US Mass Transit Trends From 1930:
Costs, Passengers & Service

DATA                
Year Vehicle Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Linked Passenger Trips: Estimated (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles/Vehicle Mile (Average Vehicle Occupancy) Estimated Total Expenditures (Excludes Paratransit): 2004$: Billions Expenditures per Vehicle Mile: 2004$ Expenditures per Linked Trip: 2004$ Expenditures per Passenger Mile: 2004$
1930 2.7 12.5 61.3 22.6 $10.9 $4.02 $0.87 $0.18
1940 2.6 10.5 45.9 17.7 $9.9 $3.83 $0.95 $0.22
1945 3.3 19.0 130.0 40.0 $14.5 $4.45 $0.76 $0.11
1950 3.0 13.8 90.0 29.9 $11.4 $3.78 $0.82 $0.13
1960 2.1 6.8 48.0 22.4 $10.7 $5.00 $1.58 $0.22
1970 1.9 5.9 41.0 21.8 $11.7 $6.19 $1.96 $0.28
1980 2.1 6.4 39.9 19.0 $17.5 $8.37 $2.76 $0.44
1990 2.6 6.0 38.0 14.4 $27.2 $10.27 $4.50 $0.72
2000 2.9 6.8 43.4 14.7 $33.5 $11.37 $4.90 $0.77
2004 3.1 7.0 46.6 14.9 $44.3 $14.13 $6.34 $0.95
                 
INDEX COMPARED TO 1945 (PEAK YEAR)          
Year Vehicle Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Linked Passenger Trips: Estimated (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles/Vehicle Mile (Average Vehicle Occupancy) Estimated Total Expenditures (Excludes Paratransit): 2004$: Billions Expenditures per Vehicle Mile: 2004$ Expenditures per Linked Trip: 2004$ Expenditures per Passenger Mile: 2004$
1930 83 66 47 57 75 90 114 160
1940 80 55 35 44 69 86 124 194
1945 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
1950 92 73 69 75 79 85 108 114
1960 66 36 37 56 74 112 206 200
1970 58 31 32 55 80 139 258 255
1980 64 33 31 48 121 188 361 394
1990 81 32 29 36 188 231 590 642
2000 91 36 33 37 231 255 642 692
2004 96 37 36 37 306 318 831 853
                 
INDEX COMPARED TO 1970 (APPROXIMATE GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP YEAR)    
Year Vehicle Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Linked Passenger Trips: Estimated (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles (Excludes Paratransit): Billions Passenger Miles/Vehicle Mile (Average Vehicle Occupancy) Estimated Total Expenditures (Excludes Paratransit): 2004$: Billions Expenditures per Vehicle Mile: 2004$ Expenditures per Linked Trip: 2004$ Expenditures per Passenger Mile: 2004$
1930 144 211 150 104 93 65 44 63
1940 138 177 112 81 85 62 48 76
1945 173 320 317 183 124 72 39 39
1950 160 233 220 137 98 61 42 44
1960 114 115 117 103 92 81 80 78
1970 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
1980 111 107 97 87 150 135 140 155
1990 141 102 93 66 233 166 229 252
2000 156 115 106 68 287 184 249 271
2004 166 118 114 68 380 228 323 334
                 
Notes: Data from Statistical Abstract of the United States, American Public Transit Association, US Department of Transportation

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