Glossary
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
AA - Alternatives Analysis:
Federal requirement for major capital investments; a systematic and rigorous evaluation of possible courses of action that considers modal, design and service options.
ACC
Agency Coordination Committee
ACHP (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
ACOE (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Army Corps of Engineers (also USACOE)
BPM
Best Practice Model developed by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
BRT
BRT Bus Rapid Transit. Roadway-based rapid transit system that looks and feels much like a train, offering high-capacity rapid transit service on reserved lanes or city streets enabling buses to travel at higher speeds and to have more reliable times.
Climbing Lane
A highway lane added to the road along steep inclines to accommodate slow-moving vehicles
Corridor
I-287 between Suffern and Port Chester, including the Tappan Zee Bridge
CRT
Commuter Rail Transit. Urban passenger train service characterized by locomotive-hauled or self-propelled passenger cars, extending up to 100 miles from the central city. It usually has only 1 or 2 stations in the central business district (CBD).
DEIS
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Design Life
Projected life (in years) of a new structure or structural component under normal loading and environmental conditions before replacement or major rehabilitation is expected.
EIS
Environmental Impact Statement
EPA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (also USEPA)
FEIS
Final Environmental Impact Statement
FHWA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Federal Highway Administration
FRA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Federal Railroad Administration
FTA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Federal Transit Administration
HOT
High Occupancy Toll Lanes. Lanes reserved for high-occupancy vehicles. Single-occupancy vehicles would be able to use the lanes but would be required to pay a higher toll.
HOV
High-Occupancy Vehicle
IMPO
Inter-Metropolitan Planning Organization composed of Metro-North Railroad, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Mid-Hudson South Transportation Coordinating Committee, Putnam County, Rockland County, Westchester County, Newburgh-Orange County Transportation Council, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Department of Transportation Region 8, New York State Thruway Authority, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Authority and United States Environmental Protection Agency--Region II
Interchange
System of interconnecting ramps between two or more grade-separated intersecting roadways or guideways.
Intermodal
Transportation system connecting or including different modes of transportation.
LPA
Locally Preferred Alternative: The alternative selected by the appropriate state and local agencies and official boards through a public process; must be selected by project sponsors from among the evaluated alternative strategies and formally adopted and included in the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s financially constrained long-range regional transportation plan.
LRT
Light Rail Transit. System of electric-powered vehicles that runs on tracks in city streets or on a separate right-of-way. Light rail vehicles can operate singly or in trains of up to three cars.
MHSTCC (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Mid-Hudson South Transportation Coordinating Committee
MIS
Major Investment Study
MNR (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Metro-North Railroad (a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
MPO
Metropolitan Planning Organization: Regional planning entity responsible for transportation planning and approval of federal transportation funding for the region.
MTA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
NEPA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
National Environmental Policy Act
NMFS (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
National Marine Fisheries Service
NYMTC (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
NYSDEC (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
NYSDOS (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Department of State
NYSDOT (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Department of Transportation
NYSOGS (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Office of General Services
NYSOPRHP (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
NYSTA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
New York State Thruway Authority
PCAC
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee: A 38-member advocacy group to the MTA that represents the interests of the users of the Long Island Rail Road, City Transit and MNR.
PFAC
Program Finance and Administration Committee: This is the policy-making committee and governing body for NYMTC.
ROD
Record of Decision: A formal decision granted by the federal lead agency that provides a written record of the agency’s decision on a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The ROD documents any conditions or mitigation measures committed to in the FEIS.
ROW
Right-of-Way
Scoping (PDF)
Process of defining and refining the scope of a DEIS and the alternatives to be investigated. The scoping process provides opportunities for input from the public.
SEQRA
New York State Environmental Quality Review Act
Service Life
Projected life remaining (in years) of an existing structure or structural component under normal loading and environmental conditions before replacement or major rehabilitation is expected.
SIP
State Implementation Plan
SOV
Single-Occupancy Vehicle
Stakeholder Committee
Fosters communication among interest groups and municipalities in the TZB/I-287 study area and the Project Team. Includes representatives of diverse organizations in the region in education, the environment, health, emergency services, business, recreation, tourism and others.
Study area
Geographic area addressed by the analysis in a plan or study.
TDM/TSM Travel Demand Management/Transportation Systems Management. Low-cost measures that are implemented to change travel patterns to reduce the number of vehicles using highway facilities. Such measures might include new park & ride facilities, changes to toll facilities and pricing mechanisms that encourage drivers to shift the time and frequency of on the road travel.
TZB (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
Tappan Zee Bridge
TZFTF
Westchester Rockland Tappan Zee Futures Task Force, formed by county executives in Westchester and Rockland counties.
USACOE (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Army Corps of Engineers (also ACOE)
USCG (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Coast Guard
USDOI (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Department of the Interior
USDOT (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Department of Transportation
USEPA (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Environmental Protection Agency (also EPA)
USFWS (This is an external link and will open in a new browser window)
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Wetlands
Land areas, such as tidal areas or swamps, with soil characteristics and vegetation that meet certain criteria defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on which filling and development are federally and/or state-regulated.