This indicator shows the number of destinations outside of Illinois that are accessible via train, bus, or plane, illustrating the degree to which Champaign County residents can move around the region and around the country without an automobile.

For a variety of reasons, automobile ownership is not a viable option for all households. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2016-2020 5-Year Estimates, 817 (+/- 239) homeowner households and 8,809 (+/- 708) renter households had no access to a vehicle during the five-year period[1]. Thus, the ability to travel to regional and national destinations without a car is important when considering the overall mobility of Champaign County residents.

There are currently 35 cities outside of Illinois accessible by bus, train, or plane. Since this data was last compiled in 2021, air service to one city was removed, but bus service to one city was added. However, this data has not been compiled on a consistent basis, so we cannot establish a trend. All trips included in the charts require no transfers.

This data was compiled by Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) staff. Previous versions of this list appear in previous Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) documents.

[1] U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016-2020 5-Year Estimates, Table B25044; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (13 May 2022).

Source: CCRPC staff via American Airlines, Amtrak, Burlington Trailways, and Greyhound.

The goal of this project was to look at patterns and trends in public airlines
data and compare them over a period of time (2000-2023). I also wanted to
to see how Covid-19 and The Great Recession impacted the airlines industry.
The main sources of data were taken from the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics. I had to filter some years out, and also make sure that all cost
variables were adjusted for inflation to match the year of 2023 for a more
accurate reading of what the money spent represents in the most present
year. This I adjusted manually with statistic formulas taken from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. I adjusted these for Fuel
Costs (per year in millions), Fuel Cost per Gallon, and Average Ticket Fares.