Adequate public facilities:Facilities that have the capacity to serve development without decreasing levels of service below locally-established minimums. (WAC 365-195-210)

Arterial roadways:A class of roadway serving major movements of traffic. Arterial roadways are functionally classed depending on the degree to which they serve through traffic movements versus access to land.

Articulated bus:Generally refers to a bus with two body sections connected by a flexible joint. Often, articulated buses contain about 72 seats and are about 60 feet in length.

Available public facilities:Facilities or services that are in place or a financial commitment is in place to provide the facilities or services within a specified time. In the case of transportation, the specified time is six years from the time of development. (WAC 365-195-210)

Average Daily Traffic (ADT):The average number of vehicles passing a specified point on a roadway during a 24-hour period. This number can be averaged over several days or over an entire year.

Berth (Port of Everett):The term used in ports and harbors for a designated location where a vessel may be moored, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.

Bikeway:Any road, path, or way which in some manner is specifically designated as being open to bicycle travel, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for the exclusive use of bicycles or are to be shared with other transportation modes.

Busway:A right-of-way for express bus operations completely separated from general purpose lanes.

Calibration:The procedure used to adjust travel models to simulate base year travel.

Capacity:The maximum number of vehicles that can pass over a given section of a lane or road-way in one direction (or in both directions for a two or three lane facility) during a given time period under prevailing roadway and traffic conditions. It is the maximum rate of flow that has a reasonable expectation of occurring.

Capital cost:Costs of transportation systems such as purchase of land, construction of roadways, and acquisition of vehicles. Distinguished from operating costs.

Capital facilities:As a general definition, public structures, improvements, pieces of equip-ment or other major assets, including land, that have a useful life of at least ten years. Capital facilities are provided by and for public purposes and services. For the purposes of the capital facilities element, capital facilities are surface water management, solid waste disposal, law and justice, general government, parks and recreation, airport, transportation, education, fire protection, sanitary sewer, and public water supply systems.

Capital Improvement Program (CIP):A plan which matches the costs of capital improve-ments to anticipated revenues and a timeline. CIPs are usually prepared for six or more years, updated annually, and coordinated with the comprehensive planning process.

Carpool:A motor vehicle occupied by two to six people traveling together for their commute trip. Also refers to the group of people in such an arrangement.

Census tract:A specific geographic unit of area with relatively permanent boundaries, officially recognized by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as a small area for purposes of reporting various statistics.

Centroid:An assumed point in a zone that represents the origin or destination of all trips to or from the zone.

Charter service:Transportation service provided in vehicles licensed to provide that service and engaged at a specific price for a specific period of time, usually on a contractual basis. Public transit agencies are generally not allowed to provide charter services if they would be competing with a private company.

Cold start:Refers to the starting of an internal combustion engine in an automobile that has been off for at least four hours. Cold starts and the first several miles of operation thereafter result in a significantly higher amount of emissions than when an engine is at normal operating temperature.

Commute Trip Reduction (CTR):The use of measures which reduce VMT and the proportion of SOVs used for commuter travel while promoting and marketing travel by alternative modes. See also Transportation Demand Management.

Commuter rail:A rail service typically using heavy rail vehicles pulled by diesel-powered engines over conventional railroad tracks that connect outlying suburbs with a central business district. Service is generally limited to distances of 15 miles or greater and to peak-period, home-based work trips.

Commuter service:Peak-period bus or rail transportation provided on a regularly scheduled basis for work and school trips. Commuter service is often provided as express service.

Comprehensive plan:A generalized coordinated land use policy statement of the governing body of a county or city adopted pursuant to the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A.030). Snohomish County’s comprehensive plan includes the General Policy Plan, several detailed UGA plans, and the Rural/Resource Plan.

Concurrency:Means that adequate public improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development. For transportation, concurrency means that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years (WAC 365-195-210).

Congestion management:A process whereby multi-modal solutions to critical traffic congestion problems are identified, coordinated among affected jurisdictions, and programmed for funding or implementation. Solutions are wide-ranging and could involve physical improve-ments to the arterial network, traffic signalization, transit service enhancements, programs to reduce commuter travel, and travel information systems. The affected jurisdictions would be the county, cities, and state.

Congestion pricing:Various forms of proposals that entail vehicles or people being charged a special toll for entering a congested facility.

Contraflow lane:A highway or street lane on which, during certain hours of the day, desig-nated vehicles or general traffic operates in the direction opposite to the direction of traffic on that lane during the rest of the day, while vehicles in adjacent lanes continue in the original direction of flow. The I-5 express lanes are contraflow lanes, but are completely separate from the adjacent lanes.

Countywide planning policies:Written policy statements used solely for establishing a countywide framework from which county and city comprehensive plans are developed and adopted. (RCW 36.70A.210)

Delay:At traffic signals, the stopped time delay per approach vehicle, in seconds.

Demand-response service:Transportation service designed to carry passengers from their origins to specific destinations (often door-to-door) by immediate request or by prior reservation. Also referred to as dial-a-ride.

Density:The number of families, persons, or housing units per acre or square mile.

Distribution:The process by which the movement of trips between zones is estimated.

Essential public facilities:Facilities that are typically difficult to site, such as airports, state education facilities, and state or regional transportation facilities, state and local correctional facili-ties, solid waste handling facilities, and in-patient facilities including substance abuse facilities, mental health facilities, and group homes. (RCW 36.70A.200)

Express service:Higher speed transit service designed to make a limited number of stops along a route and generally provided during peak hours by express buses or trains.

Facilities:The physical structure or structures in which a service is provided.

Federal Highway Administration:A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Federal Transit Administration:A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for the funding and regulation of public transportation.

Feeder service:A service providing connections with other transit services. Often, feeder service refers to bus service that “feeds” park and ride lots and high capacity transit stations with passengers from residential areas surrounding the lots or stations.

Fixed-route service:Transportation service operated over a set route on a regular schedule.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR):The ratio of gross floor area of a building (the total enclosed area of all floors of a building, excluding parking or loading areas) to the area of the building lot.

Forecast Analysis Zone (FAZ):the basic geographic unit for the data and forecasts analyzed and prepared by the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Geographic Information System (GIS):Software that lets you visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends. It is also used to create maps.

Goal:A result or achievement that reflects societal values or broad public purposes.

Grade-separated:Rights-of-way that are separated from general purpose rights-of-way by a change in elevation, often on an elevated structure or in a tunnel.

Gravity model:A mathematical model of trip distribution based on the premise that trips produced in any given area will distribute themselves in accordance with the accessibility of other areas and the opportunities they offer.

Growth factor:A ratio of future trip ends (or traffic volumes) divided by present trip ends (or traffic volumes).

Headway:Frequency of service in terms of the period of time between arriving vehicles.

Heavy rail:An electric rail system that operates on a completely separated or exclusive right-of-way. Generally, heavy rail trains operate longer distances, with limited stops, and in heavily-populated urban corridors. Also referred to as rail rapid transit.

High Capacity Transit (HCT):Any transit technology that operates on separated right-of-way and functions to move large numbers of riders, such as buses, light rail, commuter rail, and passenger-only ferries.

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV):A vehicle containing more than a single occupant such as an automobile with several passengers (carpool), a bus, vanpool, or a train. An HOV lane is a freeway or arterial lane dedicated for the exclusive use of HOVs and transit vehicles.

Home-based trip:A trip with either its origin or destination at home. Both the trip from home to work and the trip from work to home are considered home-based.

Impact fee:Charges levied by the county against new developments for a pro-rata share of the capital costs of facilities necessitated by the development. The GMA authorizes imposition of impact fees on new development and sets the conditions under which they may be imposed.

Implementation measure:Regulatory and nonregulatory measures used to carry out the plan.

Infrastructure:Facilities and services needed to sustain the functioning of an urban area.

Level of Service (LOS):A qualitative measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream in terms of speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, comfort and convenience, and safety. LOS “A” denotes the best traffic conditions, while LOS “F” indicates the worst.

Light Rail Transit (LRT):An electric rail system that can operate on a variety of rights-of-way, ranging from on-street to grade-separated. Vehicles consist of shorter train units than heavy rail.

Link:A section of the highway network defined by a node at each end. A link may be one-way or two-way.

Load factor:The ration or percentage of seat capacity being used. Load factor is traditionally used to determine the LOS of transit facilities.

Local Improvement District (LID):A quasi-governmental organization formed by land-owners to finance and construct a variety of physical infrastructure improvements beneficial to its members. A Road Improvement District is a specific type of LID that is formed to finance road improvements.

Local road:A class of roadway with the primary function of providing access to abutting properties. Traffic control is usually limited, with slow speeds and numerous driveways. This roadway class typically carries low traffic loads and is usually one to two lanes. They can be paved or gravel and don’t often extend over much distance (i.e., 156th Street SW; 103rd Street SE).

Mass transit:The general term used to identify bus, rail, or other types of transportation which move large numbers of people at one time.

Metered/Bypass ramp:Entrance ramps metered to control traffic merging onto the freeway, but designed to allow HOVs to bypass the ramp meters.

Micro-Analysis Zone (MAZ):The smallest geographic unit used in the process of developing traffic forecasts from Puget Sound Regional Council’s regional trip tables. A Traffic Analysis Zone is comprised of at least one MAZ. MAZs provide for more accurate modeling of trip-making patterns and travel demand in Snohomish County.

Mini bus:Busses smaller than the standard 40-foot long coach with varying seating capacities.

Modal split:The proportion of total person trips on various types of modes.

Mode:The types of transportation available for use such as rail, bus, vanpool, bicycle, pedes-trian, or single-occupant vehicle.

Model:A mathematical formula that expresses the actions and interactions of the elements of a system in such a manner that the system may be evaluated under any given set of conditions (e.g., land use, economic, socioeconomic, and travel characteristics).

Multi-modal:Two or more modes or methods of transportation.

Net density:Refers to the density of development excluding roads, environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs), and areas required for public use. Gross density includes roads, ESAs, and areas required for public use.

Network:A system of links and nodes describing a transportation system for analysis.

Node:A number point representing an intersection or zone centroid.

Nonmotorized transportation:Forms of transportation powered by humans or animals. Examples include bicycling, walking, and horseback riding. Wheelchairs powered by an electric motor are also considered a form of nonmotorized transportation.

Objective:A desired result of public action that is specific, measurable, and leads to the achievement of a goal.

Operating costs:Those recurring costs in a transportation system such as salaries and wages, maintenance, energy, taxes, insurance, and supplies. Distinguished from capital cost.

Paratransit:Flexible transportation services which are operated publicly or privately, and generally are distinct from conventional transit and outside the conventional fixed-route, fixed-schedule systems. Vans and mini-buses are typical paratransit vehicles used. Demand-response transportation services are a form of paratransit.

Park-and-ride:A system in which commuters individually drive to a common location, park their vehicles and continue travel to their final destination via public transit.

Parking management:Actions taken to alter the supply, operation, and/or parking demand in an area.

Peak period traffic:The higher-than-average portion of daily vehicular traffic that occurs during distinct times of day. Peaks in daily traffic volumes usually occur during the morning (6:30-9:30 a.m.) and evening (3:30-6:30 p.m.) commuter periods. The one-hour peaks during these three hour periods are referred to as a.m. or p.m. peak hour traffic.

Pedestrian friendly development:Development designs that encourage walking by providing site amenities for pedestrians. Pedestrian friendly environments may reduce auto dependence and encourage the use of public transportation.

Preferential parking:Parking spaces reserved exclusively for car/vanpools in parking lots. These parking spaces are generally located closer to building entrances or have other positive features which make them very desirable. Such parking spaces may be used as an incentive to encourage ridesharing.

Preferential signals:Traffic signals designed to give an advantage to HOVs through shorter wait times. Also referred to as signal prioritization and queue bypasses.

Policy:Action-oriented procedure, activity or decision-making that defines the process by which an objective is achieved.

Primary corridor:Denotes principal arterial roadways that serve designated centers and would have additional design features to accommodate several modes of travel (i.e., transit, auto, bicycle and pedestrian). These design features could include HOV lanes, bus pull-outs, walkways and bikeways, and signal priority for HOV carpools, vanpools, and buses (i.e., 128th Street SW; 164th Street SW).

Public facilities:Includes streets, roads, highways, sidewalks, street and road lighting systems, traffic signals, domestic water systems, storm and sanitary sewer systems, parks and recreational facilities, and schools. (RCW 36.70A.030)

Public transportation:A wide variety of passenger transportation services available to the public including buses, ferries, rideshare, and rail transit.

Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA):A portion of one or more counties that is created following the approval of voters within the area. A public transportation provider is then authorized by state law (RCW 36.57A) to collect an additional sales tax and provide public transportation within that area.

Rail transit:Any of a variety of passenger rail modes used for multi-purpose trips. Rail transit usually operates all day and serves more than the commuter market.

Reverse commute:Travel during the peak period that flows in the direction opposite the peak direction.

Ridership:The number of persons using a transportation system. Also referred to as boardings.

Ridesharing:Any type of travel where more than one rider occupies or “shares” the same vehicle, such as a carpool, vanpool, or transit vehicle.

Ridesharing programs:Any programs sponsored by public agencies or the private sector to promote the use of carpools, vanpools, and other forms of transit.

Right-of-way:Land owned by a government or an easement for a certain purpose over the land of another, used for a road, ditch, electrical transmission line, pipeline, or public facilities such as utility or transportation corridors.

Roadway:An open, generally public way for the passage of vehicles, persons, and animals. Limits include the outside edge of sidewalks, curbs & gutters, or side ditches.

Route:An established geographical course of travel followed by a vehicle from start to finish for a given trip.

Shoulder:That portion of the roadway contiguous with but outside of the traveled way.

Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV):A vehicle containing only a single occupant. Lanes on roadways that permit SOVs are also referred to as general purpose lanes.

Slip (Marina):A body of water with a pier on each side and a place to moor a boat.

Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT):A joint planning process of the county, its cities and towns, and the Tulalip Tribes to guide effective growth management and to meet the require-ments of the GMA for coordination and consistency between local comprehensive plans.

Telecommuting:The use of telephones, computers, or other similar technology to permit an employee to work from home or to work from a work site other than the employee’s normal work site that is closer to home.

Time transfer concept:A set of bus routes and schedules coordinated so that transfers between all lines destined for a particular transit center are synchronized to save passengers time.

Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ):The geographic unit from which regional trip tables are developed by Puget Sound Regional Council. A Forecast Analysis Zone is comprised of at least one TAZ. Snohomish County Planning converts the TAZs into MAZs prior to preparing traffic forecasts.

Traffic assignment:The process of determining routes of travel and allocating the zone-to-zone trips to these routes.

Transit:A general term applied to passenger rail and bus service available for the use by the public and generally operated on fixed routes with fixed schedules.

Transit center:A facility providing connections between buses serving different routes or between transportation modes such as between ferries and buses.

Transit compatible/supportive land use:A general term applying to higher density and/or intensity land uses and activities, usually urban, that are designed and located to encourage and facilitate ridership on public transportation.

Transit dependent:Refers to people for whom public transit is the only motorized transportation mode available.

Transportation centers:Facilities providing connections between various modes of travel, particularly transit, serving different origins/destinations or routes. Examples of transportation centers are the current ferry terminals, Everett’s proposed downtown transit center, or High-Capacity Transit stations along I-5.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM):The concept of changing travel behavior rather than expanding the transportation network to meet travel demand. Such strategies can include the promotion of work hour changes, ridesharing options, parking policies, telecommuting. See also Commute Trip Reduction.

Transportation Improvement Board (TIB):A board created by state law, consisting of members appointed by the governor, which oversees planning, funding, and the coordination of transportation projects between jurisdictions.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):A staged six-year program of transportation improvement projects.

Transportation Service Area (TSA):A subarea of the county with boundaries drawn to include transportation facilities primarily serving that TSA. Roadway and other transportation improvements needed to serve each TSA are identified and prioritized. This allows each TSA to receive a share of expenditure on transportation. Impact mitigation or fees to handle growth would also be administered by TSA, allowing them to be reasonably related to growth impacts and needed transportation improvements.

Transportation Systems Management (TSM):The concept of improving the efficiency of a transportation system through non-capital-intensive modifications to increase capacity or facilitate traffic flow. Capacity increases under TSM would generally exclude the addition of lanes or other capital-intensive improvements.

Travel time:The time required to travel between two points, including the terminal time at both ends of the trip.

Trip:A one-direction movement which begins at the origin at the start time, ends at the destination at the arrival time, and is conducted for a specific purpose.

Trip generation:A general term describing the analysis and application of the relationships between the trip makers, the urban area, and the trip making.

Trip table:A table showing trips between zones – either directionally or total two-way. The trips may be separated by mode, purpose, time period, vehicle type, or other classification.

Ultimate Capacity Arterial:An arterial for which additional improvements to gain vehicle capacity (e.g., lane widening or additions) would require unwarranted public expenditure and/or would have severe or environmental or community impacts. In such cases it would be appropriate for the county council to designate such arterials as being at ultimate capacity and alternative mitigation would be pursued.

Vanpool:A vehicle occupied by 7–15 people traveling together for their commute trip. Typically, vanpools are organized or facilitated by corporations, agencies, or institutions that in some way support their operation or provide the vehicle.

Vehicle Miles Traveled:The aggregate number of miles traveled by specified vehicles, typically automobiles, in a specific area in a specific time period. VMT may be calculated by summing data on a link basis or by multiplying average trip length (in miles) by the total number of vehicle trips.

Walkway:A continuous way designated for pedestrians and separated from the through lanes for motor vehicles by a physical barrier or space. Walkways may be sidewalks, pedestrian grade separations (e.g., pedestrian overcrossings), hiking trails, or walking trails. Snohomish County contains walkways along many rural roadway shoulders separated from the travel lanes by raised diagonal polyester markings referred to as “rumble bars”. Most walkways are intended for the exclusive use of pedestrians.

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT):The state agency responsible for planning, building, and maintaining the state highways and the ferry system.

Washington State Ferries (WSF):The division of WSDOT responsible for the planning and operation of the state ferry fleet. Also called the Marine Division of WSDOT.

Zone:A geographical area, intended to be relatively homogeneous in land use or activity that makes up a study area.