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Traffic Volume Trends - July 2006

Based on preliminary reports from the State Highway Agencies, travel during July 2006 on all roads and streets in the nation changed by -2 percent resulting in estimated travel for the month at 260.2** billion vehicle-miles.

This total includes 98.1 billion vehicle-miles on rural roads and 162.1 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 July Year to Date Moving 12-Month
1981 141,253 893,180 1,540,161
1982 152,200 909,890 1,566,979
1983 156,823 944,000 1,626,591
1984 161,702 984,798 1,689,906
1985 166,881 1,017,858 1,749,830
1986 171,114 1,051,927 1,808,832
1987 175,783 1,104,674 1,890,987
1988 184,779 1,166,778 1,986,431
1989 190,985 1,215,695 2,074,503
1990 195,470 1,249,210 2,140,555
1991 198,387 1,253,637 2,151,928
1992 206,616 1,298,275 2,216,853
1993 209,838 1,326,364 2,275,240
1994 214,778 1,356,007 2,326,348
1995 217,188 1,405,475 2,407,055
1996 225,109 1,428,788 2,446,088
1997 236,713 1,482,368 2,535,782
1998 239,944 1,512,756 2,590,760
1999 243,116 1,536,698 2,649,305
2000 245,083 1,594,038 2,736,800
2001 250,200 1,615,283 2,768,169
2002 256,114 1,653,316 2,833,643
2003 261,673 1,666,647 2,868,839
2004 265,939 1,719,011 2,942,814
2005 265,508 1,727,717 2,971,197
2006 260,231 1,729,116 2,966,749

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.


July 2006 Traffic Volume Trends

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