Transportation Glossary
View All Terms
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
- Accessibility
- Accessible Vehicle
- Accident
- Accounting System
- Accrual Accounting
- Active Vehicles
- Activity Generator
- Actual Cash Value (ACV)
- Administration Expenses
- Administration on Aging (AoA)
- Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS)
- Advanced Transit Management System (ATMS)
- Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) – see Advanced Public Transportation Systems
- Aerial Tramway
- Alternate Mode Users
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV)
- Alternative Fuels
- Altoona Tested – see Bus Testing
- Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Annual Element
- Apportionment
- Appropriation
- Arbitration
- Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
- Arterial Street
- Articulated Bus
- Authorization
- Auto Restricted Zone (ARZ)
- Automated Guideway (AG)
- Automated Scheduling and Dispatch System (ASDS)
- Automated Voice Annunciator System (AVAS)
- Automatic Fare Collection System (AFC)
- Automatic Passenger Counting (APC)
- Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
- Average Cost per Passenger
- Average Productivity
- Average Ridership
- Average Speed
- Average Trip Length
- Award
- Bargaining Agent
- Base Fare
- Base Fleet
- Base Period – see Off-Peak Period
- Baseline Cost Estimate (BCE)
- Bidder
- Bike-and-Ride
- Binding Arbitration
- Biodiesel
- Block Grants
- Body on Chassis
- Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT)
- Brokerage
- Budget Authority
- Budget Resolution
- Bus
- Bus Class
- Bus Lane
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- Bus Shelter
- Bus Stop
- Bus Testing
- Busway – see Bus Lane
- Buy America
- Cable Car
- Capacity
- Capital Assets – see Fixed Assets
- Capital Assistance
- Capital Expenses
- Capital Grant Awards
- Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
- Captive Riders
- Carpool
- Casualty Costs – see Liability Costs
- Casualty Insurance – see Liability Insurance
- Catchment Area
- Catenary
- Central Business District (CBD)
- Certification and Assurances (C & As)
- Chain of Custody
- Chargeable Accident
- Charter Bus
- Charter Service
- Circulator Service
- Claim
- Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA)
- Clean Fuel Vehicle (CFV)
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
- Collective Bargaining
- Collector Street
- Collectors
- Collision
- Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
- Commitment – see Obligation
- Common Carrier
- Common Wheelchair
- Community Transportation Assistance Project (CTAP)
- Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
- Commute
- Commuter
- Commuter Lane
- Commuter Rail
- Complementary Paratransit Service
- Compliance
- Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
- Compulsory Arbitration
- Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD)
- Conciliation – see Mediation
- Conformity
- Congestion Management System (CMS)
- Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)
- Consolidated Human Service Transportation System
- Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA)
- Consolidation
- Consortium/Third Party Administrator (TPA)
- Contract Authority
- Contract Revenues
- Contraflow Lane
- Contributed Services
- Cooperation
- Cooperative Agreement
- Coordination
- Core
- Corridor
- Cost Accounting
- Cost Allocation
- Cost Effectiveness
- Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
- Council of Governments (COG)
- Crosstown
- Curb-to-Curb
- Custody and Control Form (CCF)
- Cutaway Bus
- Cutaway Van
- Deadhead
- Dedicated Funding Source
- Deductible
- Demand Forecasting
- Demand-Response Service
- Demonstration Grant
- Density
- Department of Energy – see United States Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services – see United States Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Labor – see United States Department of Labor
- Department of Transportation – see United States Department of Transportation
- Depreciation
- Deviated Route (Deviated Fixed-Route)
- Dial-a-Ride – see Demand-Response Service
- Diesel Fuel
- Direct Cost
- Directors' and Officers' (D&O) Liability Insurance
- Disabled – see Persons with Disabilities
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
- Discretionary Grant
- Discretionary Spending
- Dispatcher
- Door-through-Door Service
- Door-to-Door Service
- Double Deck Bus
- Downtime
- Downtown People Mover
- Draw Down
- Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulations
- Drug Free Workplace
- Dual-Fueled Vehicles
- Dwell Time
- Earmark
- Easter Seals Project ACTION
- Elderly
- Eligible Operating Expense
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
- Employee Compensation
- Employee Work Hours
- Employment Transportation
- End of Line (EOL)
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Equipment
- Equivalent Gallons
- Equivalent Service Certification
- Ethanol
- Evacuation
- Exclusive Right-of-Way
- Express Bus Service
- Expressway
- Fare Box Recovery Ratio
- Fare Box Revenue
- Fare Elasticity
- Fare Recovery – see Fare Box Recovery Ratio
- Fare Revenue Collection Equipment
- Fare Structure
- Fatality
- Feasibility Study
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
- Federal Operating Assistance
- Federal Register (FR)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Federal Transit Funding Equity
- Feeder Route – see Circulator Bus
- Feeder Service
- Ferryboat
- Final Stage Manufacturer
- Fiscal Year (FY)
- Fixed Assets
- Fixed Cost
- Fixed Guideway System
- Fixed Route with Point Deviation – see Deviated Route
- Fixed-Route
- Fleet
- Fleet Management System (FMS)
- Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)
- Flexible Funds
- Flexible Routes (Flex Routes) – see Deviated Routes
- Focus Group
- Formula Funds
- Fossil Fuel
- Four-point Securement System
- Freeway
- Fringe Benefits (Fringe Expenses)
- Fringe Parking
- Fuel Cell (Fuel Cell Technology)
- Fully Allocated Costs
- Fund
- Funding Sources
- General Administration
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS)
- Geographic Information System (GIS)
- Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) – see Global Positioning Satellite
- Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)
- Good Faith Effort
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Grade Crossing
- Grant
- Grant Agreement
- Grantee
- Grid
- Grievance Arbitration
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
- Handicapped Person – see Person Who Is Handicapped
- Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)
- Head Start
- Headsign
- Headway
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Heavy Rail
- High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)
- High Occupancy Vehicle Lane – see Commuter Lane
- High Speed Rail
- Highway Trust Fund (HTF)
- Hold-Harmless Agreement
- Hub and Spoke
- Human Services Transportation
- Hybrid Vehicle
- Hydrogen
- In-Kind Match
- In-Kind Services
- Incident
- Inclined Plane
- Indemnify
- Injury
- Inspection, Maintenance, and Repairs of Revenue Vehicles
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
- Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS)
- Intercity Bus
- Intercity Transportation
- Interest Expenses
- Interface
- Intermodal Facility
- Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
- Intermodal Transportation
- Invitation for Bid (IFB)
- Jitney
- Jobs Access Reverse Commute (JARC)
- Joint Development
- Joint Powers Agreement or Joint Participation Agreement (JPA)
- Joint Venture
- Kiss and Ride
- Kneeling Bus
- Large Transit Bus (LTB)
- Latent Demand
- Layover Time
- Level of Service
- Liability Costs
- Liability Insurance
- Life Cycle Costing
- Life Safety Event
- Lift
- Light Rail Transit (Streetcar, Trolley Car, Tramway)
- Limit of Liability
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
- Linked Passenger Trip
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
- Load Factor
- Local Match
- Locally Derived Expense
- Locally Derived Income (LDI) – see Local Match
- Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
- Loss
- Loss Control
- Low Emission Fuel Standards
- Low-Floor Vehicle
- Magnetic Levitation (Mag-Lev)
- Major Incident
- Management Information System Report (MIS)
- Manual Restraint System
- Market
- Marketing
- Mass Transit (Mass Transportation)
- Master Agreement
- Match – see Local Match
- Materials and Supplies
- Mean Distance Between Failures (MDBF)
- Mediation
- Medicaid (Medical Assistance)
- Medical Review Officer (MRO)
- Medicare Card Holder
- Medium Transit Bus (MTB)
- Medium-Size Bus – see Medium Transit Bus
- Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) – see Memorandum of Understanding
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Methanol
- Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
- Metropolitan Railway (Metro) – see Heavy Rail
- Minibus
- Minivan
- Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
- Miscellaneous Expenses
- Missed Trips
- Mobile Data Terminals (MDT)
- Mobility
- Mobility Managers
- Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA)
- Modal Split
- Mode
- Model
- Modified Van
- Monorail (MO)
- Multimodal – see Intermodal Transportation
- Municipal
- National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
- National Highway System (NHS)
- National Transit Database (NTD)
- National Transit Institute (NTI)
- National Transit Resource Center (NTRC)
- National Transportation System (NTS)
- Natural Gas
- Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV)
- Needs Assessment
- Negligence
- Network
- New Freedom Program
- New Starts (SAFETEA-LU Program)
- No Show
- Non-Ambulatory Person – see Person Who Is Non-ambulatory
- Non-Attainment Area
- Non-Discrimination
- Non-Profit
- Non-Urbanized Area (Non-UZA)
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
- Notice to Proceed (NTP)
- Objective
- Obligation
- Obligation Limitation
- Occupancy
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Off-Peak Period
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Office of the Inspector General (OIG)
- Older American's Act (OAA)
- On-Board Survey
- On-Time Performance
- Operating Assistance
- Operating Cost – see Operating Expense
- Operating Deficit
- Operating Expense
- Operating Expense per Passenger Trip
- Operating Income
- Operating Ratio
- Operating Revenue
- Operating Subsidy
- Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
- Outlay
- Oxygenate or Oxygenated Fuels Program (OPRG)
- Paratransit
- Park and Ride
- Particulate Trap
- Pass
- Passenger
- Passenger Miles
- Passenger Revenue
- Passenger Service and Safety Driver Certification Program (PASS)
- Passenger Trip
- Passenger Trips per Capita
- Passenger Trips per Total Vehicle Miles
- Passenger Vehicle
- Passengers per Hour
- Passengers per Mile – see Passenger Miles
- Peak Hour Fleet
- Peak Period
- Peak/Base Ratio
- People Mover
- Performance Measures
- Performance Monitoring
- Person Trip – see Passenger Trip
- Person Who Is Handicapped
- Person Who Is Non-Ambulatory
- Personal Care Attendants/Companions (PCA)
- Persons with Disabilities
- Platform
- Point Deviation
- Post-Delivery
- Pre-Award
- Pre-Award/Post-Delivery Audit Requirements
- Pre-Trip Inspection
- Preventable Accident
- Preventive Maintenance (PM)
- Private For-Profit Provider
- Private Non-Profit Provider
- Project ACTION – see Easter Seals Project ACTION
- Propane
- Property Damage
- Protest
- Public Body
- Public Service Announcement (PSA)
- Public Transportation (Public Transit System)
- Purchased Transportation
- Quality Assurance (QA)
- Quality Control (QC)
- Radial Network – see Hub and Spoke
- Rapid Rail – see Heavy Rail
- Rapid Transit
- Recipient
- Recovery Ratio
- Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
- Rehabilitation
- Request for Proposals (RFP)
- Rescission
- Research and Development (R&D)
- Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)
- Retention
- Revenue
- Revenue Hours
- Revenue Miles (Revenue Vehicle Miles)
- Revenue Vehicles
- Reverse Commute
- Ride Sharing
- Rider Profile
- Rider's Guide
- Ridership
- Rides
- Risk
- Risk Management
- Risk Retention Pool (Risk Retention Group)
- Risk Sharing
- Road Call
- Rolling Stock
- Round Trip
- Route
- Route Deviation – see Deviated Route
- Route Miles
- Run Time
- Running Gear
- Rural
- Rural Transit
- Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP)
- Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)
- Safety
- Safety and Security Management Plan (SSMP)
- Safety-Sensitive Employee (Safety Sensitive Functions)
- Salaries and Wages
- Scheduling
- School Bus
- School Tripper Service – see Tripper Service
- Section 133 – see Surface Transportation Program
- Section 3038 – Over-the-Road Bus Program
- Section 5303 – Metropolitan Planning
- Section 5305 – Planning Formula Grant Program
- Section 5307 – Urban Capital Improvements and Operating Funds
- Section 5308 – Clean Fuels Formula Grant Program
- Section 5309 – Capital Improvement Funds
- Section 5310 – Elderly and Disabled Funds
- Section 5311 – Small Urban and Rural Funds
- Section 5316 – see Jobs Access Reverse Commute
- Section 5317 – see New Freedom Program
- Section 5336(j) – Small Transit Intensive Cities
- Section 5340 – Growing States and High Density States Program
- Self-Insurance
- Sequestration
- Service Agent
- Service Animal
- Service Area
- Service Area Population
- Service Design
- Service Life – see Useful Life of Buses
- Service Provider
- Service Route
- Shuttle
- Shuttle Service – see Circulator Bus
- Sightseeing Bus
- Small Transit Bus (STB)
- Small Urban Area
- Smart Bus Technology – see Advanced Transit Management System
- Smart Cards
- Span of Service
- Spare Ratio
- Specialized Transportation Services (STS)
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- Standard Van
- State Implementation Plan (SIP)
- State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP)
- Station
- Streetcar
- Subcontract
- Subrecipient
- Subscription Bus Service
- Subsidy
- Subsidy per Passenger Trip
- Substance Abuse Professional (SAP)
- Suburban Bus
- Suburban Rail – see Commuter Rail
- Subway
- Supplemental Appropriation
- Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP)
- Surface Transportation Program (STP)
- Technical Assistance
- Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
- Third Party
- Third Party Contract
- Total Quality Management (TQM)
- Total Vehicle Miles (TVM)
- Trackless Trolley – see Trolley Bus
- Tramway – see Light Rail
- Transfer
- Transfer Center
- Transfer Surcharge (Transfer Charge)
- Transit – see Public Transportation
- Transit Advertising
- Transit Advisory Committee (TAC)
- Transit Agency – see Transportation System
- Transit Bus
- Transit Dependent
- Transit Development Plan (TDP)
- Transit Enhancements (TE)
- Transit Oriented Development or Transit Oriented Design (TOD)
- Transit Pass
- Transit Radio System (TRS)
- Transit System – see Transportation System
- Transit Vehicle Manufacturer (TVM)
- Transport Workers Union (TWU)
- Transportation Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
- Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
- Transportation Disadvantaged (TD)
- Transportation Electronic Award Management System (TEAM)
- Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-first Century (TEA-21)
- Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
- Transportation Research Board (TRB)
- Transportation Research Forum (TRF)
- Transportation Safety Institute (TSI)
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
- Transportation System
- Transportation System Management (TSM)
- Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program (TCSP)
- Travel Demand
- Travel Time
- Travel Training Program
- Tribal Entity
- Tribal Transportation Program - 5311 (c)
- Triennial Review
- Trip
- Trip Cycle – see Round Trip
- Trip Denial
- Trip Generation (Trip Generator)
- Tripper Service
- Trolley Bus (Trolley, Trolley Car, Trolley Coach, Trackless Trolley)
- True Lease
- Type of Service (TOS)
- Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle
- Unduplicated Number of Passengers
- Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
- Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Elements (FARE)
- United States Code (USC)
- United States Code of Federal Regulations – see Code of Federal Regulations
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- United States Department of Energy (DOE)
- United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- United States Department of Labor (DOL)
- United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)
- United Transportation Union (UTU)
- United We Ride Program (UWR)
- Universal Design
- Unlinked Passenger Trips
- Urban
- Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA)
- Urbanized Area (UZA)
- Useful Life of Buses
- User Side Subsidy
- Van
- Vandalism
- Vanpool (VP)
- Variable Cost
- Variable Message Signs (VMS)
- Vehicle
- Vehicle Hours
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
- Vehicle Operations
- Vehicle Revenue Hours
- Vehicle Revenue Miles
- Volunteer Drivers
- Vouchers
- Wheelchair
- Wheelchair Lift – see Lift
- Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle
- Women's Business Enterprise (WBE)
- Workforce Investment Act
- Workforce Investment Board
- Zero-Emission Vehicle
- Zone Fares