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MPO and Standing Committee Membership
Meetings
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FAQs
Frequently Used Terms
& Acronyms
Misc. Terms
MPO Standing
Committees
Federal, State and Regional Agencies
Federal Legislation
Funding Programs
Other Terms
and Abbreviations
MISCELLANEOUS
TERMS
"3‑C" Process ("Continuing,
Cooperative and Comprehensive") Language
from federal legislation establishing MPOs and used in reference to the regional
transportation planning and programming process.
MPO
Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The Richmond Area MPO's
membership includes the following local governments and agencies: Ashland,
Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan,
Richmond, CRAC, GRTC, RMA, RRPDC, VDOT, Ridefinders, FHWA, FTA, and VDA; serves
as the forum for cooperative transportation decision making in the Richmond
area.
NAAQS
National Ambient Air Quality Standards; defined by EPA.
SIP
State Implementation Plan; identifies control
measures and process for achieving and maintaining NAAQS; eligible for CMAQ
funding.
Study Area
The area projected to become urbanized
within the next 20 years; defines the area for MPO plans, programs, and studies.
TCM
Transportation Control Measures (for Air Quality
Control); eligible for CMAQ funding.
TDM
Traffic Demand Management; various traffic control strategies
and measures used in managing highway demand.
TIP
Transportation
Improvement Program; a staged, multiyear, intermodal program of
transportation projects that is consistent with the transportation plan.
Transportation Plan
The MPO's adopted Long-Range Transportation Plan;
serves as the
initial step and framework in developing a regionally based network of
transportation facilities and services that meets travel needs in the most
efficient and effective manner possible.
TAZ (Transportation or Traffic Analysis Zone)
Generally defined as areas of
homogeneous activity served by one or
two major highways. TAZs serve as the base unit for socioeconomic data
characteristics used in various plans and studies.
Urbanized Area
Term used by the U.S. Census Bureau
to designate urban areas. These areas generally contain population
densities of at least 1,000 persons per square mile in a continuously built‑up
area of at least 50,000 persons. Factors such as commercial and industrial
development, and other types and forms of urban activity centers are also
considered.
UWP
Unified Work Program; MPO's program of
work activities noting planning priorities, assigned staffs, work products,
budgets, and funding sources.
VOC
Volatile Organic
Compounds; emissions from cars, power plants, etc; when VOCs react with oxides
of nitrogen (NOx) in the presence of heat and sunlight to produce ground level
ozone or smog.
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MPO
STANDING COMMITTEES
CTAC
Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee
EDAC
Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee
TAC
Technical Advisory Committee
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FEDERAL STATE AND REGIONAL
AGENCIES
CRAC
Capital Region Airport Commission
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
FHWA
Federal Highway Administration
FRA
Federal Railroad Administration
FTA
Federal Transit Administration
GRTCS
Greater Richmond Transit Company System
MRAQC
Metropolitan Richmond Air Quality Committee
Ridefinders
A public nonprofit corporation that provides carpool/vanpool
matching and other
commuter and transportation services.
MARAD
Maritime Administration
RMA
Richmond Metropolitan
Authority
RRPDC
Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
USDOT
United States Department of
Transportation
VDA
Virginia Department of Aviation
VDEQ
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
VDOT
Virginia Department of Transportation
VDRPT
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
VTRC
Virginia Transportation Research Council
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FEDERAL LEGISLATION
ADA of 1990
Americans With Disabilities Act
CAAA of 1990
Clean Air Act Amendments
TEA-21
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century; signed into law on June 9, 1998. Authorizes federal funds for highways, highway safety, transit, and
other surface transportation programs for the next 6 years. Builds on and
continues many of the initiatives established in the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991.
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FUNDING PROGRAMS
SPR
State Planning and
Research; funds allocated to VDOT in support of MPO program activities.
Local Match Funds
required by recipients of PL and Section 5303 funds for matching federal and
state grant funds. Section 5303 and PL funds require a 10% match, with VDOT/VDRPT
providing 10% and the remaining 80% provided by the federal source.
PL
Planning funds available from FHWA for MPO program
activities.
CMAQ
Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality funds also
available for eligible planning activities leading to project implementation.
Section 5303
Planning funds available from the FTA for
MPO program activities.
TEIF
Transportation Efficiency Improvement Fund; purpose
of program is to reduce traffic congestion by supporting transportation demand
management programs designed to reduce use of single occupant vehicles and
increase use of high occupancy vehicle modes; operated by the Commonwealth
Transportation Board.
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OTHER
TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ACG
Address Coding Guide
ADT Average Daily Traffic; used in conjunction with
current and projected traffic volumes.
CAO
Chief Administrative Officer
CARE Community
Assisted Ride Enterprise; program operated by GRTC providing
demand‑response paratransit service for the elderly and disabled in the City of
Richmond and Henrico County.
CMS
Congestion Management System
COA
Comprehensive
Operational Analysis
CTB
Commonwealth Transportation Board
EJ
Environmental Justice
FY
Fiscal Year (July 1 to June 30).
GASB
Government Accounting Standards Board; private,
non-profit organization established in 1984; responsible for setting generally
accepted accounting principals for state and local governments
GASB # 34 GASB’s
Statement Number 34 “Basic Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and
Analysis for State and Local Governments”; requires state and local governments
to report the value of their infrastructure assets including roads, bridges,
sewer and water facilities, etc.
GIS
Geographic Information System
I/M
Inspection and Maintenance
MSA
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Richmond/Petersburg MSA
includes the cities of Colonial Heights,
Hopewell, Petersburg, and
Richmond; the counties of Charles City,
Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover,
Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, and Prince George; and the Town of Ashland.
NHS
National Highway System
NOx
Nitrogen Oxides
RFP Request for Proposals; process used for reviewing
and selecting proposals for consultant study activities. (Goods and
non-professional services)
RFQ
Request for
Qualifications (Consultant Services)
SIP
State Implementation Plan (for attainment and
maintenance of air quality standards)
SOV
Single Occupant
Vehicles
STP
Surface Transportation Program
TDP
Transit Development Program
TMA Transportation Management Area (i.e., MPOs greater
than 200,000 in population).
VMT
Vehicle Miles Traveled
VTDP
Virginia Transportation Development Plan;
approved by the CTB (previously the 6-Year Improvement Program)
Access Management
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Air
Quality |
Bicycle/Ped |
Citizen Participation |
Congestion Management
Elderly/Disabled |
Intermodal |
Light
Rail |
Long-Range
Transportation Plan
Socioeconomic Data |
Transportation Database/GIS
Transportation Improvement Program |
Unified Work
Program
Richmond Regional
Planning District Commission
Copyright © RRPDC.
All rights reserved.
Revised: January 29, 2008.
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