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

On average, cars emit almost one pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2023

Each such substitution is a step toward curbing climate change, because e-bikes produce significantly lower emissions per passenger mile than even an electric car.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2022

“We want to get to $3 per passenger mile so a college student can afford it,” he said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 22, 2022

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

From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2021

The runabout made 457 miles in the same time, and the cost per passenger mile was 1.8 cents.

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