Glossary
Common Acronyms Found in Transportation Planning in Georgia
The Georgia Strategic State Hwy Safety Plan provides a comprehensive framework for reducing accidents and injuries on Georgia roads.
The Georgia Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan is plan to improve safety on public roads.
The Georgia 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan is a multi-modal long range plan that outlines transportation policies over a 20 year period.
The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23 is one of the titles containing the set of rules and regulations issued by federal agencies regarding highways.
Automatic Block Signals is a railroad communication system.
American Community Survey is a source for information regarding US population & housing.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
The Citizen’s Advisory Committee is one of the committees of the Macon Area Transportation Study that provides citizen input into the transportation planning process.
The Coordinated Hwy Assistance Program is a roadside assistance and maintenance program covering the interstates in Georgia.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program provides funding sources for state & local governments to provide transportation projects to meet the Clean Air Act.
CSX Railroad is a freight railroad system operating in the eastern US and parts of Canada.
Centralized Train Control is a form of railway signaling that consolidates train routing decisions.
Georgia Coordinated Transportation System Program is a human service transportation system provided to consumers by the Department of Human Services (DHS).
The Georgia Department of Human Services investigates child and elderly abuse, facilitates adoption and foster parenting, accepts applications for Medicaid, assists single parents in collecting child support, helps senior citizens remain self-sufficient, and runs the Food Stamp and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources protects, conserves, and enhances the state’s natural, historic, and cultural resources for present and future generations.
The U.S. Department of Defense is a branch of the federal government charged with supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (EPD) protects Georgia’s air, land, and water through the authority of state statutes and federal environmental statutes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a governmental body of the United States with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation in the nation as well as over its surrounding international waters.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act is a funding and authorization bill to govern United States federal surface transportation spending.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the Dept. of Homeland Security that is responsible for coordinating the response to a disaster that has occurred in the U.S. and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation.
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the U. S. Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems.
Fiscal Year is the operating period from June 30th – July 1st.
The Georgia Department of Transportation is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in Georgia and also has a limited role in developing public transportation and general aviation programs.
The Georgia Electronic Accident Reporting System is the State of Georgia’s repository for traffic accident reports completed by Georgia law enforcement agencies.
A geographic information system is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.
The Georgia Ports Authority operates port facilities in the state of Georgia.
The purpose of this document is to provide local governments and consultants with information about the Georgia regional travel demand models, as well as to provide assistance and direction on the preparation of socio-economic data and highway networks, which is vital to the development and application of the travel demand models.
Consultants, MPOs and Modelers
The Georgia Transportation Funding Act of 2015 is a funding measure providing dedicated, predictable and sustainable revenue for the repair and maintenance of statewide roads and bridges.
The Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) is a grant and low-interest loan program administered by the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). It has provided grants and loans to highly competitive transportation projects that have enhanced mobility and economic development in local communities throughout Georgia.
The Jones County Transit System provides rural public transit service to the citizens of Jones Co. GA.
The Interagency Coordinating Committee is composed of local, state, and federal agency members that monitor air quality conformity issues related to transportation in Georgia.
Limited English proficiency is a term used in the U.S. that refers to a person who is not fluent in the English language, often because it is not their native language.
The Long Range Transportation Plan is designed to forecast demand for transportation services at least 20 years into the future, taking into account anticipated population growth, housing needs and employment goals for the region.
The Macon Downtown Airport is a municipal airport for civilian aircraft in Macon GA
The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act was a transportation bill which funded surface transportation programs for fiscal years (FY) 2013 and 2014.
The Macon Area Transportation Study is the organizations responsible for conducting the metropolitan planning process for Macon-Bibb County and parts of Jones & Monroe Count.
Middle Georgia Regional Airport is owned by Macon-Bibb County and is mostly used for general aviation but is also served by one commercial airline.
The Middle Georgia Community Action Agency has the mission to provide, in collaboration with public and private partners, social services that address the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization has the responsibility of carrying out the urban transportation planning process and developing the work program and transportation plan.
A Memorandum of Understanding is a formal agreement between two or more parties and is often used by companies and organization to establish official partnerships.
The Macon Transit Authority is the public transportation service provider for Macon-Bibb County.
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards are standards for harmful pollutants that were stablished by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under authority of the Clean Air Act.
National Association of City Transportation Officials is an association of major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues.
This is an interactive Web-based registry and geographical information system designed to catalog information about the natural, archaeological, and historic resources of Georgia
The National Environmental Policy Act is an environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.
The National Highway Performance Program provides support for the condition and performance of the National Highway System, for the construction of new facilities on the NHS, and to ensure that investments of Federal-aid funds in highway construction are directed to support progress toward the achievement of performance targets established in a State’s asset management plan.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems identifies existing and proposed airports that are included in the national airport system, the roles they currently serve, and the amounts and types of airport development eligible for Federal funding under the Airport Improvement Program over the next 5 years.
A notice of proposed rule-making is a public notice issued by law when one of the independent agencies of the United States government wishes to add, remove, or change a rule or regulation as part of the rule-making process.
The Norfolk Southern Railroad is a Class I freight railroad in the United States with headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, The company operates in 22 eastern states and parts of Canada.
The Policy Committee is one of the committees for the Macon Area Transportation Study and is the forum for cooperative decision making for the transportation planning process.
Particulate Matter 2.5 is an air pollutant that is a concern for people’s health when levels in the air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated.
A Road Safety Audit is the formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. It qualitatively estimates and reports on potential road safety issues and identifies opportunities for improvements in safety for all road users.
Road Rehbilitation & Improvement Financing is a program established by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century and amended by the Safe Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Under this program the Department of Transportation is authorized to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to finance development of railroad infrastructure.
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act is a transportation bill that guaranteed funding for highways, highway safety, and public transportation which represents the largest surface transportation investment in history.
A State Implementation Plan (SIP) is a United States state plan for complying with the federal Clean Air Act, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SIP, developed by a state agency and approved by EPA, consists of narrative, rules, technical documentation, and agreements that an individual state will use to control and clean up polluted areas.
A special-purpose local-option sales tax is a financing method for funding capital outlay projects in the state of Georgia. It is an optional 1% sales tax levied by any county for the purpose of funding the building of parks, schools, roads, and other public facilities.
The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is Georgia’s four-year transportation and capital improvements program which lists federally-funded transportation projects that are located outside Metropolitan Planning Organization boundaries.
A traffic analysis zone is a special area delineated by state and/or local transportation officials for tabulating traffic-related data–especially journey-to-work and place-of-work statistics.
The Technical Coordinating Committee provides the technical guidance and direction for the Macon Area Transportation Study.
The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program provides credit assistance for qualified projects of regional and national significance and involves many large-scale, surface transportation projects that are eligible for assistance.
The Transportation Improvement Program is a document that outlines the future transportation improvements over a four year period for the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The Unified Planning Work Program is an instrument for coordinating transportation and comprehensive planning in the metropolitan region to broaden Metropolitan Planning Organization awareness of activities and plans that impact surface transportation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an independent agency of the federal government for environmental protection.
The U. S. Department of Transportation is a federal department of the U.S. government concerned with transportation which ensures our Nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world, which improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses.
Vehicle miles traveled is a measure used in transportation planning for a variety of purposes. It measures the amount of travel for all vehicles in a geographic region over a given period of time, typically a one-year period.