Transportation Glossary

The following is a listing of transportation-related terminology and phraseology developed by CCMPO.
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Term	Acronym	Definition
Land Use		The purpose for which land or the structures on the land are being utilized (e.g., commercial, residential, or retail). Also used as a description of activities found throughout an urban area.
Land Use Allocation Module	LUAM	The Land Use Allocation Module (LUAM) has been used by CCMPO & CCRPC to forecast future land use patterns. The primary data inputs are; housing & employment by type of Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) in the model, physical constrains data, and zoning data.
Land-Based Classification Standards	LBCS	American Planning Association (APA) standardised model used to categorise land use based on its charcteristics. Such characteristics are defined as; Activity, Function, Structure, Site Development Character, and Ownership Type.
Lane Miles		Road centerline miles multiplied by the number of lanes. Hence, a four-lane road that is 5 miles long is 20 Lane Miles.
Less-Than-Container-Load	LCL	Refering to "Containers" or ISO multimodal shipping Containers; Less-Than-Container-Load.
Less-Than-Truckload Carrier	LTL	LTL carriers haul general freight in less than a full truckload quantity, often in a short-haul or regional move. "For-hire" LTL's often combine freight from multiple shippers and operate local pickup and delivery service in urban areas on regular routes (known as line-haul relays, or terminal to terminal service). "Private" LTL's typically handle short-haul moves between warehouses and retailers as an in-house service.
Level of Service	LOS	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.
Light Duty Vehicle	LDV	Passenger cars, pick-up trucks, vans, or light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 lbs. or less, plus an adjusted loaded vehicle weight of 5,751 lbs. or less
Light Rail Transit	LRT	Generally applies to single- or double-car rail transport that uses mostly mixed, but not usually grade-separated, rights-of-way. LRT is an intermediate-capacity, intermediate-speed mode with service capabilities between heavy rail transit and local bus. Other forms and terms of LRT include; electric trolleys, streetcars, or tramways.
Limited Access Highway		A highway intended for free-flow traffic, which has a limited number of interchanges.
Line Haul Service		Transport along a single corridor without branches.
Line of Sight Distance		The unobstructed view from an intersection down an intersecting roadway. Sufficient line of sight allows for enough driver reaction time and vehicle movement to avoid collisions during turning movements (Also see Intersection Sight Distance).
Linear Reference System	LRS	A major component of the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) program that assigns a separate link and node GIS database for all National Highway System (NHS) Routes, Rural & Urban Principal Arterial roads, and Rural Minor Arterial roads.
Link		An element of a transportation network that represents a segment which terminates in a node at the other end. A link may have a number of attributes, including distances, number of lanes, capacity, and direction, and is often assigned a travel time function to the volume of traffic using the link.
Liquefied Natural Gas	LNG	A natural gas fuel comprised mainly of methane, cooled to below its boiling point of -260 degrees Fahrenheit, where it becomes a liquid. LNG is stored at very low temperatures within a special low-pressurized vacuum container. LNG does not burn in liquid form.
Local Emergency Planning Committee	LEPC	A committee under the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC), LEPC function is to provide resources and guidance to Chittenden County communities through education, coordination and assistance in hazmat planning, as well as to assure public health and safety.
Local Enhancements		Otherwise known as "Local Tranportation Facilities", it is the State program administering development of Enhancement Projects, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities, Safe Routes to School Projects, Park-n-Rides, Scenic Byways and "Local" Projects. The majority of the projects have a high degree of local focus and for the most part, development and construction is managed by local municipalities.
Local Service		Transit service involving many stops and low operating speeds with the purpose of picking up or delivering passengers as closely as possible to origins and destinations.
Local Street		Street designed to provide access to and from homes and businesses.
Local Transportation Assistance Program	LTAP	Federally funded program to enable local governments to improve their roads and bridges by providing training and information.
Local Transportation Facilities	LTF	Also known as "Local Enhancements", LTF is a Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) program established to assist local governments with project implementation for; Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities, Safe Routes to School Projects, Park-n-Rides, Scenic Byways and other "Local" Projects.
Long Range Transportation Plan	LRTP	A long-range document required by federal law that identifies facilities and programs that should function as an integrated metropolitan transportation system and includes a financial plan that demonstrates how the long-range plan can be implemented. Federal requirement for MPOs and Agencies of Transportation to undertake every five years and looks out 20-25 years.
Longer Combination Vehicles	LCV	Vehicles with two or more trailer units that have gross weights of more than 80,000 pounds. LCVs typically include four vehicle types: 1. "ROCKY MOUNTAIN DOUBLE" - (105,000 lbs./Len. 95'/3 Trailers: 1 = 48', 2 = 28'), 2. "TURNPIKE DOUBLE" - (Wt. 135,000 lbs./Len. 120'/2 Trailers of 48'), 3. "TRIPLE TRAILER" - (Wt. 110,000 lbs./Len. 110'/3 Trailers of 28'), 4. "STAA DOUBLE (WESTERN DOUBLE)" - (Wt. ?/Len. 65'/2 Trailers of 28').
Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics	LEHD	Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) is an innovative program within the U.S. Census Bureau using modern statistical and computing techniques to combine federal and state administrative data on employers and employees to derive their commuting patterns. The process generalizes datasets to protect the confidentiality of people and firms that provide information. This data is often useful in determining commuter-sheds in tandem with the Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP).
Loop Detectors		Sensory equipment installed beneath the road surface that helps to monitor, collect data, and manage incidents of vehicle traffic.
Low Emission Vehicle	LEV	A vehicle certified to meet low emission standards set by the California Air Resources Board. These regulations are stricter than the US national "Tier" regulations.
Low Volume Road		According to the MUTCD (Section 5A.01), a low volume road is: "a facility lying outside of built-up areas of cities, towns, and communities, and it shall have a traffic volume of less than 400 AADT." According to the AASHTO "Green Book" (i.e. Guidelines for Geometric Design of Very Low-Volume Local Roads), a low volume road has an "ADT less than or equal to 400".

OTHER TRANSPORT TERMINOLOGY REFERENCES: