Conditions and Performance Chapter Listing

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Highway Operational Performance

Transit Operational Performance

Vehicle Utilization

Vehicle utilization is measured as annual passenger miles of travel per capacity-equivalent vehicle operated in maximum service. It incorporates both vehicle operating intensity (the number of miles a vehicle is driven per year) and passenger usage intensity (the number of passengers per vehicle). Exhibit 4-12 shows vehicle utilization for the five highest-PMT modes for 1987 through 1997. Rail modes (heavy rail, light rail, and commuter rail) show much higher utilization rates than do the non-rail modes (bus and demand response), with annual utilization rates over 600,000 passenger miles per vehicle for each of the rail modes.

Exhibit 4-12. Vehicle Utilization
Annual Percentage Miles Per Capacity-Equivalent Vehicle by Mode (Thousands)

The trend shows that bus utilization was lower in 1997 than in the late 1980s, but rose slightly in the last two years. Heavy rail utilization fell in the early 1990s, but has now recovered and surpassed the level of 1987. Commuter rail and demand response modes have seen their utilization rates increase over the last decade. Light rail has shown by far the largest increase in vehicle utilization, up 6.8 percent annually since 1987.