North American Transportation Highlights

This summary report provides key statistics on passenger travel, freight activity, transportation safety, and transportation energy use for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It was developed under the framework of the North American Transportation Statistics Interchange, representing the transportation and statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and was produced by the U.S. department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

This summary report provides key statistics on passenger travel, freight activity, transportation safety, and transportation energy use for Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. in 1996, the last year for which comparable data were readily available. All of the value data are reported in current U.S. dollars. The report was developed under the framework of the North American Transportation Statistics Interchange, representing the transportation and statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. Since 1997, a tri-country working group has been examining transportation and transportation-related statistics. The group's work forms the basis for the data tables included in this report.

North American transportation in figures provides a comprehensive set of comparable statistical indicators of the use, performance and impact of transportation in North America. It includes over 90 different data tables, supported by figures, maps and extensive technical documentation describing data categories and definitions relating to each country, that is, Canada, Mexico and the United States. The report covers a wide variety of transportation and the economy; safety; merchandise trade; freight activity; passenger travel; infrastructure; and transportation energy and environment. It includes data fro 1990, 1995 and 1996 with value data reported only in dollars and all measurement units in metric.

Trade flows across the three North American countries have increased substantially since the implementation of the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but there is no movement toward developing a true North American Transportation Corridor Network. This report examines two types of North American transportation corridor networks. The first is a transportation infrastructure network that spans across the three North American countries, including highways, railroads, and port of entries which are all part of a large multimodal transportation network. The second type of networks analyzed, is a research network that is a collection and collaboration of organizations, individuals, and research that have the goal of improving transportation in North America. Through this research project, a group of transportation experts from the United States, Mexico and Canada was assembled through a webinar to discuss issues related to a North American transportation corridor plan. The formation of a North American transpotation center is recommended to research and educate government officials on the current and projected state of transportation in North America.