Passenger kilometer

unitStandard termLogistics

A metric representing one passenger traveling a distance of one kilometer.

A passenger kilometer is a standard unit of measure used in transit planning to calculate total traffic volume and system efficiency. It is calculated by multiplying the number of passengers on a vehicle by the distance they travel. Agencies use this metric to evaluate route performance, fare structures, and environmental impact per rider.

Heard on the job

The new light rail extension added over a million passenger kilometers to the system's monthly total.

Also heard as

  • pkm