passenger mile

American  

Or passenger-mile

noun

1. a unit of measurement, consisting of one mile traveled by a passenger, that airlines, railroads, and other public transportation facilities use in recording volume of traffic.

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Other Word Forms

• passenger mileage
  noun

Etymology

Origin of passenger mile

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

If they ran full, buses would emit 0.18 pound of CO2 per passenger mile, making them comparable to rail but at a much lower cost.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2023

The rate varies by location; for trips within Seattle, drivers will earn 64 cents per passenger minute and $1.50 per passenger mile, or $5.62 a trip, whichever is greater.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2022

In 2019, Amtrak subsidies per passenger mile were 34 times larger.

From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2021

In a July 15, 2014, The Juice, Daniel Gross misstated that in terms of BTUs per passenger mile, flying was 57 percent better than driving in 2010.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2015

In seven days, in all kinds of weather and over city and country roads, the horse and buggy traveled 197 miles at a cost per passenger mile of 2-1/2 cents.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 21 The Recent Days (1910-1914) by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)