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Tables 3-1 and 3-1M. Miles and Kilometers of Infrastructure by Transportation Mode

Freight is carried via an extensive network of roads, railroad, waterways, and pipelines. Road infrastructure increased slowly over the past two decades despite a large increase in the volume of traffic. Between 1980 and 2004, route miles of public roads increased by 4 percent compared with a 94 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled (vmt). Over the same period, miles of railroad dropped by more than 20 percent, while rail shipments (measured in ton-miles) increased by 81 percent.

Table 3-1 (standard units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2004 Percent change,
1980-2004
Public roads, route miles 3,859,837 3,866,926 3,951,101 3,997,462 3.6
National Highway System (NHS) N N 161,189 162,158 N
Interstates 41,120 45,074 46,673 46,837 13.9
Other NHS N N 114,516 115,321 N
Freight Intermodal connectors1 N N N NA N
Other N N 3,789,912 3,835,303 N
Strategic Highway Corridor Network (STRAHNET) N N 62,066 62,257 N
Interstate N N 46,675 46,837 N
Non-Interstate N N 15,389 15,420 N
Railroad 183,0772 175,909 170,512 140,246 -23.4
Class I NA 133,189 120,597 97,496 NA
Regional NA 18,375 20,978 15,641 NA
Local NA 24,337 28,937 27,109 NA
Inland waterways empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell
Navigable channels 11,000 11,000 11,000 11,000 0.0
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway 2,342 2,342 2,342 2,342 0.0
Pipelines empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell
Oil 218,393 208,752 176,996 NA NA
Gas 1,051,774 1,189,200 1,369,300 1,462,300 39.0

Key: N = not applicable; NA = not available.

1Excludes intermodal connectors serving intercity bus, Amtrak, and public transit facilities.
2Excludes Class III railroads.

Sources: Public roads: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table HM-16.
Freight intermodal connectors: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Planning, National Highway System Intermodal Connectors, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/nhs/intermodalconnectors/index.html as of July 5, 2005.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: various issues).
Navigable channels: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
GreatLakes-St. Lawrence Seaway: Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, "Seaway Facts," available at http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/aboutus/seawayfacts.html as of Jan. 26, 2006.
Oil pipelines: 1980-2002: Eno Transportation Foundation, Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002). 2003: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline Statistics, Internet site http://ops.dot.gov/stats/po.htm as of July 5, 2005.
Gas pipelines: American Gas Association, Gas Facts (Arlington, VA: Annual issues).


Table 3-1M (metric units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2004 Percent change,
1980-2004
Public roads, route kilometers 6,211,806 6,223,214 6,358,681 6,433,291 3.6
National Highway System (NHS) N N 259,409 260,968 N
Interstates 66,176 72,540 75,113 75,377 13.9
Other NHS N N 184,296 185,591 N
Freight Intermodal connectors1 N N N NA N
Other N N 6,099,272 6,172,322 N
Strategic Highway Corridor Network (STRAHNET) N N 99,886 100,193 N
Interstate N N 75,116 75,377 N
Non-Interstate N N 24,766 24,816 N
Railroad 294,6342 283,098 274,412 225,704 -23.4
Class I NA 214,347 194,082 156,905 NA
Regional NA 29,572 33,761 25,172 NA
Local NA 39,167 46,570 43,628 NA
Inland waterways empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell
Navigable channels 17,703 17,703 17,703 17,703 0.0
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway 3,769 3,769 3,769 3,769 0.0
Pipelines empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell
Oil 351,469 335,954 284,847 NA NA
Gas 1,692,666 1,913,832 2,203,675 2,353,344 39.0

Key: N = not applicable.

1Excludes intermodal connectors serving intercity bus, Amtrak, and public transit facilities.
2Excludes Class III railroads.

Note: 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers.

Sources: Public roads: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, (Washington, DC: Annual issues) table HM-16.
Intermodal connectors: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Planning, National Highway System Intermodal Connectors, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/nhs/intermodalconnectors/index.html as of July 5, 2005.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: various issues).
Navigable channels: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway: Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, "Seaway Facts," available at http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/aboutus/seawayfacts.html as of Jan. 26, 2006.
Oil pipelines: 1980-2002: Eno Transportation Foundation, Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002). 2003: U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline Statistics, Internet site http://ops.dot.gov/stats/lpo.htm as of July 5, 2005.
Gas pipelines: American Gas Association, Gas Facts (Arlington, VA: Annual issues).

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