Bus & Rail Passenger Service Glossary

The following is a listing of Bus & Rail Passenger Service-terms developed by CCMPO. Acronyms are listed by letter, but are not in alphabetical order.

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Term	Acronym	Definition
Articulated Bus		Segmented bus that has rear portion flexibility, but is permanently connected to a forward portion and has no interior barrier to hamper passenger movement between the two portions. The advantage to this type of vehicle is that seated capacity is increased up to 60-80 people, and a superiour turning radius (diminished off-tracking) to that of a standard bus.
Blue Ribbon Commission on Innovative Finance	BRC	Initiated with a workshop at the University of Vermont campus in June 2007, the charge of the Commission on Innovative Finance is to provide a set of recommendations regarding viable innovative finance strategies to advance the regions' transportation needs, including all modes (especially public transportation)as well as the necessary connections with our land use, economic, environmental and quality of life needs. The Commission has since drafted recommendations to be phased into policy over time.
Bus Rapid Transit	BRT	Fixed-route bus system operating on its own exclusive "Right of Way".
Campus Area Transit System	CATS	The University of Vermont’s fare-free shuttle system serving the University community—faculty, staff, students, and visitors. This system links all on-campus destinations and provides evening service to adjoining neighborhoods. Ridership during the school year averages 4,000 to 5,000 per day.
Campus Area Transportation Management Association	CATMA	Organization formed by several institutions in Burlington’s 'Hill Institutions' to jointly address localized transportation, commuter, and parking issues.
Catchment Area		An area of increased influence for use of a site, facility, market, or corridor.
Chittenden County Transportation Authority	CCTA	Operator of Chittenden County’s regional bus system and rideshare services. Chartered in 1973 by the Vermont General Assembly, CCTA serves the communities of Burlington, Essex, South Burlington, Shelburne, Williston, Winooski and a portion of Colchester. There are also express route service to Montpelier, Middlebury, and St. Albans.
Commuter Rail		Generally applies to multi-car, high-speed rail transport utilizing exclusive, frequently at-grade, rights-of-way with service between urban areas or between outlying suburbs and the urban core. Usually involves greater distances and fewer stops than those normally found with light and heavy rail transit within urban areas.
Compressed Natural Gas	CNG	Fuel for natural gas powered vehicles (primarily buses). Natural gas is comprised mostly of methane that is compressed (about 2,400 lbs. per square inch) and stored in high-pressure design containers.
Contraflow Lane		Otherwise known as a "reversible lane", it is utilised for buses where the direction of travel is opposite to the flow of traffic in the other lanes. Contraflow lanes are also employed for maintenance purposes, or in cases of emergency evacuation where both sides of an interstate highway are used for outbound traffic.
Cutaway Buses		Transit vehicles constructed with a Bus-body attached to a small-to-medium sized truck or van chassis. The vehicles are generally less than 30 ft. long (although some may measure up to 35 ft. long), typically weigh less than 30,000 lbs. (Gross Vehicle Weight), and are designed to accommodate anywhere from 16 to 28 passengers. A cutaway vehicle is smaller than a conventional bus while providing more space, particularly for wheelchairs, compared to other small-to-medium sized vehicle options. With regard to the public transit market, cutaway buses are critical components of paratransit service across the United States. Additionally, private sector transportation also represents a large market for cutaway buses.
Deadhead		A empty transit vehicle commute to or from a garage, terminal, or a destination between routes.
Demand Response	DR	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. A demand response (DR) operation is characterized by the following; 1. Vehicles do not operate over a fixed route or on a fixed schedule except on a temporary basis to satisfy a special need, 2. Vehicles may be dispatched to pick up several passengers at different pick-up points before taking them to their respective destinations and may even be interrupted en route to these destinations to pick up other passengers.
Demand Response Service		Shared use transit service operating in response to calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator, who schedules a vehicle to pick up the passengers to transport them to their destinations.
Diesel Multiple Unit	DMU	Self-propelled railcar, powered by one or more diesel engines.
Excursion Train		A rail enterprise catering to tourism or leisure markets in the form of seasonal, recreational, historical, or tourist service destinations.
FTA Section 5307		Grant program for capital and operating assistance in urban areas with populations greater than 50,000.
FTA Section 5309		Grant for capital programs such as buses and bus facilities.
FTA Section 5310		Grant program to states for assisting private non-profit groups in meeting the transportation needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities.
FTA Section 5317		New Freedom Program. Grant program to encourage services and facility improvements to address the transportation needs of persons with disabilities that go beyond those required by the ADA.
Fare Elasticity		The extent to which ridership responds to fare increases or decreases.
Farebox Recovery Ratio		The proportion of revenue generated through fares by paying customers as a fraction of the cost of total operating expenses. The system-wide farebox recovery rate for the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) for 2009 was in the range of 20-25%, with the ratio on the LINK routes substantially higher.
Feeder Service		Local transport providing passengers with connections to a longer service.
Fixed Guideway	FG	A public transportation facility, which utilizes and occupies a separate right-of-way (ROW), or rail line, for the exclusive use of mass transportation and other high occupancy vehicles, or uses a fixed catenary system and a right of way usable by other forms of transportation. This term may include modes such as; rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, automated guideway transit, people movers, ferry boat service, and fixed-guideway facilities for buses (such as bus rapid transit - BRT) and other high occupancy vehicles.
Headway		Often used in context of transit service, "Headway" refers to the time interval between buses or passenger trains moving towards a specific destination or transit-stop along a particular route.
Heavy Rail		Rapid rail transit service using rail cars powered by electricity drawn from a third rail and usually operated on exclusive rights-of-way. It usually uses longer trains and has longer spacing between stations than light rail. (For example, the New York City subway system).
High Speed Rail	HSR	Intercity passenger rail service that is reasonably expected to reach speeds of at least 110 miles per hour (49 U.S.C. §26105 (b)(4)).
Innovative Finance	IF	A broadly defined term that encompasses a combination of specially designed techniques to supplement traditional federal financing methods for transportation-related projects. Often in the form of "Public-Private Partnerships", locally authorized "Tax-Increment Financing", et al., Innovative Finance for transportation seeks to; 1. Maximize the ability of states and other project sponsors to leverage Federal capital for needed investment in the nation's transportation system; 2. More effectively utilize existing funds; 3. Move projects into construction more quickly than under traditional financing mechanisms; and 4. Make possible major transportation investments that might not otherwise receive financing.
Job Access/Reverse Commute	JARC	Transit improvement plan designed to meet the work-related transportation needs of low-income residents.
Key Station Plan		A document designating critical transit facilities needed to expand accessibility for individuals with disabilities and to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
Kiss and Ride		Area where commuters are driven and dropped off to take a public transportation service.
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.
Magnetic Levitation	MAGLEV	High-Speed fixed-guideway transportation systems, which utilize magnetic levitation or suspension (which counteracts gravity) instead of conventional rail infrastructure.
National Transit Database	NTD	The NTD was established by Congress to be the nation’s primary source for information and statistics on the transit systems of the United States. Recipients or beneficiaries of grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are required by statute to submit data to the NTD. Over 660 transit providers in urbanized areas currently report to the NTD through the Internet-based reporting system. There are 634 data points that the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) must report on annually for the NTD.
Network		In planning, a network is a computerized representation (often times in the for of a GIS or other digital model) of roadways and intersections that describes a transportation system. For highway engineering, a network is a configuration of highways that constitutes the total system. In transit operations (bus, passenger rail, et al.), a network is a system of transit lines or routes, usually designed for coordinated operation.
New Starts		The "Federal Transit Act" authorized temporary discretionary funds intended help start new fixed-route transit systems or services.
Paratransit		Flexibly-scheduled transportation services catering to special needs populations such as the elderly and disabled.
Park & Ride Facility	P&R	A parking lot designated by the state or a municipality for the purpose of commuter travel, allowing for a mode shift from automobile to transit or carpool. According to the 2004 CCMPO Park & Ride Prioritization Plan, there is a distinction between an "Intercept" (or "Satellite") lot and a "Park & Ride" lot. A Park & Ride lot's purpose is for car and vanpooling with potential for low frequency shuttle or transit service. It may serve multiple trip destinations. It is characterized by its suburban or rural location, a surface lot (v.s. parking structure), and low to medium capacity. The private car is the dominant method of trip collection and distribution. These facilities are implemented through public funding. The purpose of an "Intercept Lot" is to provide a less expensive parking alternative to on-site locations within activity centers or the urban core area and reduce SOV use in activity centers. These facilities may capture outgoing as well as incoming activity center traffic and serve as a transfer point from car to shuttle or transit. Characteristics include an urban/activity area fringe location, high capacity, surface or structured parking, and high frequency shuttle/transit connections to activity centers. Implementation funding is likely to come from Congressional earmarks and/or public private ventures.
Passenger Miles Traveled	PMT	1. AIR MODE: One passenger transported 1 mile; passenger-miles for one inter-airport flight are calculated by multiplying aircraft miles flow by the number of passengers carried on the flight. The total passenger-miles for all flights is the sum of passenger-miles for all inter-airport flights... 2. AUTO MODE: One passenger traveling 1 mile; e.g., one car transporting two passengers 4 miles results in 8 passenger-miles... 3. TRANSIT MODE: The total number of miles traveled by transit passengers; e.g., one bus transporting five passengers 3 miles results in 15 passenger-miles.
Personal Rapid Transit	PRT	An energy-efficient, on-demand, guided route, mass-transit system, utilizing small, independent vehicles (e.g. Podcars).
Rail Diesel Car	RDC	A self-propelled, diesel-powered rail passenger car originally built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia between 1949 and 1956 (also termed the "Budd Car"). This vehicle was the original "DMU". A remanufactured, Federal Railroad Administration-approved version is available to date.
Ridership		Total number of "rides" taken by people using a public transportation system during a specified time period.
Roadrailer		Type of equipment involving the use of rubber-tired track trailers fitted on to rail wheelsets, combined with other units to form a train.
Rolling Stock		Total number of vehicles comprising a transit system (e.g. rail cars, busses, vans, etc.).
Route-Miles		Total number of miles within a fixed-route transit system.
Small Transit Intensive Cities	STIC	Federal program (or formula) intended to support public transportation in smaller urban areas that have transit systems that perform as well or better than systems in larger metropolitan areas (according to six performance categories; 1. Passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue mile, 2. Passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue hour 3. Vehicle revenue miles per capita, 4. Vehicle revenue hours per capita, 5. Passenger miles traveled per capita, and 6.Unlinked passenger trips per capita). Only MPOs with urban-area populations of less than 200,000 are eligible for this funding.
Special Services Transportation Agency	SSTA	Chittenden County non-profit organization providing paratransit services.
Swept Path Width		Amount of roadway covered in negotiating a turn; equals the "offtracking" width (i.e. The difference between the front and rear wheelpaths when a bus or truck is negotiating a turn) plus the tractor unit or bus width.
Transit		Generally refers to urban passenger transportation service, (private or public) along established routes with fixed or variable schedules at published fares.
Transit Options		Infrastructural refinements which assist commuters with intermodal intermodal transitions. Examples of Transit Options are; Trail connection to bus, rail or ferry station, Bike racks on buses, Bike parking/rental/sharing at transit stations, Improved pedestrian access to transit, Long-term bike storage at Park & Rides or transit centers, et al.
Transit-Oriented Design	TOD	High density and mixed use land development around transit system stops.
Transit-Oriented Development	TOD	Mixed-use (residential, commercial, and industrial) development and zoning designed around commuter rail or bus facilities and infrastructure.
Transit-Ready Development	TRD	Similar to TOD, TRD prepares a neighbourhood, corridor, or area for future transit expansion with neighbourhood densities, road networks, pedestrian infrastructure, and public facilities designed as transit destinations.
United We Ride	UWR	Federal initiative created by Executive Order #13330 intended to break down the barriers among Federal programs as they relate to transportation to ensure that transportation services are seamless, comprehensive and accessible. Specifically, UWR is tasked with seeking ways to simplify access to transportation services for persons with disabilities, persons with lower incomes, and older adults.
Unlinked Passenger Trips	UPT	Total number of passengers who board public transportation vehicles. It should be noted that passengers are counted each time they board vehicles no matter how many vehicles they use to travel from their origin to their destination
Vanpool		A service where passengers share the use and expense of a van to commute to work.
Vermont Rail Advocacy Network	VRAN	A grassroots network of advocates promoting greater rail mode utilization for passenger and freight in Vermont.
Vermont Transportation Authority	VTA	Operator of passenger rail services.

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