Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations
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Tables 3-1 and 3-1M: Miles and Kilometers of Infrastructure by Mode

Freight is carried via an extensive network of roads, railroad, waterways, and pipelines. Road infrastructure has increased slowly over the past two decades despite a large increase in the volume of traffic. Between 1980 and 2002, route miles of public roads increased by 3 percent compared with a 101 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled. Miles of railroad dropped by more than 20 percent over this same period, while rail shipments (measured in ton-miles) increased by 64 percent.

Table 3-1 (standard units)
Table in Excel format

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2002 Percent change,
1980-2002
Public roads, route miles 3,859,837 3,866,926 3,951,099 3,981,671 3.2
National Highway System (NHS) N N 161,189 161,537 N
Interstates 41,120 45,074 46,675 46,747 13.7
Other NHS N N 114,514 114,790 N
Freight Intermodal connectors1 N N N 1,791 NA
Other N N 3,789,910 3,820,134 N
Strategic Highway Corridor Network (STRAHNET) N N 62,066 62,792 N
Interstate N N 46,675 46,747 N
Non-Interstate N N 15,389 16,045 N
Railroad 183,0772 175,909 170,512 141,391 -22.8
Class I NA 133,189 120,597 99,943 NA
Regional NA 18,375 20,978 15,048 NA
Local NA 24,337 28,937 26,400 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 1,206,894 1,379,500 1,432,700 36.2

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


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

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2002 Percent change,
1980-2002
Public roads, route kilometers 6,211,806 6,223,214 6,358,677 6,407,878 3.2
National Highway System (NHS) N N 259,409 259,969 N
Interstates 66,176 72,540 75,116 75,232 13.7
Other NHS N N 184,292 184,737 N
Freight Intermodal connectors1 N N N 2,882 NA
Other N N 6,099,269 6,147,910 N
Strategic Highway Corridor Network (STRAHNET) N N 99,886 101,054 N
Interstate N N 75,116 75,232 N
Non-Interstate N N 24,766 25,822 N
Railroad 294,6342 283,098 274,412 227,547 24.3
Class I NA 214,347 194,082 160,843 NA
Regional NA 29,572 33,761 24,217 NA
Local NA 39,167 46,570 42,487 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 1,942,308 2,220,090 2,305,707 36.2

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

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).
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 August 24, 2004.
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 May 11, 2004.
Oil Pipelines: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002)
Gas Pipelines: American Gas Association, Gas Facts (Arlington, VA: Annual issues).

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