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Highway and Bridge System and Use Characteristics

Transit System Characteristics

Summary

Exhibit 2-1 compares the system and use characteristics data in this report with the values shown in the 1997 C&P report. The first column shows the values from the 1997 C&P report, which were based on 1995 data. Some of the 1995 data have subsequently been revised, and this is reflected in the second column as applicable. The third column contains comparable values, based on 1997 data.

Exhibit 2-1. Comparison of System and Use Characteristics with Those in the 1997 C&P Report

Public road length as distinguished from lane-miles reached 3.95 million miles in 1997. This mileage is overwhelmingly rural and local (i.e., under local government jurisdiction). About 3.11 million miles were in rural areas in 1997, or 78.7 percent of total length on all American roads. At the same time, 2.97 million miles were under local jurisdiction in 1997, about 75.3 percent of the national road system. However, the percentage of roads owned by local governments has steadily increased since 1987, by an average of 0.4 percent annually, while the share of rural miles consistently decreased, by about 0.2 percent annually. (As defined in this report, rural areas include only those with a population under 5,000. Some areas that were formerly rural have been reclassified as urban, as their population has grown.)

Transit route miles represent the number of miles covered by a transit route. Transit route mileage fell slightly between 1995 and 1997 due to a decline in non-rail transit mileage. This largely reflects a shift from fixed route systems (such as scheduled buses) to non-fixed route modes (such as demand response and vanpools).

Total highway lane-mileage was 8.3 million in 1997, as described by Exhibit 2-7. Lane-mileage increased by an average of 0.3 percent annually between 1987 and 1997, most of which was on urban highways. Urban highway lane-miles grew by an average of 2.1 percent annually. Transit capacity-equivalent miles increased by an average of 1.8 percent annually over this 10-year period. Rail capacity-equivalent miles grew by an average of 2.0 percent annually, while non-rail capacity-equivalent miles grew by an average of 1.6 percent annually.

The number of vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) between 1987 and 1997 has actually been comparable among rural and urban communities. This is shown in Exhibit 2-11. The VMT increased annually by an average of 2.6 percent each year on rural highways and by 3.2 percent annually on urban roads. Traffic has increased in metropolitan areas, but it has also grown in rural areas where there is increased truck traffic and growing tourist travel in recreation areas.

Urban transit passenger miles grew at an average annual rate of 1.0 percent from 1987 to 1997. Passenger travel grew on rail modes more than three times faster than on non-rail modes (1.5 percent versus 0.4 percent annually). Passenger mile growth was especially pronounced between 1995 and 1997, as rail modes grew by 7.4 percent and non-rail modes by 4.1 percent. It should be noted that over 80 percent of the growth in rail PMT came from the heavy rail system of the New York City Transit Authority, which instituted a new fare structure during this period.