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February 2008 Traffic Volume Trends

Travel Trends (February 2008)

Based on preliminary reports from the State Highway Agencies, travel during February 2008 on all roads and streets in the nation changed by -0.4 percent resulting in estimated travel for the month at 216.1** billion vehicle-miles.

This total includes 70.8 billion vehicle-miles on rural roads and 145.2 billion vehicle-miles on urban roads and streets.

Cumulative Travel changed by -1.1 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 1983 are also included.

Travel in Millions of Vehicle Miles
All Roads and Streets
Year February Year to Date Moving 12-Month
1983111,828231,2631,606,475
1984117,483240,0131,657,857
1985119,367243,4881,720,246
1986123,526256,5241,787,798
1987135,996275,9141,857,631
1988141,748290,6271,939,041
1989146,732306,4822,041,441
1990153,559317,1592,117,716
1991153,351311,2402,141,582
1992160,204327,8562,188,830
1993162,844334,5242,253,820
1994166,444335,7582,297,939
1995171,053364,8912,386,720
1996176,562360,0272,417,911
1997183,950374,0762,496,251
1998187,167384,0372,570,334
1999191,485385,0672,626,392
2000199,369402,9512,697,344
2001200,933410,7072,754,681
2002208,313423,5432,808,446
2003203,746422,4962,854,460
2004213,824436,4442,904,399
2005220,234444,0062,970,053
2006220,551452,9073,001,641
2007216,931447,6413,008,816
2008216,081442,8082,996,422

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 theses estimates. The highway Performance Monitoring System provides more accurate information on an anual basis.

** System entries may not add up to the give "All Systems" total due to rounding on pages 2 to 8.

 

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United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration