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Traffic Volume Trends - December 2003
Based on preliminary reports from the State Highway Agencies, travel during December 2003 on all roads and streets in the nation changed by +1.5 percent as compared to December 2002 resulting in estimated travel for the month at 237.1 billion vehicle-miles. This total includes 90.5 billion vehicle-miles on rural roads and 146.5 billion vehicle-miles on urban roads and streets.
Travel for the current month as well the cumulative yearly total on all roads and streets is shown below. Similar totals for each year since 1970 are also included.
| Year | December | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 89,911 | 1,120,328 |
| 1971 | 95,515 | 1,185,616 |
| 1972 | 101,040 | 1,268,363 |
| 1973 | 98,856 | 1,308,287 |
| 1974 | 105,083 | 1,289,644 |
| 1975 | 107,945 | 1,330,073 |
| 1976 | 113,030 | 1,409,162 |
| 1977 | 116,257 | 1,463,408 |
| 1978 | 124,595 | 1,548,211 |
| 1979 | 123,226 | 1,529,132 |
| 1980 | 124,798 | 1,520,856 |
| 1981 | 124,421 | 1,550,269 |
| 1982 | 127,139 | 1,592,481 |
| 1983 | 129,776 | 1,649,108 |
| 1984 | 136,095 | 1,716,770 |
| 1985 | 141,584 | 1,774,763 |
| 1986 | 149,628 | 1,838,240 |
| 1987 | 155,580 | 1,924,328 |
| 1988 | 164,798 | 2,025,586 |
| 1989 | 167,530 | 2,107,040 |
| 1990 | 168,621 | 2,147,501 |
| 1991 | 172,782 | 2,172,214 |
| 1992 | 180,999 | 2,247,152 |
| 1993 | 186,828 | 2,296,705 |
| 1994 | 193,087 | 2,357,587 |
| 1995 | 193,341 | 2,422,776 |
| 1996 | 201,462 | 2,482,201 |
| 1997 | 207,322 | 2,560,373 |
| 1998 | 216,303 | 2,625,363 |
| 1999 | 221,465 | 2,679,459 |
| 2000 | 218,436 | 2,746,925 |
| 2001 | 228,087 | 2,781,462 |
| 2002 | 233,715 | 2,855,756 |
| 2003 | 237,137 | 2,879,894 |
Traffic Volume Trends is a monthly report based on hourly traffic count data. These data, collected at approximately 4,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide, are used to determine the percent change in traffic for the current month compared to the same month in the previous year. This percent change is applied to the travel for the same month of the previous year to obtain an estimate of travel for the current month.
