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Traffic Volume Trends - September 2006

Based on preliminary reports from the State Highway Agencies, travel during September 2006 on all roads and streets in the nation changed by 0.9 percent resulting in estimated travel for the month at 241.9** billion vehicle-miles.

This total includes 89.2 billion vehicle-miles on rural roads and 152.7 billion vehicle-miles on urban roads and streets.

Cumulative Travel changed by +0.1 percent.

Note: Annual travel has been adjusted to match the Highway Performance Monitoring System for 2003. While the adjustment to total travel was less than one percent, rural travel declined 5% and urban travel increased 4% because of this adjustment. The larger changes to rural and urban travel are primarily because of the expansion in urban boundaries reflected in the 2000 census. Travel estimates for 2004 and beyond will also reflect this adjustment.

Travel for the current month, the cumulative yearly total, as well as the moving 12-month total on all roads and streets is shown below. Similar totals for each year since 1981 are also included.

Travel in Millions of Vehicle Miles
All Roads and Streets

Year September Year to Date Moving 12-Month
1981 131,185 1,167,829 1,548,662
1982 136,311 1,199,501 1,581,942
1983 139,938 1,241,588 1,634,567
1984 146,074 1,295,792 1,703,312
1985 150,424 1,337,720 1,758,697
1986 155,462 1,381,366 1,818,409
1987 164,184 1,446,236 1,903,111
1988 171,072 1,522,352 2,000,444
1989 177,326 1,587,193 2,090,426
1990 178,415 1,624,682 2,144,530
1991 183,594 1,641,294 2,164,112
1992 190,908 1,693,936 2,224,857
1993 193,765 1,729,762 2,282,978
1994 200,511 1,771,563 2,338,506
1995 203,866 1,828,558 2,414,582
1996 207,604 1,865,442 2,459,660
1997 213,547 1,929,411 2,546,170
1998 219,461 1,969,360 2,600,322
1999 224,306 2,002,507 2,658,510
2000 227,328 2,069,136 2,746,088
2001 226,000 2,094,284 2,772,073
2002 233,329 2,145,005 2,846,331
2003 236,933 2,163,759 2,874,262
2004 242,718 2,224,202 2,950,893
2005 239,700 2,230,772 2,969,061
2006 241,834 2,232,276 2,966,853

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. Because of the limited sample sizes, caution should be used with these estimates. The Highway Performance Monitoring System provides more accurate information on an annual basis.

** System entries may not add up to given "All Systems" total due to rounding for Page 2 to 8.


September 2006 Traffic Volume Trends

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