Glossary

High-Speed fixed-guideway transportation systems, which utilize magnetic levitation or suspension (which counteracts gravity) instead of conventional rail infrastructure.

An agreement between a developer and a government that requires a developer who has constructed or install-ed Improvements to be Dedicated to the government to make any repairs or reconstructions and to maintain the improvements for a specified time from the date of acceptance of dedication.

Any U.S. region previously designated “Nonattainment” pursuant to the Clean Air Act Ammendments of 1990 (CAAA) and subsequently redesignated to “Attainment”. Such regions are subject to develop a maintenance plan under section 175A of the Clean Air Act as ammended.

A Subdivision that does not qualify as a Minor Subdivision.

The Dedication of property that is required to be made by a developer to a government as a condition for some government action (such as approval of a development permit). See Exaction and Impact Fee.

Published by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), this manual defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices (signage, pavement markings, traffic signals, etc.) on all streets and highways.

The Maritime Administration is the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation dealing with waterborne transportation. MARAD is responsible for waterborne transportation, the U.S. merchant marine, and other areas, such as; ships, shipping, shipbuilding, port operations, vessel operations, national security, environment, and safety.

An officially adopted plan that describes, analyzes, and makes Policies about a wide range of topics (such as community facilities, economy, housing, land use, population, and transportation) to guide the development of an entire area (municipality, region, or state). See 24 VSA 4382 (municipalities) and 4348a (RPCs). See Special Plan or Comprehensive Plan.

A statistic used to describe the typical (average) value for a group of values that is calculated by dividing the sum of the observed values by the number of observed values. See Median and Mode.

Indicators or test results reflecting degree of attainment for specific objectives.

A statistic used to describe the typical (“average”) value for a group of values that is the middle value when the values are arrayed from highest to lowest value. See Mean and Mode.

A document providing specific duties and responsibilities to be assumed by two or more parties in pursuit of a project or goal.

A system that identifies a particular parcel of land by describing a series of metes (measurements) and bounds (directions) from defined reference points. The reference points may be such varied things as a tree or corner fencepost, but governments increasingly require a reference point to be more permanent. See Monument.

A location designated by the Chittenden County Regional Plan that is recommended to be a regional or sub-regional center for jobs, housing and community facilities that have an urbanized character.

Federally established organization responsible for a cooperative, continuous, and comprehensive framework to make transportation investment decisions within their designated area.

Defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, an MSA is a county or a group of contiguous counties that contain at least one city of 50,000 inhabitants or more, or 2) An urbanized area of at least 50,000 inhabitants and a total MSA population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). The contiguous counties are included in an MSA if, according to certain criteria, they are essentially metropolitan in character and are socially and economically integrated with the central city. In New England, MSAs consist of towns and cities rather than counties.

A federally-mandated long-range plan for transportation development and investment based on the goals in the CCMPO Vision Statement.

The multimodal network of highways, arterial and collector roadways, transit services, rail lines, Burlington International Airport, and other intermodal facilities critical to the movement of people and goods in Chittenden County.

A milemarker (i.e. milepost) is a reflective green paddle sign placed alongside highways indicating total mileage from an original control point. For Interstates, the zero milemarker originates at the southernmost, or the westernmost end of the route. However, for other routes, the location of the zero milemarker varies. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) manages their milemarkers from South to North, and West to East. This is reflected in their distributed GIS data.

A milepost (i.e. milemarker) is a reflective green paddle sign placed alongside highways indicating total mileage from an original control point. For Interstates, the zero milepost originates at the southernmost, or the westernmost end of the route. However, for other routes, the location of the zero milepost varies. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) manages their mileposts from South to North, and West to East. This is reflected in their distributed GIS data.

A U.S. Census Bureau designated Minor Civil Division (MCD) is a legally specified (by State law) county governmental or administrative subdivision (e.g. township, gore, grant, unincorporated place, et al.). There states where MCDs do not exist. In such case the Census Bureau, in cooperation with state and local officials, delineates county subdivisions known as Census County Divisions (CCD). In some situations, the Census Bureau must complete the coverage of subcounty units by creating additional entities called unorganized territories (UTs) that it treats as being statistically equivalent to MCDs.

A Subdivision that a community’s Subdivision Regulation permits to be reviewed using an expedited procedure and/or reduced plan requirements.

A housing project in which at least 15 percent of the total housing units are affordable housing units.

Development of land, a building, or a structure with a variety of complementary and integrated land uses. 10 VSA 6001 (28): Construction of both mixed income housing and construction of space for any combination of retail, office, services, artisan, and recreational and community facilities, provided at least 40 percent of the gross floor area of the buildings involved is mixed income housing. Mixed Use does not include industrial use.

Vehicle-generated pollutants as regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for air quality. These include; Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC) or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Small Particulate Matter (PM-10), and Large Particulate Matter (PM 2.5).

A vehicle emission modelling software, which develops factors for predicting gram per mile emissions of Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Particulate Matter (PM), and toxics from mobile sources under various conditions. This model has been upgraded/replaced by a model called MOVES.

The door-to-door experience of traveling or shipping goods throughout our communities and across the region, measured in terms of travel time, comfort, convenience, safety, and cost.

A statistic used to describe the typical (average) value for a group of values that is the value that occurs most frequently in the group. See Mean, Median, and Multimodal.

One of several major types of transportation such as rail, bus, automobile, and non-motorized (bicycle/pedestrian) transportation.

The percentage, or share, of trips captured by the various transportation modes.

In Transportation or Land-Use Planning, a computer model is employed to generate forecasts on future conditions of population levels, traffic, economic development, housing development, etc. Such a tool ought to be considered a Decision-Support system, augementing sound judgement of a decision-making entity.

A marker placed into the ground by a land surveyor to identify a reference point on which a surveying measurement is based (such as the intersection of two boundary lines).

A temporary cessation of the issuance of development permits, pending the community’s completion of a new or amended plan or bylaw, so that property owners do not apply for permit approvals under the existing regulations.

EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) is developing the “MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator” (MOVES). The successor to MOBILE6, this more recent emission modeling system estimates emissions for on-road and nonroad mobile sources, covers a broader range of pollutants, and allows multiple scale analysis from fine-scale analysis to national inventory estimation. MOVES is planned to serve as the replacement for MOBILE6 and NONROAD for all official analyses associated with regulatory development, compliance with statutory requirements, and national/regional inventory projections.

Hazard Mitigation is a sustained effort to permanently reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people and property from the effects of reasonably predictable hazards. The purposes of this plan are to: 1. Identify specific natural, technological and societal hazards that impact the communities of Chittenden County; 2. Prioritize hazards for mitigation planning; 3. Recommend regional level goals and strategies to reduce any losses from those hazards; and 4. Establish a coordinated process to implement the plan, taking advantage of a wide range of resources.

Using several integrated modes of transportation (rail or bus transit, carpool, bicycle, pedestrian, single-occupancy vehicle, etc.) in a given area.

A building containing more than one Dwelling Unit. Some communities separately regulate as a duplex a building containing two dwelling units.

Any of the following whenever issued: (A) A zoning, subdivision, site plan, or building permit or approval, any of which relate to ‘land development’ as defined in 24 VSA 4303 (10), that has received final approval from the applicable board, commission, or officer of the municipality. (B) A wastewater system permit issued under any municipal ordinance adopted pursuant to chapter 102 of Title 24. (C) Final official minutes of a meeting that relate to a permit or approval described in (A) or (B) that serve as the sole evidence of that permit or approval. (D) A certificate of occupancy, certificate of compliance, or similar certificate that relates to the permits or approvals described in (A) or (B), if the bylaws so require. (E) An amendment of any of the documents listed in (A) through (D).

The Municipal Planning Grant (MPG) program is a state-funded program (administered by the Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development) intended to support Vermont towns with; technical assistance for town planning, implementation of plans and ordinances, encouragement of citizen participation and education, and innovative demonstration planning projects. No matching funds are required for this program.

Roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catchbasins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains, which are owned by a public body and are designed to collect or convey stormwater. MS4 does not include infrastructure that is a combined sewer or part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) as defined by 40 CFR 122.2.

A town, a city, an incorporated village, or an unorganized town or gore.