US Urban Personal Vehicle &
Public Transport Market Share from 1900

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Year Estimated Urban Personal Vehicle Passenger Miles Estimated Public Transport Passenger Miles Personal Vehicle Market Share Personal Vehicle Market Share Change (Annual) Public Transport Market Share
1900 0.0 19.3 0.00% NA 100.00%
1905 0.4 28.0 1.45% NA 98.55%
1910 2.4 36.8 6.23% 33.81% 93.77%
1915 11.9 45.5 20.67% 27.09% 79.33%
1920 52.0 52.5 49.75% 19.21% 50.25%
1925 142.0 57.8 71.09% 7.40% 28.91%
1930 229.5 61.3 78.94% 2.11% 21.06%
1935 253.7 42.0 85.80% 1.68% 14.20%
1940 279.3 45.9 85.90% 0.02% 14.10%
1945 241.4 130.0 65.00% -5.42% 35.00%
1950 403.0 90.0 81.74% 4.69% 18.26%
1955 515.0 60.0 89.57% 1.84% 10.43%
1960 627.0 48.0 92.89% 0.73% 7.11%
1965 786.0 43.0 94.81% 0.41% 5.19%
1970 1,089.0 41.0 96.37% 0.33% 3.63%
1975 1,270.6 38.0 97.10% 0.15% 2.90%
1980 1,373.9 39.9 97.18% 0.02% 2.82%
1981 1,399.3 38.5 97.32% 0.03% 2.68%
1982 1,442.1 37.1 97.49% 0.03% 2.51%
1983 1,492.5 37.6 97.54% 0.01% 2.46%
1984 1,547.7 39.4 97.52% -0.01% 2.48%
1985 1,594.8 39.6 97.58% 0.08% 2.42%
1986 1,638.0 40.2 97.60% 0.06% 2.40%
1987 1,700.3 40.3 97.68% 0.04% 2.32%
1988 1,781.7 40.6 97.77% 0.05% 2.23%
1989 1,816.9 38.2 97.94% 0.09% 2.06%
1990 1,959.0 38.0 98.10% 0.11% 1.90%
1991 1,974.7 37.5 98.14% 0.01% 1.86%
1992 2,075.6 37.2 98.24% 0.02% 1.76%
1993 2,135.2 36.2 98.33% 0.02% 1.67%
1994 2,170.8 37.9 98.28% -0.01% 1.72%
1995 2,184.8 38.0 98.29% 0.00% 1.71%
1996 2,297.9 39.0 98.33% 0.01% 1.67%
1997 2,377.8 40.2 98.34% 0.00% 1.66%
1998 2,404.9 41.6 98.30% -0.01% 1.70%
1999 2,445.8 43.3 98.26% -0.01% 1.74%
2000 2,505.4 43.4 98.30% 0.01% 1.70%
2001 2,620.7 46.5 98.26% -0.01% 1.74%
2002 2,668.7 45.9 98.31% 0.01% 1.69%
2003 2,790.4 45.7 98.39% 0.02% 1.61%
2004 2,919.2 46.5 98.43% 0.01% 1.57%
2005 3,016.8 47.1 98.49% 0.01% 1.51%
           
  Personal Vehicle Passenger Mile Change (000,000,000) Public Transport Passenger Mile Change (000,000,000) Personal Vehicle Share of Change Public Transport Share of Change Change in Personal Vehicle Market Share
1900-1910 2.4 17.5 12.1% 87.9% NA
1910-1920 49.5 15.8 75.9% 24.1% 698.00%
1920-1930 177.6 8.8 95.3% 4.7% 58.67%
1930-1940 49.8 (15.4) 144.8% -44.8% 8.82%
1940-1950 123.7 44.2 73.7% 26.3% -4.84%
1950-1960 224.0 (42.0) 123.1% -23.1% 13.63%
1960-1970 462.0 (7.0) 101.5% -1.5% 3.75%
1970-1980 284.9 (1.1) 100.4% -0.4% 0.84%
1980-1990 585.1 (1.9) 100.3% -0.3% 0.94%
1990-2000 546.4 5.4 99.0% 1.0% 0.20%
2000-2005 511.4 3.8 99.3% 0.7% 0.16%
           
Data in Billions of Passenger Miles. Estimated from data in National Transportation Statistics, James Dunn, Driving Forces Table 4-3, FHWA Highway Statistics, National Transit Database and American Public Transportation Association.
All modes reported in National Transit Database except vanpool
Pre-1920 personal vehicle data estimated based upon vehicle miles, vehicle and fuel data.

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