ACRONYMS Flashcards
LOS
LEVELS OF SERVICE
PRA
PUBLIC ROADS ADMINISTRATION
The Public Roads Administration (PRA) was responsible for implementing the highway system, and in 1947 designated 60,640 km of interstate highways. In 1952, the Federal-Aid Highway Act authorized $25 million for the construction of interstate highways and another $175 million two years later. However, major funding came under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which authorized $25 billion between 1957 and 1969.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962 created the federal mandate for urban transportation planning in the United States. It was passed at a time when urban areas were beginning to plan Interstate highway routes. The Act required that transportation projects in urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more be based on an urban transportation planning process. The Act called for a “continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative” (3 Cs) planning process.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1944
Designated 65,000 km of interstate highways, but no funding designated.
FAST
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015
MPO’s
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are created to meet federal requirements for urban transportation planning. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962 required that urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or more develop comprehensive urban transportation plans in order to receive federal financial assistance for road construction projects.
TIP
Transportation Improvement Program
a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and a unified planning work program for areas with populations of 200,000 or more. These items are prepared by the MPOs. The TIP lists all projects for which federal funds are anticipated, along with non-federally funded projects that are regionally significant. The TIP represents the transportation improvement priorities of the region and is required by federal law
The TIP shows estimated costs and schedules by project phase (preliminary engineering, final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction). Inclusion of a project phase in the TIP means that it is expected to be implemented during the TIP time period.
TDM
Transportation Demand Management is a general term used to describe strategies for the efficient use of transportation
HOV Lane
High Occupancy Vehicle
HOT Lane
High Occupancy Toll Lane, allows single passenger cars to use the lane for free.
AADT
Average Annual Daily Traffic, the amount of traffic on a roadway in a 24 hour period
DHV
Design Hour Volume, the capacity of the roadway to handle traffic.
APFO
Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance
allows local governments to deny or delay new developments if the existing government services (water and sewer, roads, schools, fire, and police) cannot support it. The APFO ensures that new development does not negatively impact a community’s quality of life by overburdening public services. Instead, the APFO places this burden on developers to ensure that there will be adequate services for the proposed developments, and will delay the developments until such services are in place. The APFO alone is not the solution to poorly planned growth, but it is an important tool for local government to manage the pace of growth. For instance, a local government can determine that a development is only possible if it provides a service level of C or higher. The APFO should not stand alone; it should be done in partnership with an effective capital improvements program that adds infrastructure as it is demanded.
BMP’s
Best Management Practices,
o protect these resources, communities use stormwater controls, known as best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs filter out pollutants and prevent pollution by controlling it at its source.
NFIP
National Flood Insurance Program
In 1994, the National Flood Insurance Act established the National Flood Insurance Program. The Program’s Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. Under the floodplain management-planning category, communities can receive points for:
Organizing and preparing a planflood sandbags with homes in background
Involving the public
Coordinating with other agencies
Assessing the hazard
Assessing the problem
Setting goals
Reviewing possible activities
Drafting an action plan
Adopting the plan and implementing, evaluating, and revising the plan
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
To discharge pollutants into the water, a Point Source Discharge Permit must be obtained from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The EPA offers useful resources for learning about NPDES.
NAAQS
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
The EPA publishes a Green Book, which lists National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) designations, classifications, and non-attainment status.
AQCR
Air Quality Control Regions
Air cannot be contained in one location, so Air Quality Control Regions (AQCR) were created to measure air quality in air sheds
PSD
Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) relates to air quality and requires that a project will not increase emissions above a specified PSD increment.
NEPA
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
EIS
Environmental Impact Statement
NEPA requires federal agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for all major federal actions that could significantly affect the quality of the human environment
EA
Environmental Assessment, document prepared for NEPA
FONSI
Finding of no significant impact
A type of finding of a NEPA environmental assessment. Determines if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed.
Choropleth Map
