union

IIHS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

IPCD Intermodal Passenger Connectivity Database

IRI International Roughness Index

C-3
Appendix C: Abbreviations and Acronyms

IT information technology

IWR Institute for Water Resources

LAEQ 24-hour equivalent sound level

LNG liquefied natural gas

MARAD Maritime Administration

MODU mobile offshore drilling unit

MPF multifactor productivity

MPG miles per gallon

MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area

NACTO National Association of City Transportation Officials

NAR National Association of Realtors

NAS National Academy of Science

NAS National Aviation System

NASS National Automotive Sampling System

NBI National Bridge Inventory

NCFO National Census of Ferry Operators

NCO National Coordination Office

NDC Navigation Data Center

NEC Northeast Corridor

NextGen Next Generation Air Transportation System

NHC National Hurricane Center

NHS National Highway System

NHTS National Household Travel Survey

NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NIAAA National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

NIH National Institutes of Health

NIMMA National Marine Manufacturers Association

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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 Transportation Statistics Annual Report

NOX oxides of nitrogen

NPIAS National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems

NPTS National Personal Travel Survey

NRC Natoinal Resaerch Council

NTAD National Transportation Atlas Database

NTD National Transit Database

NTS National Transportation Statistics

NTSB National Transportation Safety Board

NTTO National Travel and Tourism Office

ONI Office of Naval Intelligence

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OTAQ Office of Transportation and Air Quality

PEV plug-in electric vehicle

PHEV plug-in electric hybrid vehicles

PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

PM passenger-mile

PMT person-miles of travel

PNT Position, Navigation, and Timing

PTC Positive Train Control

PTSI Passenger Transportation Services Index

RF radio frequency

RPM revenue passenger-mile

RTM revenue ton-mile

RV recreational vehicle

SO2 sulfur dioxide

SUV sport utility vehicle

TEU twenty-foot equivalent units

T-M ton-mile

C-5
Appendix C: Abbreviations and Acronyms

TNC transportation network company

TRB Transportation Research Board

TSA Transportation Security Administration

TSA Transportation Satellite Accounts

TSI Transportation Services Index

TTI Texas Transportation Institute

UAS unmanned aerial systems

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USCG U.S. Coast Guard

USDHHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

USDOC U.S. Department of Commerce

USDOE U.S. Department of Energy

USDHS U.S. Department of Homeland Security

USDOJ U.S. Department of Justice

USDOT U.S. Department of Transportation

USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

VMT vehicle-miles traveled

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

C-6
APPENDIX D
Why Fatality and Injury Data Differ
by Source
Fatality Data certificates and other sources. These data
may identify people who are fatally injured in
Several federal transportation agencies collect
transportation crashes many months or up to
fatality, injury, and accident/incident data from
a year after the incident, not just 30 days later.
reports by state, local, or corporate (e.g.,
Also, the NCHS data include transportation-
pipeline companies, railroads) entities for
related deaths that occur anywhere, not just
the specific transportation mode under their
those reported on public roadways as in FARS.
purview. These agencies, including the National
The differences can be substantial: the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
Safety Council (NCS), which uses the NCHS
Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal
data to obtain its estimates of motor vehicle
Transit Administration, the Federal Aviation
fatalities, found that there were about 3,500
Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous
more deaths in its 2020 estimates using NCHS
Materials Administration, and the U.S. Coast
data than were reported in FARS—42,339 for
Guard in the Department of Homeland Security,
NCHS compared to 38,824 in FARS. (This
often have different reporting thresholds (e.g.,
TSAR uses the FARS data but also discusses
the time period after a crash to ascribe the death
the non-traffic motor vehicle deaths, such as on
to a transportation incident, the dollar amount of
driveways.)
property damage or injury severity that needs to
be reported). Thus, data for different modes may
not be comparable in all respects.
Injury and Property-Damage-Only
Crashes
Different sources can also produce different
Millions of highway crashes of all severity
estimates even for something as seemingly
levels occur every year in the United States.
definitive as death. In the case of motor vehicle
These range from property-damage-only (PDO)
fatalities, NHTSA, through its Fatality Analysis
crashes, such as most “fender-benders,” which
Reporting System (FARS), collects a census of
account for the lion’s share of accidents, to
fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes provided by the
non-fatal injury crashes (with ascending levels
50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto
of injury from minor to incapacitating or life
Rico taken from police crash reports and other
threatening) to fatal crashes in which one or
sources. To be included in FARS, a crash must
more people die, whether inside or outside the
involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway
vehicle. With the total number of crashes so
customarily open to the public and must result
high—the 5.2 million motor vehicle crashes in
in the death of an occupant of a vehicle or a
2020 was actually 1.5 million fewer than in 2019
nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash.
before the pandemic—NHTSA estimates the
NHTSA’s fatality data differ from those taken number of non-fatal crashes using a sampling
from the National Center for Health Statistics system subject to variability. (In contrast, FARS
(NCHS), part of the Centers for Disease Control contains data collected from all fatal crashes on
and Prevention, which obtains and annually public trafficways in the 50 states, the District of
updates cause of death information from death Columbia, and Puerto Rico).

D-1
Appendix D: Why Fatality and Injury Data Differ by Source

NHTSA’s injury estimates for 2016 and beyond Timing of Data Releases
are obtained from a new sample design and
The compilation and vetting of fatality data
are not comparable to prior years estimated
takes place according to schedules that can
from a different sampling system. NHTSA’s
take two years or more to finalize from initial
current estimation procedure is called the Crash
estimate reporting. Provisional or initial data may
Report Sampling System (CRSS); it replaced
be issued based on projections or estimation
the National Automotive Sampling System
procedures, but have greater uncertainty
(NASS) General Estimates System (GES),
associated with their accuracy.
used from1988 through its replacement with
CRSS. NHTSA cautions against comparing
CRSS estimates (2016 and later) with those
made in 2015 and before using the NASS GES
methodology. These systems use different
sampling designs and were designed more than
30 years apart [USDOT NHTSA 2022j].

D-2
Printed on paper containing recycled
post-consumer waste paper