Glossary

Program of Projects, as defined by North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), is a detailed list of upcoming transportation projects covering a period of at least four years.

3C process is the transportation process which stands for “continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative” and was first specified in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962. Its purpose is to be inclusive, focused on public input, and to prioritize regional planning of transportation projects.

3E triangle (aka three Es): Transportation project "alternatives are evaluated on the basis of the three E’s or 3E triangle: efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. These may be considered the overall goals of evaluation" (Since & Labi, 2007, p. 13).

Active modes of transportation include public transportation, walking, or biking.

Activity-based modeling (ABM) is a type of forecasting model that takes individual-level data as input and simulates the activity pattern for each individual.

Boda bodas are a type of motorcycle taxi commonly used in East Africa, especially in countries like Kenya and Uganda. These motorcycles are used for transporting passengers and goods over short distances, often navigating through congested urban areas where larger vehicles cannot easily travel. Boda bodas are known for their flexibility, affordability, and ability to reach remote or densely populated areas.

Bottlenecks are points in a transportation network where the flow of traffic is significantly slowed down due to limited capacity or high demand, leading to congestion and delays. For instance, during rush hour, the merge point where two highways converge often becomes a bottleneck, causing long traffic jams as vehicles struggle to merge smoothly.

The Brundtland Commission, formally known as the World Commission on Environment and Development, and headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway’s prime minister, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. Its primary goal was to address the growing concern about the environmental and developmental challenges facing the world. In 1987, the commission dissolved and published “Our Common Future” or Brundtland Report, which defined and popularized the concept of sustainable development.

Bus-rapid transit (BRT): A high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast and efficient service that may include dedicated lanes, busways (FTA 2024c, n.p.)

Ciclovia: Spanish term for “cycleway.” A movement of open streets events where bicycles and people use existing streets temporarily closed for automobile traffic. The Ciclovia originated in Bogota, Columbia in 1974 by organizer Jamie Ortiz Marino and others, and has now been adopted around the world (“Ciclovia,” 2024).

Commuting refers to travel between home and work.

Cumulative accessibility function measures the total number of opportunities (such as jobs, services, or amenities) that can be reached within a given threshold of travel time, distance, or cost from a specific location. It aggregates accessibility by counting all reachable destinations that fall within the specified limit, providing an overall assessment of the ease with which individuals can access essential resources and opportunities from their starting point.

Demand response (DR) or On-Demand refers to a transit mode comprised of passenger cars, vans or small buses operating in response to calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator, who then dispatches a vehicle to pick up the passengers and transport them to their destinations (FTA, 2024).

Disutility of mode choice: In trip-based forecasting, "disutility" refers to the perceived negative aspects or costs associated with a particular mode of transportation. Disutility in mode choice quantifies the overall inconvenience or undesirability of each travel option. Components of disutility may include travel time, cost, comfort, convenience, and reliability.

Financial planning: “Agencies use financial planning to take a long-range look at how transportation investments are funded and the possible sources of funds” (TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).

First-mile and last-mile refers to the initial and final segments of a journey, typically between a transportation hub (such as a train station or bus stop) and the traveler's origin or destination.

Gap analysis in planning is a process used to identify the difference between a current state and a desired future state. It involves comparing the existing situation to a target or benchmark to identify areas where improvements are needed. Gap analysis helps determine what needs to be done to achieve a desired outcome.

Geolocation refers to the process of determining and identifying the geographical location of a device or a person using various technologies such as GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular networks.

Goals and objectives are essential to the strategic direction planned and programmed for the development of transportation projects and specify measurable outcomes that align with priorities.

Highway Trust Fund (HTF) was created in 1956 with the Highway Revenue Act of 1956, is codified in 26 U.S. Code, § 9503, and uses tax revenue, such as taxes on vehicle fuel, to support construction, operations, and maintenance of surface transportation and transit infrastructure.

Home-based trips (HB) originate from the home location and travel to the work location.

Informal transportation: Privately supplied transportation options without fixed route or schedule and often shared, which are often not formally regulated by government agencies (TUMI, 2022).

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are the controlling and information systems that utilize combined communications and data processing technologies to enhance the mobility of people and goods, improving safety, decreasing traffic congestion, and handling traffic crashes.

Intermodal facilities are terminals linking at least two transportation modes. In passenger transportation, airports serve as intermodal facilities connecting land and air modes. For freight, they can be port terminals connecting water and land modes (such as ships, barges, and rail); rail terminals linking other land modes (rail and trucks); and truck-based distribution centers and warehousing hubs connecting land modes (trucks and rail) and water modes (ships or barges).

Internet of things refers to a network of interconnected devices (from smart phones, computers and appliance to car transponders, security cameras and cities) and objects like sensors that can communicate and exchange data over the internet without human intervention.

An isochrone is a map or diagram that shows all the points that can be reached from a specific location within a given amount of time, using a particular mode of transportation (e.g., walking, driving, public transit). It effectively illustrates the area that is accessible within a certain travel time, helping to visualize accessibility from a central point

Mandatory trips are travel for performing activities with limitations in terms of time, such as work trips.

Microbus: Also called a minibus, minicoach and at least a dozen regional variations including chiva bus in Ecuador, dala dala in Tanzania, dolmuş in Turkey, jeepney in the Philippines, pesero in Mexico City, tap tap in Haiti, weyala in Ethiopia, and matatu in Kenya. These privately-operated passenger buses and vans can transport dozens of passengers and often do not serve a fixed route, but rather operate as an informal shared mobility service (“Microbus,” 2024).

Mobility as a service (MaaS) is a transportation concept that integrates various modes of transportation into a single service accessible through a digital platform, allowing users to plan, book, and pay and seamlessly experience their journey.

Motorcycle taxi: Like the microbus, this is another privately-operated informal transportation option that may have many names including cart bike, bike taxi, motodops in Cambodia, maroua in Cameroon, ojek in Indonesia, okada in Nigeria, win motoseai in Thailand, xe ôm in Vietnam and boda boda in Kenya. The motorcycle operator carries one or more passengers as they navigate rapidly through otherwise congested streets in urban regions around the world for a negotiated fare typically less than that of microbuses or automobile taxis (“Boda boda,” 2024; “Motorcycle taxi,” 2024).

Network-based distance is the realistic distance between an origin and a destination that a pedestrian or traveler would traverse over a street network to reach the destination.

OD Trip table or Origin-Destination (O-D) matrix is a matrix that shows the number of trips between each pair of zones in travel demand analysis.

Paratransit in the US is an individualized form of public transportation service without fixed routes and timetables. It is often designed to meet the mobility needs of individuals with disabilities or those who are unable to use conventional public transportation.

Public transportation, as defined in the Federal Transit Act, "transportation by a conveyance that provides regular and continuing general or special transportation to the public” (FTA, 2024).

Rickshaw: a two- or three-wheeled cart either pulled by hand, pedaled, or using a small gasoline or electric motor, especially popular throughout Asia (“Rickshaw,” 2024).

Smart Cities: City planning and operations utilizing ICT to collect data to manage and improve efficiencies of services such as transportation, utilities, waste management, and criminal investigations. Connected services collect data from citizens, buildings, and other city service nodes and analyze the trends and flows of resources to predict and provide more efficient services (“Smart city,” 2024).

Social equity is justice and fairness in treating persons or creating and implementing governmental policy. (Ocean Science Trust, 2022)

Structurally disadvantaged refers to groups or communities that experience systemic barriers and inequalities embedded within societal, economic, and political institutions. These disadvantages arise from entrenched practices, policies, and norms that perpetuate disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and rights, often based on characteristics such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.

Sustainability indicators and measurement are a set of frameworks or indicators used to measure how sustainable something is. This includes processes, products, services and businesses. Sustainability is difficult to quantify. To measure sustainability, frameworks and indicators consider environmental, social and economic domains (“"sustainability measurement, 2024).

Traffic flow results from the interactions between travelers and infrastructure. Flow, speed, and density are the elements of traffic flow.

Transit desert refers to an area with limited or no access to public transportation services, making it difficult for residents without private cars to travel affordably within the area or to other destinations.

Transit feeder is a transportation service that connects passengers from an origin point to a main transit system (rail or bus on main transportation routes).

TOD, or transit-oriented development, combines commercial, residential, office, and leisure space centered on or near a transit station. People are drawn to dense, walkable mixed-use construction near public transportation, contributing to thriving, linked communities.

Transportation mode: A transportation mode refers to the specific method used for traveling or transporting people and goods, each relying on distinct infrastructure, vehicles, operators, and operations. Except for walking, modes rely on specific mobility technologies and fuel for movement on land, air, or water.

Transportation Performance Management (TPM) is “a strategic approach that uses system information to make investment and policy decisions to achieve national performance goals” (FHWA, 2021, n.p.).

A tuk-tuk is a small, three-wheeled motorized vehicle used as a taxi. Known for its maneuverability, it is commonly found in Asian cities and other parts of the Global South. It typically seats two to three passengers and is popular for short-distance travel.

Universal accessibility in transportation refers to the design of transportation systems and facilities that are usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. In the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) context, public transportation systems are required to be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes providing accessible vehicles, stops, and stations as well as ensuring that transportation services are accessible to people with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments.

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is the aggregate number of miles driven from an area at a particular time of day.

Accessibility negative exponential function describes how the likelihood or ease of accessing opportunities decreases exponentially with increasing travel time, distance, or cost. In this function, the accessibility to a destination diminishes rapidly as the travel impedance (time, distance, or cost) increases, reflecting a more realistic decay in accessibility over longer distances or higher costs.

Active modes of transportation include public transportation, walking, or biking.

An airport metropolitan subregion with aviation-linked infrastructure, land use, economy, businesses, etc. (“Aerotropolis,” 2024).

Allocation: “The distribution of Federal-aid highway funding on any basis other than a statutory formula” (FHWA, 2017, p.19 )

Apportionment “describes appropriated funds, which come from selected Federal-aid programs, that are distributed among States and metropolitan areas (for most transit funds) using a formula provided by law. An apportionment is usually made on the first day of the Federal fiscal year (October 1), when funds become available for a State to spend in accordance with an approved STIP. In many cases, the State is the designated recipient for Federal transportation funds; in some cases, transit operators are the recipient” (TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).

Appropriation: “Annually, as set forth in authorizing legislation, Congress decides on the Federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. As a result of the appropriation process, the amount appropriated to a federal program is often less than the amount authorized for a given year. The appropriation is the actual amount available to Federal agencies to spend or grant” (FHWA, 2017, p.19; TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).

Artificial Intelligence (AI): A field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals (“Artificial intelligence,” 2024).

Backcast or backcasting is a planning technique that starts with a desired future state and works backward to identify the steps necessary to achieve it. It's a contrast to forecasting, which predicts future outcomes based on current trends.

The Brundtland Commission, formally known as the World Commission on Environment and Development, and headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway’s prime minister, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. Its primary goal was to address the growing concern about the environmental and developmental challenges facing the world. In 1987, the commission dissolved and published “Our Common Future” or Brundtland Report, which defined and popularized the concept of sustainable development.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): High-capacity public transportation system utilizing buses, often in dedicated lanes or roadways and with other priority design features and frequent service to improve speed and efficiency (“Bus rapid transit,” 2024).

A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) lays out the financing, location, and timing for capital improvement projects over several years. It typically consists of one or more capital improvement projects, which are financed through a capital budget. CIPs are important tools for local governments, allowing them to plan strategically for community growth and transformation. (Open Government, 2024).

Car-oriented development patterns refer to urban areas designed with a primary focus on accommodating cars over other modes of transportation, thereby making car travel the predominant mode. These patterns are characterized by large city blocks, wide streets, and extensive parking areas. Car-centric development has been widespread in the US since the 1960s.

A carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint) is a calculated value or index that makes it possible to compare the total amount of greenhouse gases that an activity, product, company or country adds to the atmosphere. Carbon footprints are usually reported in tonnes of emissions (CO2-equivalent) per unit of comparison (“Carbon footprint, 2024).

Chained trips involve making multiple stops during a single travel journey, often combining different purposes within one trip sequence. For instance, on the way home from work, stopping at the grocery store and then picking up dry cleaning before reaching home.

Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each of which is a data center (“Cloud computing,” 2024).

Coach: A car with wheels. It can come in the shape of stagecoaches and horse-drawn carriages that transport people, their belongings, and mail. A separate luggage area situated below the passenger compartment is a standard feature of modern motor coaches, which are always high-floor buses.

Commuting trip refers to a recurring daily travel from home to work or school.

Complete streets are part of a transportation planning strategy that ensures the transportation network is designed and maintained to accommodate safe mobility for all modes and road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of various ages and abilities (McCann et al, 2023).

Containers applied to freight are a standardized metal box used for shipping goods domestically or internationally by sea, rail, or road.

Decarbonization: reduction or elimination of carbon dioxide emissions. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to human activity have been the dominant cause of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. There are many proven approaches for moving to a low-carbon economy, such as encouraging renewable energy transition, energy conservation, electrification of transportation (e.g. electric vehicles), and carbon capture and storage ("Low-carbon economy," 2024).

Derived demand in transportation refers to the need for travel that arises not as a goal in itself but as a result of the desire to access goods, services, activities, or destinations. For example, commuting occurs because people need to reach their workplace, not because they seek to travel for its own sake.

Destination is the endpoint, where the traveler aims to reach. In accessibility measures, the focus is on evaluating how easily people can travel from various origins to desired destinations, considering factors like distance, travel time, and available transportation options.

The digital divide is the unequal access to digital technology, including the internet, tablets, laptops, smartphones, and smartphone applications ("Digital divide," 2024).

Digitization: The process of converting, storing, and analyzing information in a digital format able to be manipulated by computers.

Discretionary grants: Federal transportation funding made available by transportation and transit agencies through a competitive process in which projects are selected “based on program eligibility, evaluation criteria, and Departmental or program priorities” (USDOT, 2022, n.p.).

Discretionary trips are non-essential trips made by choice for leisure, shopping, social activities, or other personal interests. For example, going to the mall on a weekend or visiting a friend’s house for a dinner party are discretionary, i.e., taken voluntarily.

Distributive justice is concerned with the fair allocation of resources, benefits, and burdens within a society, ensuring that all individuals receive a just share based on specific principles. Under John Rawl’s Difference Principle a distribution (of benefits) is just if it maximizes the benefit for the group enjoying the least benefit. It aims to reduce inequalities by improving the well-being of the least advantaged members of society.

Documentary Analysis:  a type of qualitative research in which documents are reviewed by the analyst to assess and code content into subjects, similar to interviews or focus groups (Documentary analysis, 2024).

Ecological fallacy is an error in which inferences are made about individuals based on observations made at the group level. In other words, it's assuming that what's true for a group is also true for its individual members. It would be an ecological fallacy to conclude that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes if a study finds that a city with a higher percentage of immigrants has a higher crime rate. This ignores individual-level factors that might contribute to the crime rate.

Economies of speed: Whereas economies of scale leverage efficiencies in process improvement, duplication, and quantity, economies of speed prioritize quickly prototyping, piloting, and pivoting to produce innovative practices that are responsive to real-time data and meet customer demands for time-sensitive deliveries.

Elasticity of regression coefficients are regression coefficient estimates converted into ratios of percentage changes. They measure how a percentage change in an independent variable (like population density in the individual’s neighborhood) leads to a percentage change in the dependent variable (walking shopping trips per day) in a regression model. An elasticity of 0.29, for instance, quantifies in percentage the sensitivity of the dependent variable for a 100% change in the independent variable.

Eminent domain is the legal authority of a government to take private property for public use, with compensation provided to the property owner.

Equity action plan is a strategic document outlining specific goals, actions, and measures designed to promote fairness and inclusion by addressing and rectifying disparities experienced by underserved or marginalized groups. It aims to ensure access to opportunities, resources, and benefits across all segments of society.

Euclidean distance is the length of the line segment that connects two points.

Externalities are impacts not accounted for in market transactions. They can be negative (harmful effects on others) or positive (benefits). Motor vehicle air pollutants are an example of externalities.

Financial programming “involves identifying available or expected funds and scheduling specific projects listed in the STIP, TIP, and MTP” (TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).  "A short-term commitment of funds to specific projects identified in the regional Transportation Improvement Program" (FHWA Planning Glossary, 2022).

Fintech is a company or technology that offers financial services through software and digital platforms. This includes services like online banking, mobile payments, peer-to-peer lending, and investment management. Fintechs aim to automate the delivery and use of financial services.

The first part of a commute trip before connecting to a fixed-route transit service and the final segment of the trip indicating the gaps in reaching a destination not directly proximal to the transit line or route.

Fiscal constraint: Estimates of costs and revenue sources “that are reasonably expected to be available to adequately operate and maintain Federal-aid highways (as defined by Title 23 U.S.C. 101(a)(5)) and public transportation" (as defined by Title 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53). "Making sure that a given program or project can reasonably expect to receive funding within the time allotted for its implementation" (FHWA Planning Glossary, 2022).

The most common non-discretionary opportunities offered by federal agencies are formula grants, which distribute funds to every recipient in a group (such as all 50 states) to accomplish the same purpose. These may also be known as federal-aid funds or formula funds.

Formula grants are not competitive because the funding amount for each recipient is calculated based on specific parameters set by Congress, such as state population.

Futurama was an exhibit and ride at the 1939 New York World's Fair designed by Norman Bel Geddes, which presented a possible model of the world 20 years into the future (1959–1960). The installation was sponsored by the General Motors Corporation and was characterized by automated highways and vast suburbs (“Futurama [New York World’s Fair],” 2024).

Gravity Model is a model that postulates that the number of trips between each pair of zones is dependent on the relative attractiveness of destination. This attractiveness is directly related to the number of opportunities in the destination and inversely related to the distance between them.

Greening is the process of transforming living environments, and also artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle or a brand image, into a more environmentally friendly version (i.e. 'greening your home' or 'greening your office'). The act of greening generally involves incorporating more environmentally friendly systems into one's environment, such as the home, workplace, and general lifestyle. In a transportation context greening emphasizes biodiversity, reduction of land degradation, and climate change mitigation benefits (“Greening,” 2024).

Mobility at greater scales that travels at faster speeds. High Speed Rail and proposals like The Hyperloop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop) would be considered hypermobility (“Hyperloop,” 2024).

Impedance is an accessibility measure of the resistance or difficulty of traveling between two points, considering factors like distance, time, or cost. The factors are typically estimated and expressed as decay functions using negative exponential or probability or log-logistic functions.

Impedance in accessibility refers to any factor that hinders or restricts the ease and speed of movement between locations. It can include physical barriers, distance, time, cost, and other obstacles that affect the ability to reach desired destinations such as jobs, services, and amenities. Impedance plays a critical role in determining the overall accessibility of a location by influencing the effort required to travel from one place to another.

Induced travel demand refers to the phenomenon where increased transportation infrastructure capacity leads to an increase in travel demand. In other words, building more roads or adding lanes to roads to deal with congestion induces more people to travel, often negating the intended benefit of reducing congestion.

Information technology that serves the role of communications. The term has been utilized since the 1980s and evolved over time to adapt as new technologies have been introduced into the communications landscape from telephones and fax machines to computer networks, the Internet, and videoconferencing.

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) is a United States federal law that posed a major change to transportation planning and policy, as the first U.S. federal legislation on the subject in the post-Interstate Highway System era. (Wikipedia, 2013, n.p.)

devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks. Relevant to transportation, IoT can assist in the integration of communications, control, and information processing across various transportation systems and all aspects comprising the system (i.e., the vehicle, the infrastructure, and the driver or user). Dynamic interaction between these components of a transport system enables inter- and intra-vehicular communication, smart traffic control, smart parking, electronic toll collection systems, logistics and fleet management, vehicle control, safety, and road assistance (“Internet of Things,” 2024).

ISO standards are internationally recognized guidelines or specifications established by the International Organization for Standardization to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency in various industries and processes.

Level of Service (LOS) Performance Standards refer to a set of criteria defined by the Highway Capacity Manual (TRB, 2022) to evaluate the operational performance of a roadway. They are typically based on factors such as traffic flow, speed, travel time, and congestion. LOS grades range from A (free flow) to F (highly congested), indicating the level of comfort, convenience, and efficiency experienced by road users. These standards are commonly used in traffic engineering and planning to assess and improve road infrastructure.

is a kind of passenger urban rail transportation that combines tram and metro elements. (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Light rail transit (LRT) is a kind of passenger urban rail transportation that combines tram and metro elements. (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Logistics in freight transportation refers to container-based intermodal transportation of bulk goods for the long haul. Carriers use different freight modes and intermodal facilities to move cargo to its final destination.

Low Impact Development (LID) “refers to systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes that result in the infiltration, evapotranspiration or use of stormwater in order to protect water quality and associated aquatic habitat. EPA currently uses the term green infrastructure to refer to the management of wet weather flows that use these processes, and to refer to the patchwork of natural areas that provide habitat, flood protection, cleaner air and cleaner water. At both the site and regional scale, LID/GI practices aim to preserve, restore and create green space using soils, vegetation, and rainwater harvest techniques” EPA (2024) https://www.epa.gov/nps/nonpoint-source-urban-areas

Macrolevel financing in transit projects involves large-scale funding strategies and mechanisms at the regional or governmental level to support transit infrastructure and operations. This type of financing encompasses funding sources such as federal grants, state subsidies, regional taxes, bonds, and public-private partnerships.

Match: “Most Federal transportation programs require a non-Federal match. State or local governments must contribute some portion of the project cost at a matching level established by legislation. For many programs, the amount that State or local governments must contribute is 20 percent of the capital cost of most highway and transit projects” (TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).

Meaningful public involvement is defined as a process of intentionally programmed outreach to representatives of the entire community and inclusion of the community’s needs and vision into the transportation planning and programming documents (US DOT, 2022).

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple studies on a particular topic to draw a more comprehensive conclusion. It involves systematically searching for relevant studies, assessing their quality, and then statistically combining their findings to provide a more robust estimate of the overall effect.

Metropolitan planning organization (MPOs) is an organization responsible for carrying out transportation planning process for urban areas with over 50,000 population and tries to integrate practices from multiple jurisdictions in the area (Federal Highway Administration, 2017).

Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP): The official intermodal transportation plan that is developed and adopted through the metropolitan transportation planning process for the metropolitan planning area, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 134, 23 USC 135 and 49 U.S.C. 5303 (FHWA Planning Glossary, 2022).

Mobility at smaller, neighborhood scales that typically utilizes small, lightweight transportation modes that travel at slower speeds. Human-powered or electric bicycles, kick-scooters, and skateboards that are either privately owned or part of shared fleets would be considered micromobility.

Micro-transit is an on-demand service used as a complement to fixed route service, providing transportation during time periods or in geographic regions poorly served by regular fixed route service. It is more expensive to operate than fixed route transit and often charges a premium fare, but its flexibility provides a good customer experience in hard-to-serve areas (N-CATT, n.d.).

Microlevel finance in transit projects refers to the funding mechanisms and strategies at the local level, typically involving transit agencies, municipalities, or private investors. Sources of this type of financing can include local taxes, tax-increment financing, user fees on rental cars and TNCs, special assessments, developer contributions, etc.

Micromobility: A range of small and lightweight modes of transport, often human-powered, though occasionally electrified which operate at lower speeds (below 25 km/h or 15mph) over relatively short distances (10k or 6 miles) in urban environments (ITDP, 2020).

Mobility as a service (MaaS) is a type of service that enables users to plan, book, and pay for multiple types of mobility services through a combined platform or app. The key concept behind MaaS is to offer travelers flexible mobility solutions based on their travel needs. Thus, "mobility as a service" also refers to the broader concept of a shift away from personally owned modes of transportation and towards mobility provided as a (shared) service ("Mobility as a service," 2024).

Mode: The means used for travel (e.g., walking, driving your car, riding as a passenger on a bus).

Model: A set of mathematical relationships to forecast travel patterns and flows between origins and destinations.

Multimodal is a transportation network quality that includes various models such as rail, bus, ferry, bicycle, etc. which allows users to choose their mode of transport by providing convenient access.

Negative externality: A cost imposed on others when an economic activity occurs. For example, a highway that is often congested with cars emitting pollution affects the health and environment of nearby residents who may not even own cars to use the highway.

Non-home-based trips (NHB) are trips in which neither the origin nor the destination is the home.

On-demand transit service “leverages transit networks and operations, real-time data, connected https://uta.pressbooks.pub/oertransportationpoliciesandhistory/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=glossarytravelers, and cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to provide “on-demand” mobility, which means that mobility supply and demand from riders are managed through real-time communications” (N-CATTb, n.d.).

Open Streets: Temporary closure of streets to automobiles, open for walking, bicycling and social activities which grew out of the Ciclovia movement. (“Tactical Urbanism,” 2024).

Origin in transportation refers to the starting point of a journey, where the traveler begins.

Paratransit in North America is a service that “supplements fixed-route transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables . . . it may consist of a taxi or small bus that will run along a more or less defined route and then stop to pick up or discharge passengers or of a fully on-demand response service. The most flexible paratransit systems offer on-demand call-up door-to-door service from any origin to any destination in a service area. In addition to public transit agencies, paratransit services may be operated by community groups or not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit private companies or operators” (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Participatory Data Collection: a way for the population being studied and served to participate in research through the data collection process.

Performance measures “support objectives and are the basis for comparing alternative improvement, investment, and policy strategies, and tracking results” (TPCBP, 2018, n.p.).
An expression based on a metric that is used to establish targets and to assess progress toward meeting the established targets.

A performance target is “a quantifiable level of performance or condition, expressed as a value for the measure, to be achieved within a time period required by FHWA” (FHWA, 2018, p. 75).

Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) “is a strategic, data-driven approach to transportation decision-making that enables transportation planning agencies to efficiently allocate resources, maximize return on investments, and achieve desired performance outcomes while increasing accountability and transparency to the public” (TPCBP, n.d.).

Person trip is “a one-way trip made by a person by any mode from an origin to a destination, usually assumed to be without stops. In many models, person trips are the units used in all model steps through mode choice. Person trips are the usual units in transit assignment, but person trips are converted to vehicle trips for highway assignment” (NCHRP, 2012, p. 6).

Place attraction refers to the ability of a location to draw or attract trips due to the activities, amenities, or services it offers. These locations can be various types of destinations such as workplaces, shopping centers, schools, parks, entertainment venues, or any other places where people gather or engage in activities.

Positive externality: A benefit received by others when an economic activity occurs. For example, a new light rail system increases the neighborhood's property values and accessibility by transit.

Prioritization is the cooperative process by which transportation and transit agencies identify projects from the MTP to be included in the TIP.

Programming: "Priortizing proposed projects and matching those projects with available funds to accomplish agreed upon, stated needs" (FHWA Planning Glossary, 2022).

Public-private partnership (PPP) is a long-term contract between a government agency and a private firm involving private capital financing of building, construction, management or services of public facilities and infrastructure for transportation, water and sewage, schools, etc. The government pays back the private partner’s investment and profit through tax revenues or user fees.

Ride-hailing service is “a type of ridesharing that allows customers requesting a ride for one or two passengers to be paired in real-time with others traveling along a similar route” (N-CATTb, n.d.).

Right-of-way (ROW): A type of easement reserved over the land for transportation purposes, such as a street, a highway, public sidewalks, etc.

Safe Systems Approach is a program of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) aimed to meet one of the federal transportation planning goals, safety. The approach is defined as “the aim to eliminate fatal & serious injuries for all road users. It does so through a holistic view of the road system that first anticipates human mistakes and second keeps impact energy on the human body at tolerable levels. Safety is an ethical imperative of the designers and owners of the transportation system” (FHWA, 2022, p. 1)

Selection bias (aka self-selection) in research occurs when individuals select themselves into a study or group, leading to a non-random sample that may not represent the broader population. This bias can distort results because participants' choices are influenced by their characteristics or preferences, potentially confounding the relationship being studied.

Self-selection (aka selection bias) in research occurs when individuals select themselves into a study or group, leading to a non-random sample that may not represent the broader population. This bias can distort results because participants' choices are influenced by their characteristics or preferences, potentially confounding the relationship being studied.

Shared Autonomous Vehicles are sometimes referred to as autonomous taxis. The concept is not just a single vehicle, but rather a system and service that provides shared mobility via autonomous vehicles, commonly called self-driving cars although the functional level of automation may vary as technologies continue to evolve (Carrese et al., 2023).

Shared mobility: This term is used for any mode that is not privately owned and may be rented sequentially or shared simultaneously. Rental cars, bikeshare, or ride-hail services could all be considered shared mobility. The introduction of applications (Apps) on smartphones and mobile devices has facilitated the increased use of shared mobility modes.

Spatial interaction refers to the movement of people, goods, or information between locations, influenced by the ease of reaching destinations (accessibility) and the transportation networks connecting them. It reflects how transportation networks and land use patterns facilitate or hinder connections between places.

Special districts are transportation agencies responsible for unique facilities within or distinct segments of the transportation network (Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program, 2022).

Speed of line by haul refers to the average speed of a travel mode (typically transit or freight) over a specific distance or route segment, reflecting the efficiency and reliability of the service. For instance, if a bus line covers a 10-mile route in 30 minutes, the speed of the line by haul is 20 miles per hour, indicating how quickly passengers can travel that segment.

Streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development were strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when the introduction of the electric trolley or streetcar allowed the nation’s burgeoning middle class to move beyond the central city’s borders (“Streetcar suburb,” 2024).

Structural inequities refers to systematic disadvantages that affect certain groups due to societal structures, policies, and practices, leading to unequal access to resources, opportunities, and rights based on characteristics such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other factors.

Suburbanization is the process of urban expansion beyond the borders of central area and population and services flee toward low-density areas where land and space re more abundant.

Super app is a mobile application that provides a wide range of services like messaging, social networking, ride-hailing, e-commerce, wallets, food delivery, etc., within a single platform. Examples of super apps include WeChat, Gojek, and Grab.

Sustainable transportation “refers to the technological and nontechnological solutions and measures aimed at reducing the adverse effects connected to mobility at both local and global scales. [It] encompasses solutions and measures that range from reduced demand for transport, to the use of energy efficient transport modes, from the reduction of emissions in densely inhabited areas, to the reduction of the global scale environmental footprint   (Chirieleison and  Rizzi, 2023).

Tax-increment financing (TIF) “is a local government value capture revenue tool that uses taxes on future gains in real estate values within an area known as a TIF district to pay for infrastructure improvements. TIF creates funding for public or private projects by allowing entities to borrow against future increases in property-tax revenues (FHWA, 2021).

The emerging activities including transportation technologies, social media, shared economy, teleworking, and online shopping enabled by the widespread adoption of mobile applications (apps).

Teleactivities: The emerging activities including transportation technologies, social media, shared economy, teleworking, and online shopping enabled by the widespread adoption of mobile applications (apps).

Three Es: Also known as the 3E triangle.

Time-sensitive: Deliveries of goods or services as soon as possible, as exemplified by Amazon’s Prime same-day delivery.

Tours is a travel diary that contains a chain of trips with multiple stops and same beginning and ending point such as home.

Traffic zone: A particular district is identified by state and local transportation officials for tabulating traffic data in travel demand analysis. A traffic zone usually consists of one or more census blocks, block groups, or census tracts.

Tram is a type of railroad car that operates on tramway lines on public metropolitan streets, some of which have segregated right-of-way parts. (Wikimili, n.d.).

A tram is a type of railroad car that operates on tramway lines on public metropolitan streets, some of which have segregated right-of-way parts. (Wikimili, n.d.).

Transit corridor generally refers to a linear area defined by the service route of any public transit mode– heavy or light rail, bus, streetcar or trolley.

Transit headway is “the time interval between vehicles moving in the same direction on a particular route” (FTAb 2024, n.p.).

Transit modes are public transportation means supporting passenger mobility by land, water or air. They include buses, light rail, subways, cable cars, commuter trains, street cars and trolleys, ferries and water taxis, vanpool services, paratransit etc.

Transit timetable provides information on transit services’ arrival and departure times at specific locations.

Transit-dedicated right-of-way is an exclusive right-of-way from which all other motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, mixed and cross, is excluded.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a place where transit and development intersect to create transit-served dense, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. “When done right, TOD leads to more equitable communities” (FTA 2024d).

Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ) is a designated urban area used in transportation planning to analyze travel patterns and demand within a specific geographic region. For example, TAZs might encompass residential neighborhoods, and planners study how many trips are generated in that area.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) encompasses strategies aimed at reducing congestion and improving transportation efficiency by influencing travel behavior, such as shifting travel times, routes, or modes. For example, a city implements TDM by offering incentives for carpooling, expanding bike-sharing programs, and promoting flexible work hours to decrease rush-hour traffic.

A Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a document prepared by regional transportation planning agencies cataloging prioritized transportation projects and available funding sources.  "A document prepared by a metropolitan planning organization that lists projects to be funded with FHWA/FTA funds for the next one- to three-year period" (FHWA Planning Glossary, 2022). Note that "TIP" generally refers to the program document prepared by the MPO, while "STIP" refers to the "Statewide Transportation Improvement Program" prepared by the state Department of Transportation.

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs): Organizations that link drivers utilizing their vehicles with clients via an internet platform (such as a smartphone app) to provide planned transportation services for payment (FHWA, 2016).

Transportation regime: A standardized way or dominant mode of personal mobility, including the technological, industrial, political, and cultural elements of transportation (Hoffmann, Weyer, & Longen, 2017).

Transportation systems: The facilities and logistics for transporting people and goods. It covers movement by all forms of transport, from private vehicles, rail, and buses to boats, ships, and air travel.

Traffic analysis zone or travel analysis zone (TAZ): An area delineated by state and local transportation officials for tabulating traffic data for travel demand analysis. A traffic zone usually consists of one or more census blocks, block groups, or census tracts

Transportation or Travel Demand Model (TDM) is a mathematical representation of individual trips and travel demand, allowing transportation planners and engineers to study the potential impacts of different transportation scenarios when creating regional and state long-range transportation plans.

Travel shed refers to the size of a geographic area from which a particular destination attracts people (customers, students, employees, etc.). It's essentially the catchment area for a transportation hub, such as an airport, train station, bus terminal or other destinations. The size of a travel shed is influenced by the mode of travel (walking, cycling, auto, etc.).

Trip: A one-way movement from an origin to a destination.

Trip chaining is a travel behavior that involves grouping some activities together into a one trip to save travel time and miles.

Trip origin and destination: The location where a trip begins (origin) and the location where the trip ends (destination).

Trip purpose: The traveler’s primary goals for making a trip.

Trip-based modeling uses “the individual person's trip as the fundamental unit of analysis. Trip-based models are widely used in practice to support regional, subregional, and project-level trans¬portation analysis and decision making. Trip-based models are often referred to as “4-step” models because they commonly include four primary components. The first trip genera¬tion components estimate the numbers of trips produced by and attracted to each zone (these zones collectively represent the geography of the modeled area). The second trip distribution step connects where trips are produced and where they are attracted to. The third mode choice step determines the travel mode, such as automobile or transit, used for each trip, while the fourth assignment step predicts the specific network facilities or routes used for each trip” (Castiglione et al, 2015, p. 6).

Transportation Systems Management and Operations: integrated holistic and regional approach planned and designed for optimizing the performance of the existing transportation infrastructure. TSMO plans integrate multimodal and intermodal solutions across jurisdictions, services and projects to enhance transportation system capacity, security,,safety and reliability.

Unlinked passenger trip counts a trip as every time a passenger boards and alights a transit vehicle or transfers to another vehicle. A person who makes a trip and transfers to a second vehicle takes two unlinked passenger trips.

Urban sprawl is characterized by uncontrolled or loosely regulated growth extending towards suburban or exurban peripheries, encompassing housing, jobs, retail, industrial, and other urban developments, as well as extensive highway and road networks.

Vehicle revenue hours (VRH) “The hours that vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in revenue service. Vehicle revenue hours include Layover / recovery time [and exclude:]deadhead; operator training; vehicle maintenance testing; and other non-revenue uses of vehicles” (FTAb 2024, n.p.).

Vehicle revenue miles (VRM) “The miles that vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in revenue service. Vehicle revenue miles include layover / recovery time  [and exclude:]deadhead; operator training; vehicle maintenance testing; and other non-revenue uses of vehicles” (FTA 2024, n.p.).

Vision: A statement summarizing the purpose of the plan based on public input and the community’s needs using goals and objectives to promote implementation.