This is cool (in a geeky-cool way)

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently issued its 2009 “Pocket Guide to Transportation,” which contains about 50 pages of interesting — for those of us who find statistics of some value — facts about all modes of transportation in the U.S.

Although much of the data dates to 2006, it still provides a good picture of the nation’s transportation network. Following are a few of the more notable statistics from the report.

• In 2007, transportation-related goods and services contributed $1.45 trillion to the $13.81 trillion U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

• At the end of 2006, there were 46,983 miles of interstate highways and 116,573 miles of other national highway roads.

• The U.S. had 5,233 public-use airports in 2006.

• There were 599,766 bridges in the U.S. in 2007, with 79,804 of those labeled “functionally obsolete.”

• Highway fatalities in the U.S. have declined from 44,599 in 1990 to 41,059 in 2007.

• People are crazy. Almost 12,000 people in 2007 attempted to get on planes with box cutters. And, believe it or not, 1,416 folks in 2007 tried to board a plane with a gun.

• In 2007, 20.1% of U.S. households owned more than three vehicles; 38.1% owned two vehicles; and 33.1% owned one vehicle.

• The average household in 2007 spent 18%, or $8,758, on transportation, which includes fuel, oil, taxi fares, airline tickets and mass transit fees.