Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, Means of Transportation to Work. American Community Survey (2004).

Home-to-Work Trips Modes, United States, 1985-2004

Surveys of people's mobility revealed that the automobile accounts for the large majority of commuting trips in the United States, while public transit only accounted for 5% of commuting trips, which can be perceived as almost irrelevant. The modal distribution of commuting in the United States is showing a remarkable stability with no significant changes in a period of 20 years. The most significant change is within the usage of the automobile as carpool which has experienced a decline to the advantage of driving alone. This obviously reflects a high level of automobile dependency.