Glossary of Terms

(Campus Area Transportation Management Association) Organization formed by several institutions in Burlington’s “Hill” area to jointly address localized transportation and parking issues.

(Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission) Land use planning agency for Chittenden County.

(Chittenden County Transportation Authority) Operator of Chittenden County’s regional bus system and rideshare services.

Originally defined by the Interstate Commerce Commission (disbanded in the mid-1990's), Class of Railroad generally refers to a railroad company's size in terms of its average annual operating revenue. Specific figures (in 2001 dollars), outlining 'Classes' 1-3 are: Class 1 = railroads with an operating income above $256m (many miles of track, serving many states with a fleet of locomotives sometimes in the thousands), Class 2 = railroads with an operating income of $40m - $256m (regional railroad serving a few states with perhaps 30-200 locomotives), Class 3 = railroads with an operating income of $20m or less (typically operates only in one state, has only a handful of locomotives, usually operating less than 200 miles of track).

Vermont State classification of roads based on level of traffic and percent of the state-aid apportionment for town highways. For example, apportionment a town's Class 2 roads is determined by the town's percentage of all Class 2 town highway mileage in the entire state (see: VSA Title 17, Chapter 3, § 306 Appropriation).
The scheme may be expressed as: Class 1 = 6% of state annual highway appropriation, Class 2 = 54% of state annual highway appropriation, Class 3 = 50% of state annual highway appropriation, Class 4 = 0% of state annual highway appropriation. Local selectpersons determine which highways are class 4 town highways. State = State highways are those highways maintained exclusively by the Agency of Transportation.

A Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) track designation, establishing maximum authorized speed for passenger and freight trains, whilst placing requirements on the track maintenance criteria, vehicle standards, and train control signal systems. The maximum speed, outlined in Track Classes 1-9 (freight speed/passenger speed) are: Class 1 = 10/15mph, Class 2 = 25/30mph, Class 3 = 40/60mph, Class 4 = 60/80mph, Class 5 = 80/90mph, Class 6 = 110/110mph, Class 7 = 125/125mph, Class 8 = 160/160mph, Class 9 = 200/200mph.

The (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) CMAQ Improvement Program, authorized by the 1991 ISTEA provided $6.0 billion in funding for surface transportation and other projects that contribute to air quality improvements and reduce traffic congestion. The CMAQ program has been improved and reauthorized in the 1998 "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century" (TEA-21). The newer CMAQ program provides over $8.1 billion dollars in funds to State DOTs, MPOs, and transit agencies.

A street or highway that provides for traffic movement between major streets and local street. It is a road intended to collect traffic from local streets and land-access roads. The term "collector highway" does not include a city street or local service road or a country road designed for local service and constructed under the supervision of local government.

A geographic area that is defined by major highway and rail facilities, and major flows of travel. Transportation corridors are identified for the purpose of analyzing the patterns and flows of traffic between origins and destinations.

Equivalent Single Axle Load, Or - Equivalent 18-kip Single Axle Load. A basic premise of truck weight enforcement is that there is a resulting reduction in the rate of pavement deterioration. ESAL measures Truck traffic loading expressed as the number of equivalent 18,000 lb (80 kN) single axle loads.

(Federal Highway Administration) U.S. Department of Transportation agency responsible for highways.

(Federal Transit Administration) U.S. Department of Transportation agency that provides capital, planning, and operating assistance for public transit.

A Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) road designation scheme for rural, small urban, and urbanized areas. Functional classification defines the role that any particular road or street should play in servicing the flow of trips through a highway network. Standards for highway classification were developed during 1969-1971.
The scheme may be expressed as: 1 = Rural Interstate, 2 = Rural Principle Arterial, 6 = Rural Minor Arterial, 7 = Rural Major Collector, 8 = Rural Minor Collector, 9 = Rural Local Access, 11 = Urban Interstate, 12 = Urban Other Freeway or Expressway, 14 = Urban Other Principal Arterial, 16 = Urban Minor Arterial, 17 = Urban Collector, 19 = Urban Local Access.
More information on Functional Classification is referenced at this link.

(Highway Capacity Manual), published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the HCM outlines fundamental information and computational techniques on the quality of service and capacity of highway facilities.

(High Occupancy Vehicle) Vehicle carrying two or more people.

(Intelligent Transportation Systems) Technology used to improve the efficiency of transportation systems.

(Job Access/Reverse Commute) ~ Plan. Transit improvement plan designed to meet the work-related transportation needs of low-income residents.

(Just-In-Time-Delivery) ~ A method of inventory control where products are delivered to stores or assembly lines only when needed to minimize the high cost of maintaining local inventory and warehousing. The effects on freight demand are to; increase the number of individual shipments, decrease their length of haul and costs, and increase the reliability of on-time delivery.

(Level-Of-Service) a system of indicating delay at signalized intersections, which is graded on a letter scale from A to F, generally outlined by the HCM as: A <= 10 sec, B = 10-20 sec, C = 20-35 sec, D = 35-55 sec, E = 55-80 sec, F > 80sec.

(Metropolitan Transportation Plan) A 20-year plan for transportation development and investment based on the goals in the CCMPO Vision Statement.

One of several major types of transportation such as rail, bus, automobile, and non-motorized (bicycle/pedestrian) transportation.

Using several integrated modes of transportation in a given area.

The tendency for rear tires to follow a shorter path than the front tires when turning. This is a primary concern with Trucks, Buses, or trailered vehicles because rear tires may clip street signs, or drive onto shoulders, walkways, or bike lanes, or cross the centerline on a curve, creating a safety hazard for adjacent and oncoming traffic.

Flexibly-scheduled transportation services for the senior and disabled populations.

Right-of-Way.

Surface depression along the wheelpath of a road caused by excessive wear. When rutting occurs, rainwater can collect in the wheelpath, which can lead to increased probability of hydroplaning.

An area that uses advanced technology to maintain the flow of multimodal traffic at maximum efficiency.

(Single Occupancy Vehicle) Vehicle carrying only a driver.

(Special Services Transportation Agency) Chittenden County organization providing paratransit services.

(Technical Advisory Committee) A committee that recommends plans and programs to the CCMPO Board.

(Transportation Demand Management) Low-cost programs that focus on decreasing travel and the use of SOVs, and increasing the use of other modes.

(Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) Federal transportation law that authorizes six years of funding for highways, transit, non-motorized modes, and other surface transportation infrastructure.

(Transportation Improvement Program) A list of federally funded projects planned for a three-year period and consistent with the goals of the MTP.

(Transportation for Livable Communities) A CCMPO grant program that supports development that strengthens the link between transportation investments and community livability.

(Transit-Oriented Development) Mixed-use (residential, commercial, and industrial) development and zoning designed around commuter rail or bus facilities and infrastructure.

The use of education, enforcement, and engineering to change the behavior of drivers and increase safety.

(Transportation System Management) Low-cost projects that focus on how the transportation system responds to people’s needs.

(Unified Planning Work Program) The CCMPO’s annual work plan for local and regional transportation planning projects.

Vehicle Miles Traveled. This is an indicator of occuring traffic. It is calculated using Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) multiplied by the length of a particular road segment in question

(Vermont Transportation Authority) Operator of passenger rail services.