Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904
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glossary Standards, issued by NHTSA. formula funds: Federal funds distributed to transit agencies according to a formula (usually involving size of population) as set forth by law. FRA: Federal Railroad Administration. FTA: Federal Transit Administration. Administers, regulates and helps fund all public U.S. transportation. Part of DOT. fuel cell: Device that converts the chemical energy of fuel directly into electricity. G gasification: Process where biomass fuel is reacted with air and oxygen under pressure to produce gas. GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating. Specifi ed by vehicle manufacturer as the load carrying capacity of a single-axle system. gelation index: Oil's tendency to form gelled structures at cold temperatures. GIS: Geographical Information System. GPS: Global Positioning System. Satellite system used to locate objects, such as buses with special computer components, anywhere on Earth. grab bar: Bar mounted on wall to help disabled sit or stand. GVWR: Gross vehicle weight rating. Loaded weight, with passengers, of a vehicle. H headway: Time intervals between vehicles moving in the same direction on a particular route. heavy-duty vehicles: Those with GVWR of 8,500 lbs. or more. heavy rail: Electric rail transit system with exclusive right-of-way and high volume of passengers. Called subways, elevateds (or "els") or metros. high-speed rail: System in densely traveled corridors that runs at speeds of at least 124 mph. Highway Trust Fund: Aid fund administered by FHWA. Most funds for highway improvement are apportioned to states with formulas that give weight to population, area and mileage. horsepower: Measurement of engine's ability to perform work. One horsepower is the ability to lift 33,000 lbs. one foot in one minute. HOV: High occupancy vehicles. Those that can carry two or more passengers. hybrid bus: One that runs on hybrid propulsion. A vehicle power system that runs on electrical power supplied by an onboard generator powered by an internal combustion engine. I inclined plane: Electric passenger vehicle on steep grades propelled by moving cables attached to the vehicles. Also inclined railway. intercity bus: Large bus with front doors only, high-back seats and luggage storage for high- speed, long-distance trips. 106 < mETRO mAGAZINE FACT BOOK 2013 interlining: One bus company or transportation mode accepting the passengers of another. intermodal: Issues or activities involving or affecting more than one mode of transportation. Also known as multimodal. jitney: Private vehicles usually run on a fi xed route but not a fi xed schedule. joint development: Projects undertaken by the public and private sectors. Usually refers to real estate projects and transit projects undertaken adjacent, above and/or below each other as a means of fi nancing transit projects with minimal public expense. kneeling bus: One in which the front end is lowered so disabled passengers can more easily get on and off. K L layover time: Time built into a schedule between arrival and departure. layover zone: Designated stopover point at or near the end of the line. leaf springs: Flexible suspension devices composed of a number of stacked steel spring leaves held together with a central clamp. life-cycle procurement: Form of competitive procurement in which a contract is awarded based on both the initial capital cost and the cost of operation over the life of the vehicle. light-duty vehicle: Those with a GVWR of 8,500 lbs. or less. light rail: Electric rail transit with "light" volume of traffi c capacity, as compared to "heavy" rail. May be on exclusive or shared right-of-way. Includes streetcars, trams and trolleycars. line-haul: Regular, intercity passenger bus or rail route. LNG: Liquefi ed natural gas. An alternative fuel. Natural gas that has been turned into a liquid by extreme cooling. load factor: Ratio of passengers actually carried vs. vehicle passenger capacity. low-bid procurement: Type of competitive procurement in which the lowest bidder gets a contract. low-floor vehicle: One which has an entranceway and fl oor closer to the ground for easier access by those with disabilities. low-sulfur oil: Oil with 1% or less sulfur by weight. LPG: Liquefi ed petroleum gas. Mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, mainly butane and propane, that can be changed into liquid by increasing pressure. LRT: Light rail transit. LRV: Light rail vehicle. M M85: Fuel mixture of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline. maglev: Magnetic levitation. Permits trains to move at high speeds just above a fi xed guideway, propelled by magnetic force. match: State or local funds required by the federal government to complement federal money for a project. MAP-21: The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act was signed into law by President Obama on July 6, 2012. Funding surface transportation programs at over $105 billion for fi scal years 2013 and 2014. MBE: Minority Business Enterprise. Business owned and controlled by people defi ned as minorities under federal DOT regulations for federally fi nanced projects. medium-sized bus: Bus 29 feet to 34 feet long. methane: Light hydrocarbon that is the main component of marsh gas and natural gas. methanol: Light, fl ammable alcohol. Also called methyl alcohol. mineral oils: Fossil fuel oils. monorail: System in which vehicles run on a single fi xed rail or beam. motorcoach: Over-the-road bus, usually with three axles and luggage storage. MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization. Local group that selects projects, highways and transit to be given funds. multimodal: Same as intermodal. N neat fuel: One not diluted with other fuels. negotiated procurement: Method of public- sector procurement that allows purchasers and bidders to negotiate some portions of bid specifi cations before best and fi nal offers (BAFOs) are submitted. New Look Bus: Any bus manufactured between 1959 and 1978, with larger windows than "old look" buses. New Start: Discretionary federal funds for new or extended fi xed guideway systems. NGV: Natural gas vehicle. NHTSA: National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration. nonattainment area: U.S. region not attaining EPA standards for air pollutants. nonregistering fareboxes: The driver must check each time to see if proper fare was deposited. NOx: Oxides of nitrogen. A chief component of air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuel. These vehicle emissions are regulated by the EPA. NPRM: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (by the federal government). NTI: National Transit Institute. At Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. NTSB: National Transportation Safety Board. O obligation limit: Annual ceiling set by Congress on amount a state may obligate during a fi scal year. OD study: Study of the origins and destinations of trips by vehicles or passengers. OEM: Original equipment manufacturer. operating costs: All costs involved with running a transit system; separate from capital costs. over-the-road coach: Large bus with luggage storage for intercity transportation. oxygenate: Prime ingredient of reformulated metro-magazine.com