The chart delineates the average annual distance traveled per person, measured in miles, across various modes of transport, comparing data from 1985 and 2000.
Overall, the total distance traveled by all modes increased substantially over the 15-year period. While car usage dominated and experienced the most significant rise, walking, cycling, and local bus travel saw notable declines.
In 1985, the car was already the predominant mode, with an average of 3,199 miles per person, which surged to 4,806 miles by 2000 – an increase of over 50%. Other private and semi-private modes also grew considerably: train travel rose from 239 to 366 miles, taxi use nearly tripled from 13 to 42 miles, and long-distance bus travel more than doubled from 54 to 124 miles.
Conversely, active and public transport modes experienced declines. Walking distances fell from 255 to 237 miles, and cycling dropped from 51 to 41 miles. The most pronounced reduction was in local bus usage, which plummeted from 429 to 274 miles, a decrease of approximately 36%. Consequently, total annual mileage per person increased from 4,740 miles in 1985 to 6,475 miles in 2000.