Alternatives Analysis – federal planning process used to identify and evaluate major transit alternatives to address transportation-related problems in a corridor or sub-region.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – a term given to a range of strategies to provide high-quality transit service using buses. Elements of a BRT system can include separate roadways exclusively for buses (busways), separate lanes on existing streets or freeways (that can be shared with other specified traffic such as taxis), stations with higher levels of amenities, prepaid ticket systems (such as used on MetroLink) and priority for buses at signalized intersections.

Community Engagement – the process of actively seeking out and facilitating the involvement of citizens in identifying transportation issues, planning for these issues, and monitoring transportation system performance. Fully engaging citizens helps to ensure that transportation solutions reflect community needs and values. Also known as public engagement.

Congestion – when a highway is no longer operating at an acceptable level of service. Customers experience slower travel times, increased costs, and greater likelihood of accidents because of congestion.

Economic Development – action taken by public or private entities that fosters development and/or redevelopment in strategic locations with the purpose to enhance economic viability of key activity centers and enhance the tax base of a particular area.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – report that details the benefits and economic, social, and environmental effects of a proposed federally funded capital project. The purpose of the EIS is to provide full and open evaluation of environmental issues and alternatives, and to inform decision-makers and the public of reasonable alternatives that could avoid or minimize adverse impacts and enhance the quality of the environment.

Environmental Justice – rooted in Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, environmental justice is the pursuit of equitable distribution of costs and benefits resulting from public decisions for all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic status. A 1994 Presidential Executive Order expanded the definition of minority to include persons of low income and directed every federal agency to make environmental justice integral to all programs, policies, and activities.

Fixed Guideway – a mass transit facility using and occupying a separate right-of-way or rail for the exclusive use of mass transportation and other high-occupancy vehicles; or using a fixed centenary system.

Light Rail Transit (LRT) – in many respects light rail systems, such as MetroLink, are successors to traditional streetcars. Using overhead wires to provide electrical power to the vehicle, (unlike most subways, where power is often provided through a third rail) LRT vehicles operate within their own right-of-way or, in many cites, in conventional streets for part of their route. LRT vehicles are more maneuverable than traditional railroad equipment. The size and design of LRT vehicles enable them to maneuver tighter turns, or operate on steeper grades than conventional commuter or passenger rail equipment. As a result, it is easier to integrate LRT systems into existing streets, neighborhoods and communities. In counterpoint, LRT vehicles tend to have lower passenger capacity than traditional commuter passenger cars, and restrictions on their maximum safe vehicle speed limits the use of LRT as an efficient long distance transit choice. MetroLink currently operates trains that are made up of two LRT vehicles. These trains draw power via a pantograph--the raised frame above the roof of the vehicle that stays in contact with the overhead electrical lines. MetroLink vehicles generally operate within a reserved right-of-way. To ease access and egress, station platforms are configured such that the station platform is level with the vehicle floor.

Light Rail Vehicles – self-propelled rail cars usually driven by electric power taken from overhead lines and configured for passenger traffic. Vehicles can have high floors and platforms, as is the case with MetroLink equipment, high floors and street-level platforms, or with newer vehicles, low floors that match the elevation of low platforms.

Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) – the transportation improvement selected from among many alternatives by local elected officials after completion of an alternatives analysis or major transportation investment analysis.

Major Transportation Investment Analysis (MTIA) – the planning process used to identify and evaluate large-scale, high-cost transportation alternatives to address transportation-related problems in a corridor or sub-region.

MetroLink – official name of the St. Louis region’s light rail system, which currently serves 28 stations and 38 miles of track and extends from Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The eight-mile Cross County Extension, linking the Forest Park station with Clayton and Shrewsbury is scheduled to open in the fall of 2006.

Multi-modal – the integration of various modes of transportation into a unified system. A goal of transportation planning is the achievement of a seamless multi-model system. Sometimes used interchangeably with “intermodal.”

NEPA Process – federally defined and required process deriving from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, by which proposed transportation projects are evaluated for any potential impacts on the built and natural environment. As part of the NEPA process, an Environmental Impact Statement or EIS must be prepared detailing the impacts.

New Starts – the federal government's primary financial resource for supporting locally planned, implemented and operated transit fixed guideway capital investments. Theses include heavy-rail, light rail commuter rail and bus rapid transit systems. Funding for the program, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is distributed on a competitive basis, with approval based on cost-effectiveness, alternatives analysis results and the degree of local financial commitment.

Paratransit – a variety of transportation services designed to serve the needs of persons not usually able to use conventional routes or vehicles. Flexible schedules and small vehicles, including vans, operate within normal transit corridors to serve the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Park and Ride Lots – parking lots located adjacent to transit stops, bus transfer centers, commuter rail stations, highway interchanges, or other major facilities where individuals can leave their personal automobiles and continue their journey via another surface transportation mode, such as a bus, train, carpool, or vanpool.

Public Participation – the active involvement of citizens in the development of transportation plans and improvement programs.

Ridership - the number of rides taken by people using a public transportation system in a given time period.

Stations – public transportation passenger facilities including stops on a light rail line.

Streetcars – rail vehicles that are smaller than standard light rail vehicles, but that operate on similar track and are also powered by overhead electrical systems. They can be older equipment, new vehicles that are designed to look historical or new vehicles that appear similar to light rail cars.

Street-running rail transit – light rail or streetcar lines that run on tracks installed in existing streets. These can share lanes with other vehicles or operate in exclusive lanes, either in medians or reserved curb lanes. Examples of such lines now operating in the United States include Minneapolis, Portland, Denver and Salt Lake City (new systems), and Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia (older lines).

Transit – passenger service provided to the general public along established routes with fixed or variable schedules at published fares. Related terms include: public transit, mass transit, public transportation, urban transit and paratransit.

Transit Center (Transfer Center) – a fixed location where passengers interchange from one route or vehicle or mode to another.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) – the integrated development of residential, commercial, and public space within walking distance of public transit facilities such as light rail station stops. TODs are high-quality environments around station locations whose careful planning and design help create a more sustainable community and region. The degree to which a potential alignment can support TOD around station locations is a key factor in the evaluation of alternatives.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - a program of regional transportation projects that is implemented over several years. It grows out of a planning process and is designed to improve transportation in a community. This program is required as a condition of a locality receiving federal transit and highway grants.

Transportation System Management (TSM) – projects that are less-capital intensive and that improve the efficiency of a transportation system. This includes refinement of system and traffic management, the use of bus priority or reserved lanes, and parking strategies. It includes actions to reduce vehicle use, facilitate traffic flow and improve internal transit management.