CONNECTIONS
A Guide to Public Transportation in the Metro-Harrisburg Region and Beyond
9. GLOSSARY
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Glossary
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Accessibility A measure of the ability of all persons to travel between various origins and destinations.
Amenities Specific passenger or bus features which enhance public transportation (i.e. walkways, shelters, benches, etc.).
Base Period The time of day when vehicle requirements and schedules are not influenced by peak period demands; transit riding is fairly constant and low to moderate in volume and service is scheduled at constant intervals.
Bus A self-propelled rubber-tired vehicle that is not confined to a fixed guideway and is designed to transport a large number of persons, specifically to transport more than a limousine or van (i.e. at least 11 to 15 persons).
Busway A grade separated right-of-way used exclusively by buses.
Bus Shelter A covered passenger waiting area, providing protection from the weather.
Bus Stop A waiting, boarding and disembarking area designated by distinctive signs.
Bus Turning Radii The turning radii necessary to accommodate bus-turning movements.
Bus Turnout A bus stop located in a recessed curb area, separated from moving lanes of traffic.
Capacity The maximum number of vehicles that can pass over a given section of lane or roadway in one or both directions during a given time period under prevailing roadway and traffic conditions.
Carpool A group of people who share their automobile transportation to designated destinations on a regular basis.
Central Business District That central portion of a municipality in which the dominant land use is intensive business activity.
Commuter A person who travels regularly between home and a fixed location (i.e. work or school).
Commuter Rail A passenger train transit service that utilizes diesel-electric or electrically propelled trains, operating over existing railway trackage on the same rights-of-way used by intercity railway freight and passenger trains. Fare collection is typically on board the train by cash or ticket, and boarding is normally from low platforms. Commuter rail normally accommodates mainly the longest-distance trips made within metropolitan regions during weekday peak travel periods at high overall average operating speeds of typically between 30 and 50 miles per hour, with relatively few station stops. Typical commuter rail routes range from 20 to 50 miles in length with train stations further apart (typically 5 or more miles). Also referred to as Regional Rail.
Corridor A broad geographic band that follows a general flow connecting major sources of trips and that may contain a number of streets, highways, and transit route alignments.
Cost Recovery The ratio between fare revenue and operating costs.
Demand Responsive Services that are available only upon advance reservation by the passenger.
Destination The point at which a trip terminates or the zone in which a trip ends.
Disadvantaged Transportation People whose range of transportation alternatives is limited, especially the availability of relatively easy to use and inexpensive alternatives for trip making (i.e. the young, the elderly, the handicapped and those who do not own automobiles).
Express Trip Service that normally provides faster operating times and fewer stops than are generally found on the other portions of the system or on the same route in local service.
Emergency Ride Home Program set up for carpool and vanpool riders, and in special circumstances, transit riders, that allows them to obtain a fast and free ride home via taxi or other quick transportation mode in emergency situations. Programs usually define those emergency situations and may put a cap on the number of rides obtained in a years time.
Far Side Bus Stop Transit access/egress point located across an intersection relative to a bus traveling through the intersection.
Fare The authorized payment for a ride on a passenger vehicle (i.e. cash, token, pass, etc.)
Fare, Basic The one-zone fare with no discounts. The cost of an adult paying a single cash fare for a one-zone ride.
Fare, Zonal A fare that is determined by the length of the trip measured in terms of defined zones.
Fixed-Route A specific bus route that follows a pre-determined path at specific, published, time periods.
Headway The scheduled time (in minutes) between vehicles at a given point on the route.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) A passenger vehicle that carries two or more persons (i.e. bus, carpool, vanpool).
Intermodal Pertaining to the transfer and flow of people and/or goods from one mode to another or among several modes.
Intermodal Transit Station Station that provides quick access to multiple forms of transportation. Usually providing train and bus service with parking lots for auto traffic. Stations may also include bike racks, lockers, sufficient sidewalks for pedestrian traffic, connections to bike and pedestrian trails, taxi, and limo stands, and other services as needed. May also contain restaurants, convince stores, newspaper stands, and other necessities.
Light Rail - A transit mode that typically is an electric railway with a light volume traffic capacity compared to heavy rail. It is characterized by passenger rail cars operating singly (or in short, usually 2 car trains) on fixed rails in shared or exclusive right-of-way; low or high platform loading; and vehicle power drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley or a pantograph.
Local Trip A transit route which can involve frequent stops and consequent lower speeds, the purpose of which is to deliver and pick up passengers as close as possible to their origins and destinations.
Marketing The performance of business activities that directs the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer.
Mid-Block Bus Stop A transit access/egress point located between road intersections.
Modal Split The proportion of trips split between travel modes. A term used to describe how many people use alternative forms of transportation.
Mode A means of travel (i.e. automobile, transit, walking, etc.).
Model An analytical tool used by transportation planners to assist in making forecasts of land use, economic and travel activity.
Near Side Bus Stop Transit access/egress point located just before an intersection, relative to a bus traveling through the intersection.
O-D Study Origin and Destination Study.
Off-Peak The time of day when the transit demand is at a minimum. Also known as a base period.
Operator An employee of a transit system who spends his or her workday in the operation of a vehicle; also known as driver.
Origin The location of the beginning of a trip or the zone in which a trip begins.
Paratransit Forms of public transportation services that are more flexible and personalized than the conventional fixed route, fixed schedule service. This service does not include such exclusory services as charter buses and exclusive-ride taxi; vehicles are usually available to the public on demand by subscription or on a shared ride basis.
Park and Ride Facility A special parking area provided for bus, vanpool and carpool users to park and leave their vehicles and continue to their destination in a multi-occupant vehicle.
Peak Period (Hours) Time of the day when most people or going to or departing from work. These commute times are usually considered between 7:30 to 9:00 AM in the morning and 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the evening. (Also called Rush Hour)
Preventable Accident Vehicle accidents caused by driver error or vehicle maintenance, which occur when the vehicle is in the revenue service.
Regional Rail see Commuter Rail
Regular Passenger Revenue Revenue received from regular passenger operations including special fare subsidies received to make up reduced fares but excluding revenue received from charter operations.
Revenue Passengers Actual count of passengers providing full fare in return for service.
Revenue Service Vehicle miles and hours operated when in customer service.
Ride Sharing The sharing of one vehicle (usually a car or van) by a number of people usually going to the same or nearby destinations. Also known as Carpooling or Vanpooling.
Roadcalls Vehicle problems causing a loss of time during revenue service; when maintenance of a vehicle must be performed while the bus is out on the road.
Route Specified path followed by a bus or train with bus stops or train stations where passengers access/egress from vehicle.
Route Deviation Service Public transportation service on a nonexclusive basis that operates along a public way on a fixed route from which it may deviate from time to time in response to a demand for its service or to take a passenger to a destination after which it returns to its route.
Run Individual bus or train ride following a specific route at a specified time. Also see Trip.
Schedule A listing, in time sequence, of every trip and every time point of each trip from open to close of service on a transit line.
Senior Citizens A person 65 years of age or older.
Service Area The geographic area that a transit system is considered to serve, normally based on acceptable walking distance from passenger boarding locations.
Shared Ride A public transportation service, which includes demand responsive transportation that is available to the general public, operates on a non-fixed route basis and charges a fare to riders. The first fare-paying passenger to enter the public transportation vehicle may not refuse to share the vehicle with other passengers during a given trip.
Signal Preemption A mechanical, optical or sonic technique for altering the normal signal phasing or the sequence of a traffic signal in order to provide preferential treatment for multi-passenger vehicles, buses, trains, etc.
Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) A vehicle with only one occupant.
Special Efforts Transportation (SET) Transportation provided by the fixed route operator for non-ambulatory handicapped individuals whose trip origins and destinations are within the operators service corridor.
Stop A waiting, boarding, and alighting area, usually designated by distinctive signs and by curb or pavement markings.
Stop, Far side A stop located after (at the far side of) an intersection, which requires a vehicle to cross the intersection before access/egress of passengers.
Stop, Mid-block A stop located at a point midway between intersections.
Stop, Near side A stop located before (on the near side of) an intersection, at which the vehicle access/egress of passengers before crossing the intersection.
Train Station A waiting area where passengers enter and exit a passenger train. Often there are sheltered areas offering protection from inclement weather. Ticket stations, vending machines, and restrooms may also be present.
Transfer 1. A slip of paper issued to a passenger that gives him or her the ability to change from one vehicle to another without requiring payment of a second full fare. 2. To change from one transit vehicle or mode to another transit vehicle or mode.
Transfer Passengers Actual count of passengers who pay an extra transfer fee in order to continue their travel by transferring from one route to another.
Transfer Revenue Fees collected for paid transfers.
Transit System The facilities, equipment, personnel, and procedures needed to maintain the public transportation system.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) A program of proposed projects to improve an areas transportation system that is prepared for submittal to the US Department of Transportation as part of the grant-in-aid application process.
Trip 1. The one direction (beginning to end) operation of a transit vehicle. 2. A one-way movement of a person or vehicle between two points for a specific purpose. 3. The measurement used to count the number of individual passenger or vehicle movements.
Trip Assignment A process by which trips described by mode, purpose, origin, destination and the time of day are allocated among the paths or routes in a network according to one of a number of flow-distribution models.
Trip Distribution The process of estimating movement of trips between zones using surveys or models.
Trip Generation The determination of the number of trips that have their origin or destination in a specified location or area.
Trip Purpose The primary reason for making a trip (i.e. work, shopping, medical appointment, recreation, etc.).
Urbanized Area An area so designated by the United States Bureau of Census and considered as such under the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964.
Vanpool A prearranged ride-sharing service in which a number of people travel together on a regular basis in a van, which may be a company-sponsored van that has a regular volunteer driver.
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[1. Introduction] [2. Connections] [3. Capital Area Transit] [4. Paratransit/Handicap] [5. Reg/Ntl Pub Transit] [6. PA Public Transit] [7. Other Options] [8. Why Transit?] [9. Glossary] [10. Acronyms & Abrev.] [11. Appendix]