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GLOSSARY OF TRANSPORTATION RELATED TERMS AND ACRONYMS
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ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act.
ADOT&PF: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
AMATS: Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study.
AMC: Anchorage Municipal Code.
Apportionment(s), TEA21. Maximum funding levels authorized from the Federal Highway Trust Fund. These amounts are calculated annually for each state and are available for four years.
Appropriations Authority. Annual federal budget level for TEA21 program.
Areawide Trails Plan:
ARDSA: Anchorage Roads and Drainage Service Area.
CAAA: Clean Air Act Amendments.
CBERRRSA: Chugiak/Birchwood/Eagle River Rural Roads Service Area.
CIP: Capital Improvement Program.
CMAQ: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality.
Comp Plan. The Comprehensive Plan serves as a guideline for community development. It is a policy document that integrates social, economic, cultural, land use, environmental, transportation, and energy concerns. The Plan identifies the issues, goals, and objectives which provide a framework for community decision-making. The Anchorage 2020 Plan, the Anchorage CBD (Central Business District) Comprehensive Development Plan, the Turnagain Arm Comprehensive Plan, and the Eagle River/Chugiak Comprehensive Plan are each considered portions of the umbrella title, "Comprehensive Plan".
CMP: Congestion Management Program. This is a set of potential actions which, if taken, would reduce congestion levels on the overall transportation network within the Municipality. The results of the recommended actions would have the effect of improving traffic circulation, reducing the number and cost of physical improvements to the roadway, and improving air quality.
CTP: Community Transportation Program. The CTP is a component of Governor Knowles' Transportation Initiative (June 1995), developed to create partnerships with local governments to build projects that serve local and regional needs in the State. Administered by the ADOT&PF, funded primarily with federal dollars from TEA21's Surface Transportation Program (STP).
DCM: Design Criteria Manual. A municipal document which provides the engineering parameters including drainage, illumination, slope, grade, and elevation and for all municipal and private development projects. A companion document, the PPM (Project Management Manual), guides individuals who are responsible for the development and construction of municipal projects.
FHWA: The Federal Highway Administration. An agency of the US Department of Transportation responsible for funding highways, trails, and ferries.
FTA: The Federal Transit Administration. An agency of the US Department of Transportation responsible for funding transit systems. (They were formerly the Urban Mass Transit Administration.)
Governor Knowles' Transportation Initiative. On June 6, 1995, Governor Knowles announced a new surface transportation plan for Alaska, affecting roads, ferries, trails and transit. The new plan focuses transportation investments toward four broad categories of spending and a competitive and open selection process for surface transportation projects. Also see State of Alaska, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities web site.
HSIP: Highway Safety Improvement Program.
I/M Program: Inspection and Maintenance Program of Anchorage's Air Quality Plan.
Intermodal: Between or including more than one means, or "mode," of transportation.
ISTEA: Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. An act of Congress providing funding authorizations for highways, safety, and mass transportation, from the Highway Trust Fund, for a six-year period for federal fiscal years 1992 through 1997. This Act has been succeeded by the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century.
LRSA: Limited Road Service Area.
LRTP: Long-Range Transportation Plan. This is the leading planning document to guide decision-makers in developing and implementing a transportation system.
MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization. The organizational entity with lead responsibility for developing transportation plans and programs for urbanized areas of 50,000 or more in population. The only MPO in Alaska is the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS).
Multimodal: Representing more than one mode of transportation.
Needs List, AMATS
NHS: National Highway System. A network of primary highways and ferry routes designated by the FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, considered most important to interstate travel, national defense, connection with other modes of transportation, and are essential to international commerce. The focus of the NHS is the long-range movement of people, goods, and services. Currently, 2,100 miles of highway and 1,900 miles of ferry routes, including designated terminals and all eight vessels of the Alaska Marine Highway System are eligible to receive NHS funding, for which the ADOT&PF is responsible. The federal funds ratio varies and is either 93.4% or 90.7% depending upon the specific category of work. ADOT&PF's goal is to upgrade the NHS over a 14-year period.
Non-NHS: Non-National Highway System. This includes the remainder of the area roadways. AMATS designates the priorities for improvements to these roads based upon a project priority process used in the development of the AMATS Needs List.
Non-attainment area. A designation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating that a geographic region has not met the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for a transportation-related pollutant(s). In Alaska, portions of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau are so designated. In Anchorage, areas of the Eagle River area are designated non-attainment for PM-10 (particulate matter of 10 microns or less), while portions of the Anchorage Bowl are designated non-attainment for CO (carbon monoxide).
Obligation Limitation. The total amount of federal highway funds available for projects in a given year.
OS&HP: Official Streets and Highways Plan. Based on the Long Range Transportation Plan, the OS&HP established the location, classification and municipal right-of-way for collectors and large streets and highways.
OSHLP: Official Streets and Highways Landscape Plan. Provides guidelines for landscaping along primary transportation corridors for both aesthetics and slope stabilization. The Landscape Improvement Study furnishes additional guidance.
PIP: Public Involvement Program. An outline and guide to pro-actively involve the public in transportation decision-making.
SIP: State Implementation Plan for Air Quality. Describes the strategies necessary to bring non-attainment areas into conformity with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A plan which shows how the State of Alaska will meet air quality standards, as required by the 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments.
STIP: Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Program produced by the ADOT&PF. AMATS holds special status under TEA21 for program development. As an urban area with greater than 200,000 population, the Anchorage urban area falls under the Transportation Management Area (TMA) rules. Under TEA21, AMATS is empowered to determine its own priority for projects and prepare its own Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) based on funding allocated to AMATS within the STIP. In the other 49 states, TMAs are allocated funds based on a statutory formula. TEA21 contains an exception to this requirement for Alaska, in that the allocation of funds for Alaska TMAs is determined by ADOT&PF within the STIP.
Though funding for AMATS is established through the State's scoring process, based on projects submitted under both the CTP and TRAAK programs, the AMATS project selection process is not bound by this allocation to spend these funds in the same categories. NHS projects within AMATS remain a State responsibility, and are included in the AMATS TIP. The adopted AMATS TIP is incorporated by amendment into the Alaska STIP in its entirety.
STP: Surface Transportation Program. A categorical funding program in TEA21. These funds may be spent on any public road in Alaska, regardless of classification. Of the STP funds, at least ten percent must be spent on transportation enhancement projects. Funds may be used for a wide variety of purposes, including: roadway construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration and rehabilitation; roadway operational improvement; capital costs for transit projects; highway and transit safety improvements; bicycle and pedestrian facilities; scenic and historical transportation facilities; and preservation of abandoned transportation corridors. The federal funds' ratio varies and is either 90.97% or 93.4% depending upon the specific category of work.
TDP: Transit Development Plan. A 5-year plan for meeting the goals of the Long-Range Transportation Plan.
TEA21: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. An act of congress authorizing the funds of transportation imporvements from the Highway Trust Fund for a siz year period of federal fiscal years 1998-2003.
TIP: Transportation Improvement Program.
TMA: Transportation Management Area. An urbanized area over 200,000 population. Anchorage is the only city in Alaska which meets this definition.
TRAAK: Trails and Recreational Access for Alaska. TRAAK is a component of Governor Knowles' Transportation Initiative (June 1995), established to improve access and recreational opportunities in the State. Administered by the ADOT&PF, TRAAK addresses trails, scenic highways, recreational access points and interpretive facilities. Funded primarily with federal dollars from TEA21's STP (Surface Transportation Program).
Transit Facilities Design Guidelines. This document specifies guidelines and recommended methodology for the location and design of bus stops and other transit facilities within the Municipality. Items addressed include: transit vehicle dimensions, location and design of bus pullouts and other transit amenities.
Transportation Enhancement. Enhancement projects are defined as: "provisions of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles; acquisition of scenic easements...or historic sites; scenic or historic highway programs; landscaping and other scenic beautification; historic preservation, rehabilitation and operation of historic highway buildings, structures, or facilities (including railroad facilities); preservation of abandoned railway corridors (including the conversion and use thereof for pedestrian or bicycle trails); control and removal of outdoor advertising, archaeological planning and research; and mitigation of water pollution due to highway runoff."
UCP: Utility Corridor Plan. Identifies the long-term system requirements for transmission of utility service -- including electric power, natural gas, water, sewer, telephone and other wire communications.
UPWP: Unified Planning Work Program
This annual federally-required document outlines the planning tasks to be undertaken in support of federally funded transportation projects by AMATS.
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