| This article is part ofa series on the |
| Economy of the United States |
|---|
 |
Economy by state |
The vast majority of passenger travel in theUnited States occurs by automobile for shorter distances and airplane or railroad for longer distances. Most cargo in the U.S. is transported by, in descending order, railroad, truck, pipeline, or boat;air shipping is typically used only for perishables and premium express shipments. Transportation is the largest source ofgreenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
The overwhelming majority of roads in the United States are owned and maintained by state and local governments. Federally maintained roads are generally found only on federal lands (such asnational parks) and at federal facilities (like military bases). TheInterstate Highway System is partly funded by the federal government but owned and maintained by individual state governments. There are a fewprivate highways in the United States, which use tolls to pay for construction and maintenance. There are many localprivate roads, generally serving remote or insular residences.
Passenger and freight rail systems, bus systems, water ferries, and dams may be under either public or private ownership and operation. Civilian airlines are all privately owned. Most airports are owned and operated by local government authorities, but there are also some private airports. TheTransportation Security Administration has provided security at most major airports since 2001.
TheU.S. Department of Transportation and its divisions provide regulation, supervision, and the federal funding portion for all aspects of transportation, except for customs, immigration, and security, which are the responsibility of theU.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal funding is typically allocated by a five-yeartransportation bill. Each state hasits own Department of Transportation, which builds and maintains state highways, and depending upon the state, may either directly operate or supervise other modes of transportation.
Aviation law is almost entirely the jurisdiction of theU.S. federal government; theFederal Aviation Administration regulates all aspects ofcivil aviation,air traffic management, certification and compliance, andaviation safety.
Motor vehicle traffic laws are enacted and enforced by state and local authorities, with the exception of roads located on federal property (such as national parks and military bases) or in theunorganized U.S. territories.
TheUnited States Coast Guard is the primary enforcer of law and security on U.S. waterways, inland as well as coastal, but economic jurisdiction over coastaltidelands is shared between state and federal governments.
| Mode of passenger transport | Passenger-miles (millions) | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Highway — total | 4,273,876 | 86.93% |
| Passenger vehicles,motorcycles | 3,692,760 | 75.11% |
| Trucks | 268,318 | 5.46% |
| Buses | 312,797 | 6.36% |
| Air Carriers | 580,501 | 11.81% |
| Rail — total | 37,757 | 0.77% |
| Transit | 19,832 | 0.40% |
| Commuter | 11,121 | 0.23% |
| Intercity/Amtrak | 6,804 | 0.14% |
| All other modes (e.g.,ferryboats) | 4,156 | 0.08% |
| Source: 2012 estimates by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics[1] | ||
Passengertransportation is dominated by a network of over 3.9 million miles of highways[2] which is pervasive and highly developed by global standards. Passenger transportation is dominated bypassenger vehicles (includingcars,trucks, vans, andmotorcycles), which account for 86% ofpassenger-miles traveled. The remaining 14% was handled byplanes,trains, andbuses.[3][4] Public transit use is highly concentrated in large older cities, with only six above 25% and only New York City above 50% of trips on transit. Airlines carry almost all non-commuter intercity traffic, except theNortheast Corridor where Amtrak carries more than all airlines combined.
The world's second largest automobile market,[5] the United States has the highest rate of per-capita vehicle ownership in the world, with 865 vehicles per 1,000 Americans.[6]
Bicycle usage is minimal with theAmerican Community Survey reporting thatbicycle commuting had a 0.61% mode share in 2012 (representing 856,000 American workers nationwide).[7][8]
| Mode of Freight Shipments | 2011 Ton miles (billions) | Percent of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Truck | 2,337 | 40.24% |
| Rail | 1,518 | 26.13% |
| Water | 434 | 7.47% |
| Air & Air/Truck | 11 | 0.19% |
| Pipeline | 1,018 | 17.53% |
| Multiple modes | 489 | 8.43% |
| Other & Unknown | 93 | 1.60% |
| Total | 5,807 | 100% |
| Source: 2011 estimates by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics[9] | ||
Freight transportation is carried by a variety of networks. The largest percentage of US freight is carried by trucks (60%), followed by pipelines (18%), rail (10%), ship (8%), and air (0.01%).[10] Other modes of transportation, such asparcels andintermodal freight accounted for about 3% of the remainder. Air freight is commonly used only for perishables and premium express shipments. The difference in percentage of rail's share byton-miles and by weight (10% vs 38%) is accounted for by the extreme efficiency of trains. A single railroad locomotive may pull fifty boxcars full of freight while a truck only pulls one. Trucks surpass trains in the weight category due their greater numbers, while trains surpass trucks in the ton-miles category due to the vast distances they travel carrying large amounts of freight.
Usually cargo, apart from petroleum and other bulk commodities, is imported incontainers through seaports, then distributed by road and rail. The quasi-governmentalUnited States Postal Service has a monopoly on letter delivery (except for express services) but several large private companies such asFedEx andUPS compete in the package and cargo delivery market.
The U.S. government's National Center for Health Statistics reported 33,736 motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2014. This exceeded the number of firearm deaths, which was 33,599 in 2014.
In 2020 there was 115% more road fatalities in the US than in the European Union, or 53% less in the EU than in the US, with nearly 38,680 in the US,[12] and nearly 18,800 in the EU.[13]
| Mode | Passenger fatalities | Passenger-miles (millions) | Fatalities per billion miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger | 127,124 | 15,958,620 M | 7.97 |
| Light rail | 79 | 9,980 M | 7.92 |
| Motor bus | 399 | 117,982 M | 3.38 |
| Commuter | 105 | 59,736 M | 1.76 |
| Heavy rail | 106 | 86,900 M | 1.22 |
| Railroad | 36 | 33,234 M | 1.08 |
| Airline | 113 | 3,326,286 M | 0.03 |
_(14770451411).jpg)
In the late 18th century, overland transportation was by horse, while water and river transportation was primarily by sailing vessel. The United States population was centered on itsAtlantic coast, with all major population centers located on a natural harbor or navigable waterway. Low population density between these centers resulted in a heavy reliance on coastwise andriverboat shipping.
The first government expenditures on highway transportation were funded to speed the delivery of overland mail, such as theBoston Post Road betweenNew York City andBoston. Due to the distances between these population centers and the cost to maintain the roads, many highways in the late 18th century and early 19th century were privateturnpikes.
Other highways were mainly unimproved and impassable by wagon at least some of the year. Economic expansion in the late 18th century to early 19th century spurred the building of canals to speed goods to market. One such prominent example was theErie Canal.
Numerous modes of transportation fought for supremacy throughout theIndustrial revolution of the 19th century. Canals swiftly took the role of turnpikes,stagecoaches, and wagon routes, which in turn were shortly replaced bysteam-powered riverboats. During this period, the advancement in transportation inspired many artists to display the grand contrast from the past to the new. Taking a look atSamuel Colman's work, one piece in particular,Storm King on the Hudson (1866)[1] displayed both the older sailboats and the grandsteamboats that were overtaking theHudson River.
Access to water transportation shaped the geography of early settlements and boundaries. For example, theErie Canal escalated the boundary dispute called theToledo War between Ohio and Michigan in the 1830s. The disputedErie Triangle was awarded toPennsylvania, giving that state access toLake Erie. Most ofWest Florida was given to Mississippi and Alabama to guarantee their access to theGulf of Mexico.
Development of the mid-western and southern states drained by the Mississippi River system (Mississippi,Ohio andMissouri Rivers) was accelerated by the introduction ofsteamboats on these rivers in the early 19th Century. These three rivers (among others) also form the borders of several states. Prior to the introduction of steamboats, transit upstream was impractical because of strong currents on parts of these waterways. Steamboats provided both passenger and freight transportation until the development of railroads later in the 19th Century gradually reduced their presence.
The rapid expansion ofrailroads brought the canal boom to a sudden end, providing a quick, scheduled and year-round mode of transportation that quickly spread to interconnect the states by the mid-19th century. During theindustrialization of the United States after theCivil War, railroads, led by thetranscontinental rail system in the 1860s, expanded quickly across the United States to serve industries and the growing cities. During the late 19th century, railroads often had built redundant routes to a competitor's road or built through sparsely populated regions that generated little traffic. These marginal rail routes survived the pricing pressures of competition, or the lack of revenue generated by low traffic, as long as railroads provided the only efficient economical way to move goods and people across the United States. In addition to the intercity passenger network running on Class I and II railroads, a large network ofinterurban (trolley or "street running") rail lines extended out from the cities and interchanged passenger and freight traffic with the railroads and also provided competition.
The advent of theautomobile signaled the end of railroads as the predominant transportation for people and began a new era of mobility in the United States. The early 20th centuryLincoln Highway and otherauto trails gave way in the 1920s to an earlynational highway system making the automobile the primary mode of travel for most Americans.Interurban rail service declined, followed bytrolley cars due in part to the advent of motorized buses and the lack of dedicated rights-of-way but also by deliberate efforts to dismantle urban rail infrastructure.
The scarcity of industrial materials duringWorld War II slowed the growth of automobile manufacturing briefly and contributed to the nation's declining rail network. In the 1950s, however, the United States renewed building a network of high-capacity, high-speedhighways to link its vast territory. The most important element is theInterstate Highway system, first commissioned in the 1950s by PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower and modeled partly after the Italianautostrada and the GermanAutobahn system.
By 1945, after the end ofWorld War II, nearly every city in America had at least one electric tram company providing intra-city transportation. There were an estimated 36,377 light rail vehicles in operation. Increased automobile ownership cut this number by 1/3 by 1965.[15]
The airline industry began to successfully compete with intercity rail as a result of government investment, which suffered a loss of ridership. As the civil air transportation network ofairports and other infrastructure expanded, air travel became more accessible to the general population. Technological advances ushered in thejet age, which increased airline capacity, while decreasing travel times and the cost of flights. The costs of flying rapidly decreasedintercity rail ridership by the late 1960s to a point where railroads could no longer profitably operate networks of passenger trains.[clarification needed] By the early 1970s almost all passenger rail operation and ownership had been transferred to various federal, municipal and state agencies.
Freight railroads continued to decline as motor freight captured a significant portion of the less-than-carload business. This loss of business, when combined with the highly regulated operating environment and constrainedpricing power, forced many railroads into receivership and the nationalization of several critical eastern carriers into theConsolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail). Deregulation of the railroads by theStaggers Act in 1980 created a regulatory environment more favorable to the economics of the railroad industry.
In the 1990s, the increase in foreign trade and intermodal container shipping led to a revival of the freight railroads, which have effectively consolidated into two eastern and two western private transportation networks:Union Pacific andBNSF in the west, andCSX andNorfolk Southern in the east.Canadian National Railway took over theIllinois Central route down the Mississippi River valley.
In 2014,freight transportation establishments serving for-hire transportation and warehousing operations employed nearly 4.6 million workers and comprised 9.5 percent of the Nation's economic activity as measured by GDP. Truck driving is by far the largest freight transportation occupation, with approximately 2.83 million truck drivers. About 57.5 percent of these professional truck drivers operate heavy ortractor-trailer trucks and 28.2 percent drive light or delivery service trucks.[16]
According toFreight Facts and Figures 2015, U.S. freight transportation system handled a record amount of freight in 2014. A daily average of approximately 55 million tons of freight valued at $49.3 billion moved across the transportation system in 2014 to meet the needs of the nation's 122.5 million households, 7.5 million business establishments, and 90,056 Government units.[16]
Wartime expediency encouraged long distancepipeline transport of petroleum and natural gas, which was greatly expanded in the middle 20th century to take over most of the domestic long-haul market.
In comparison to some parts of theWestern world, both the United States and Canada rely more heavily on motorized transit over walking and bicycling[17] with 86% of American workers commuting to work via private vehicle,[18][19] costing an estimated additional $1500 per year commuting compared to Western European counterparts.[20] Car ownership is on the decline[21] but still 91% nationally.[22] Car ownership is universal, except in the largest cities where extensivemass transit andrailroad systems have been built,[21] with lowest car ownership rates inNew York City (44%),Washington, D.C. (62%),Boston (63%),Philadelphia (67%),San Francisco (69%), andBaltimore (69%).
With the development of the extensiveEisenhowerInterstate Highway System in the 1950s, both long distance trips and daily commutes were mostly by privateautomobile. This network was designed to exacting federal standards in order to receive federal funding. The system, as of 2010[update], has a total length of 47,182 miles (75,932 km),[23] making it the world's second longest afterChina's, and the largestpublic works project in US history.[24]
The Interstate system joined an existingNational Highway System, a designation created for the legacy highway network in 1995, comprising 160,000 miles (256,000 kilometers) of roadway, a fraction of the total mileage of roads. The Interstate system serves nearly all major U.S. cities, often through thedowntown areas, which triggeredfreeway and expressway revolts in the 1960s and 1970s. The distribution of many goods and services involves Interstate highways at some point.[25] Residents of American cities commonly use urban Interstates to travel to their places of work. The vast majority of long-distance travel, whether for vacation or business, is by the national road network;[26] of these trips, about one-third (by the total number of miles driven in the country in 2003) utilize the Interstate system.[27]
In addition to the routes of the Interstate system, there are those of theU.S. highway system. These routes, which are unrelated to those of the National Highway System, are supplemented byState Highways, and the local roads ofcounties, municipalstreets, and federal agencies, such as theBureau of Indian Affairs. The five inhabitedU.S. territories also have their own road networks. There are approximately 4,161,000 miles (6,696,000 km) of roads in the United States, 2,844,000 miles (4,577,000 km) paved and 1,317,000 miles (2,120,000 km) unpaved.[28] State highways are constructed by each state, but frequently maintained by county governments aided by funding from the state, where such counties exist as governing entities in mostly every state outside of thenortheast. Counties construct and maintain all remaining roads outside cities, except in private communities. Local, unnumbered roads are often constructed by private contractors to local standards, then maintenance is assumed by the local government.[29]
All federalhighways are maintained by state governments, although they receive federal aid to build and maintainfreeways signed as part of the 46,000 mile (75,000 km) nationwideInterstate highway network. Changes by state initiative may be made with federal approval. A large number of expressways are actually government or privately operatedtoll roads in many East Coast and Midwestern states. West Coast freeways are generally free to users, which is the basis of their name, since freeways have no toll charged per use, although since the 1990s there have been some small experiments with toll roads operated by private companies.
After the collapse of theI-35W Mississippi River bridge inMinnesota in August 2007, the backlog of road and bridge maintenance across the country became an issue in transportation funding.[30] The collapse prompted a tax increase in Minnesota to speed up bridge repairs, and action in other states, such as theAccelerated Bridge Program inMassachusetts, but after some debate no increase in federal funding.[30]
TheI-5 Skagit River bridge collapse in 2013, caused by a collision with anover-height truck, highlighted fracture critical bridges in which the failure of only one structural member will lead to complete collapse. According to theNational Bridge Inventory, there are at least 600,000 bridges of 20 feet or more in length in the United States, all subject to deterioration in the absence of preventative maintenance.[31] In December 2008, 72,868 bridges in the United States (12.1%) were categorized as "structurally deficient", representing an estimated $48 billion in repairs. PresidentBarack Obama proposed $50 billion of spending on road and bridge repair, plus a national infrastructure bank, but Congress did not act on these proposals.[32] PresidentDonald Trump also failed to get infrastructure funding approved. In 2021, PresidentJoe Biden signed a bipartisan infrastructure bill with about $110 billion for roads and bridges.[33]
As of 2010,seat belt use is mandatory in all states exceptNew Hampshire.[34] Seat belt use is also mandatory inWashington, D.C., the national capital, and the five inhabitedU.S. territories.[34]
Greyhound Lines is the largestintercity bus company[35] in the United States, with routes in all parts of thecontiguous U.S. There are also many smaller regional bus companies, many of which use the terminal and booking facilities provided by Greyhound. Intercity bus is, in most cases, the least expensive way to travel long distances in the United States.[36][37]
Traffic congestion, especially at rush hour, is often considered a problem in many of the country's larger cities. A 2009 study claimed that traffic congestion costs the United States almost $87.2 billion.[38] The economic costs of traffic congestion have increased 63% over the past decade, and despite the declining traffic volumes caused by the economic downturn, Americans still waste more than 2.8 billion US gallons (11 million cubic metres) of fuel each year as a result of traffic congestion.[38] Motorists also waste 4.2 billion hours annually, or one full workweek per traveler.[38][39] Moreover, it is estimated that drivers are wasting 6.9 billion hours per year or about 42 hours per driver in traffic congestion as a result of aging infrastructure and poor road conditions.[40]
The United States continues to follow a method of attempting to resolve congestion by widening roadways. From 1993 to 2017, the nation's largest 100 urbanized areas added 42% more freeway lane milage, despite population growing by only 32%. However, this policy of widening roadways resulted in a 144% increase in congestion, due to the concept ofinduced demand.[41]
The trucking industry (also referred to as the transportation or logistics industry) involves the transport and distribution of commercial and industrial goods usingcommercial motor vehicles (CMV). In this case, CMVs are most oftentrucks; usuallysemi trucks,box trucks, ordump trucks. Atruck driver (commonly referred to as a "trucker") is a person who earns a living as the driver of a CMV.
The trucking industry provides an essential service to theAmerican economy by transporting large quantities ofraw materials,works in process, andfinished goods over land—typically from manufacturing plants to retail distribution centers. Trucks are also important to the construction industry, as dump trucks and portableconcrete mixers are necessary to move the large amounts of rocks, dirt, concrete, and other construction material. Trucks in America are responsible for the majority offreight movement over land, and are vital tools in the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries.
Large trucks and buses require acommercial driver's license (CDL) to operate. Obtaining a CDL requires extra education and training dealing with the special knowledge requirements and handling characteristics of such a large vehicle. Drivers of CMVs must adhere to thehours of service, which are regulations governing the driving hours of commercial drivers. These, and all other rules regarding the safety of interstate commercial driving, are issued by theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA is also a division of theUnited States Department of Transportation (USDOT), which governs all transportation-related industries such as trucking,shipping,railroads, andairlines. Some other issues are handled by another branch of the USDOT, theFederal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Developments in technology, such as computers,satellite communication, and the internet, have contributed to many improvements within the industry. These developments have increased theproductivity of company operations, saved the time and effort of drivers, and provided new, more accessible forms of entertainment to men and women who often spend long periods of time away from home. In 2006, theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented revisedemission standards for diesel trucks (reducingairborne pollutants emitted by diesel engines) which promises to improve air quality and public health.
Within the United States:
With adjacent countries:
Each state has its owntraffic code, although most of the rules of the road are similar for the purpose of uniformity, given that all states grant reciprocal driving privileges (andpenalties) to each other's licensed drivers.
.jpg)
_(2)_(cropped).jpg)
The United States has advanced air transportation infrastructure which utilizes approximately 5,000 paved runways. In terms of passenger traffic, 17 of the world's 30 busiest airports in 2004 were in the United States, including the world's busiest,Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In terms of cargo, in the same year, 12 of the world's 30 busiest airports were in the United States, including the world's busiest,Memphis International Airport.[44] Private aircraft are also used for medical emergencies, government agencies, large businesses, and individuals, seegeneral aviation.
There is no single nationalflag airline;passenger airlines in the United States have always been privately owned. There are over 200 domestic passenger and cargoairlines and a number of international carriers. The major international carriers of the United States areDelta Air Lines,American Airlines, andUnited Airlines.Low-cost carrierSouthwest Airlines operates few international routes, but has grown its domestic operations to a size comparable to the major international carriers. There is currently no government regulation of ticket pricing, although thefederal government retains jurisdiction over aircraft safety, pilot training, and accident investigations (through theFederal Aviation Administration and theNational Transportation Safety Board). TheTransportation Security Administration provides security at airports.
Passengertrains were the dominantmode of transportation until the mid-twentieth century. The introduction of jet airplanes on major U.S. routes and the completion of the Interstate Highway System accelerated a decline in intercity rail passenger demand during the 1960s, resulting in the sharp curtailment of passenger service by private railroads. This led to the creation of National Railroad Passenger Corporation, now calledAmtrak, by theU.S. federal government in 1971 to maintain limited intercity rail passenger service in most parts of the country. Amtrak serves most major cities but, outside of theNortheast,California, andIllinois, often by only a few trains per day. Amtrak does not serve several major destinations, includingLas Vegas, andPhoenix, Arizona. Frequent service is available in regional corridors between certain major cities, particularly theNortheast Corridor betweenWashington, D.C.,Philadelphia,New York City andBoston, betweenNew York City andAlbany, aroundChicago, and in parts of California and thePacific Northwest.
Private intercity rail ended in the United States in 1983 with the discontinuation of theRio Grande Zephyr, untilBrightline started in South Florida in 2018. The state-ownedAlaska Railroad is the only other intercity passenger railroad still operating. It has onlyrail ferry connections with other railroads.
There are 15 heavy railrapid transit systems in the United States. TheNew York City Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world by number of stations.
The United States makes extensive use of its rail system forfreight. According to theAssociation of American Railroads, "U.S. freight railroads are the world's busiest, moving more freight than any rail system in any other country. In fact, U.S. railroads move more than four times as much freight as do all of WesternEurope's freight railroads combined."
Nearly all railroad corridors not including local transit rail systems are owned by private companies that provide freight service.Amtrak pays these companies for the right to use the tracks for passenger service. There are approximately 150,000 mi (240,000 km) ofmainline track in the United States—the world's longest national railroad network.
Rail freight has a major national bottleneck in Chicago and the Midwest, representing approximately one-third of the nation's freight trains pass through the region,[45] which is the subject of an ongoing $4.6 billion infrastructure improvement project which started in 2003.
With few exceptions, therail gauge isstandard gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm). TheWhite Pass and Yukon Route fromSkagway,Alaska toWhitehorse,Yukon by way ofBennett,British Columbia is3 ft (914 mm) gauge.
The miles traveled by passenger vehicles in the United States fell by 3.6% in 2008, while the number of trips taken on mass transit increased by 4.0%. At least part of the drop in urban driving can be explained by the 4% increase in the use of public transportation.[47]
Most medium-sized cities have some sort of local public transportation, usually a network of fixed bus routes. Among larger cities many of the older cities also havemetro rail systems (also known asheavy rail in the United States) and/or extensive light rail systems, while the newer cities found in theSun Belt either have modestlight rail systems or have no intracity rail at all.
On June 26, 2008, the House passed the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act (H.R. 6052),[48] which gives grants to |mass transit authorities to lowerfares forcommuterspinched at the pump[clarification needed] and expand transit services. The bill also:
Water transport is largely used for freight. Fishing and pleasure boats are numerous, and passenger service connects many of the nation's islands and remote coastal areas, crosses lakes, rivers, and harbors, and provides alternative access toAlaska which bypassesCanada. Several majorseaports in the United States includeNew York City on the east coast,New Orleans andHouston on the gulf coast, andLos Angeles on the west coast.[49] The interior of the U.S. also has majorshipping channels, via theGreat Lakes Waterway,St. Lawrence Seaway and theMississippi River System. Freight on the Mississippi River system is carried onbarges pushed by approximately 8000 "towboats" and largely consists of bulk goods, such as petrochemicals, grain and cement.[50]
Many U.S. ports are served bycruise ships. Popular destinations include theCaribbean, theMexican Riviera,Hawaii and theInside Passage to Alaska.[51]Automobile ferries operate in many locations where bridges are impractical and in congested metropolitan areas, includingNew York City andSan Francisco Bay.[52] Ferries also operate inSounds that have populated areas surrounding it, such asPuget Sound.Washington State Ferries operates the ferries in Puget Sound and has the second largest ferry fleet in the world. Washington State ferries even offer ferries fromAnacortes, Washington toSidney, British Columbia.
The United States has 25,482 miles (41,009 km) ofnavigable inland channels (rivers andcanals), exclusive of theGreat Lakes. Out of this 12,006 miles (19,322 km) is used in commerce. About 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of theMississippi River System are presently navigable, although not all is used for commerce.[50] TheSaint Lawrence Seaway of 2,342 miles (3,769 km), including theSaint Lawrence River of 1,900 miles (3,100 km), is shared with Canada.[53]
United States ports and harbors include:
Most U.S. exports and imports are on foreign ships. The 1920Jones Act bars foreign ships from trade within the United States, thus creating a domestic "Jones Act fleet". Deck officers and ship's engineers of U.S.-flagged ships are usually trained at one of the established maritime academies.[54]
Thefederal military has a dedicated system of bases with runways, aircraft, watercraft, conventional cars and trucks, and armored and special-purpose vehicles. During times of war, it may commandeer private infrastructure and vehicles as authorized byCongress and thePresident.[55]
.jpg)
As the population of the world increases, cities grow in size and population – according to the United Nations, 55% of the world's population live in cities, and by 2050 this number is expected to rise to 68%.[56] Public transportation policy must evolve to meet the changing priorities of the urban world.[57] The institution of policy enforces order in transportation, which is by nature chaotic as people attempt to travel from one place to another as fast as possible. This policy helps to reduce accidents and save lives.
A key component of a suitable urban environment is support for pedestrian traffic, including people on foot as well as human propelled vehicles like bikes, skateboards, and scooters. Pedestrian policy is implemented at the state level, but consistent across states is the fact that the pedestrian has the right-of-way. If someone on foot is crossing the street, legally or illegally, any vehicular traffic is required to stop—under no circumstance does a driver have a right to hit a pedestrian. The exact details with respect to when a vehicle has to stop differ between the states, some requiring that all vehicles at an intersection yield to a pedestrian, while others requiring only those vehicles perpendicular to the motion of the crossing to stop.[58] California requires all vehicles at an intersection to yield to a pedestrian walking in any direction.
There are also rules for pedestrian conduct. Though they have the right-of-way, pedestrians are not permitted to leave a curb into a crosswalk close enough to a vehicle to “constitute hazard.”[59] Pedestrians must also yield to mass transit like light-rail cars and trains, as these forms of transportation operate on a schedule and are often moving too quickly to yield to a pedestrian. Pedestrians are also not permitted to delay traffic more than necessary while in a crosswalk. When not using a crosswalk, pedestrians must yield their right-of-way to vehicles who are close enough to constitute hazard. One of the issues with this kind of policy is how vague it is. A pedestrian is expected to determine on the fly what “constitutes hazard,” which can create dangerous situations leading to pedestrian injury or even death. As technology continues to advance, embedded technology like sensors and computer chips in vehicles should be able to process data very quickly and thus prevent collisions, as discussed in the Internet section found below.
A complete street is a roadway that is safe for people of any ability or age utilizing any form of transportation.[60] The concept revolves around the fact that streets are communal spaces, so anyone has a right to access them. In order to ensure universal safety, however, policy exists to ensure that these complete streets are maintained and utilized properly.
Other supporting policies indirectly related to complete streets include parking policies and vehicle restrictions. Complete streets are an important development for urban transportation because they equally support all forms of transportation, enforce safety, and ensure that everyone can navigate the busy city streets to arrive at their destination as fast as possible.
In order to ensure thattraffic flow is uniformly dispersed across roadways and does not interfere with existing pedestrian and public transportation infrastructure, traffic flow policy is put in place in order to get everyone to their destination in the most efficient way possible. Traffic flow policy includes everything from how spaced out two cars should be on a highway to which cars have priority at stop signs and street lights to the proper use of bus, taxi, and carpool lanes.
Parking policy has a strong impact on the transportation mode. Efforts to reduce the amount of space dedicated to parking are diminishing the dependence on cars, encouraging walking, biking, public transit, lowering the cost of housing and increase the amount of housing units that can be built in the city territory. Such efforts has been taken in different cities inCalifornia[62] and in September 2023 the state abolished the requirement of minimum parking space "within a half-mile of major public transit stops".[63] From 2017 more than 200 towns and cities in the USA abolished or changed the requirement for parking minimum.[64] Those includePortland,Minneapolis,Austin. As of 2 November 2023, Austin (Texas) is the biggest city in the USA that did it.[65] Some cities includingNashville, begun to impose parking maximum.[66]
 | Parts of this article (those related to reauthorization) need to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2010) |
Federal, state, and local tax revenues support upkeep of most roads, which are generally free to drivers. There are also sometoll roads andtoll bridges. Most other forms of transportation charge a fee for use as they are not given much, if any, tax support by Congress.
Government funding of transportation exists at many levels. Federal funding for highway, rail, bus, water, air, and other forms of transportation is allocated by Congress for several years at a time. The current authorization bill is theSafe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which runs from 2005 to 2009. A Congressionally chartered committee is considering future funding issues.[67][needs update]
Thoughearmarks are often made for specific projects, the allocation of most federal dollars is controlled bymetropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and state governments. Usually "matching" funds are required from local sources. All projects have a sponsoring agency that will receive the funding from the various federal and local sources, and be responsible for implementing the project directly or through contracts. Large projects require a Major Investment Study' and both a draft and finalEnvironmental Impact Review. A patchwork of federal laws and accounts govern the allocation of federal transportation dollars, most of which is reserved for capital projects, not operating expenses. Some roads are federally designated as part of theNational Highway System and get preferential funding as a result, but there are fewfederally maintained roads outside ofWashington, D.C., and national parks.
State governments are sovereign entities which use their powers of taxation both to match federal grants, and provide for local transportation needs. Different states have different systems for dividing responsibility for funding and maintaining road and transit networks between the state department of transportation, counties, municipalities, and other entities. Cities or counties are typically responsible for local roads, financed with block grants and local property taxes, and the state is responsible for major roads that receive state and federal designations. Many mass transit agencies are quasi-independent and subsidized branches of a state, county, or city government.
According to theU.S. Department of Transportation (DOT): "Transportation's vital importance to the U.S. economy is underscored by the fact that more than $1 out of every $10 produced in the U.S.gross domestic product is related to transportation activity. This includes all aspects of transportation, including the movement of goods and the purchase of all transportation-related products and services as well as the movement of people".[68] Employment in the transportation and material moving industry accounted for 7.4% of all employment, and was the 5th largest employment group in the United States.[69]
The United States invests 0.6% of its GDP on transportation annually.[70]
Two-thirds of U.S.oil consumption is due to the transportation sector.[71][72] TheEnergy Independence and Security Act of 2007 has an impact onU.S. Energy Policy.[73] The United States, an important export country for food stocks, converted 18% of its grain output toethanol in 2008. Across the United States, 25% of the whole corn crop went to ethanol in 2007.[74] The percentage of corn going to biofuel is expected to go up.[75][76] In 2006, U.S. Senators introduced theBioFuels Security Act, which would mandate the production of dual-fuel vehicles and the sale ofE85 ethanol fuel.[77]
Burningfossil fuels like gasoline and diesel releases carbon dioxide, agreenhouse gas.[80] The buildup of greenhouse gases causes the Earth’s lower atmosphere to warm,changing Earth's climate.[80] From 1990 to 2022 in the U.S., emissions from transportation increased more in absolute terms than any other sector.[80]
Transportation led U.S.greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 with 28.4%, followed by electric power (24.9%), industry (22.9%), agriculture (10%), commercial (7.3%) and residential (6.2%).[78] The EPA reported 1.8 billion metric tons ofcarbon dioxide-equivalent was emitted by the transportation sector in 2022, with carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion constituting 97.2% of the emissions.[78] Of the 1.8 billion metric tons emitted in 2019, 58% was emitted by personal vehicles, 25% was emitted by commercial trucks and busses, 10% was emitted by air travel, 3% is emitted by pipeline, 2% is by rail, and 2% is by water.[79]
Headlining the 2,702-page bill's spending, roughly $110 billion of new funds would go toward improving the nation's roads and bridges, and investments in other major transportation programs.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook.CIA.
