Glossary

Alternative - A potential solution to fix the identified problem(s) or satisfy the stated need(s). (40 CFR 1502.14)

Context - The broad set of circumstances that form the setting of an area in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. This is not an existing conditions assessment within this process.

Economic Context - The economic context is usually shaped actively by the city and influences businesses to make investments or create jobs. It therefore influences a city’s economic structure and its attractiveness as a location.

Evaluation Criteria - Criteria used to evaluate the efficacy of proposed solutions in meeting stated objectives. These could include qualitative and/or quantitative measures.

Fatal Flaw - Reasons a solution does not meet objectives or needs, or has overwhelming impact as compared to other options, if data is available.

Goal - Statement of broad context-sensitive desires to address issues identified. [Can also be included in Purpose and Need statement if intent for use in the environmental process is specified. This is not the intent of the use of this term in this process necessarily.]

Health Context - The health context outlines descriptions such as the current and future access to healthcare, ability to achieve physical activity, and overall health impacts to those in the area.

Key Influencer - Group or individual with a strong ability to instigate support for or against actions.

Mitigation - Planned actions taken to avoid an impact altogether, to minimize the degree or magnitude of the impact, reduce the impact over time, rectify the impact, or compensate for the impact (40 CFR 1508.20).

Natural Environment Context - The natural environment consists of all living and non-living things occurring naturally such as air, water, etc.

Need - Problems that the proposed action is intended to address with any supporting data. (40 CFR 1502.13)

Objective - Specific, measurable statement that supports achievement of a goal. [Can also be included in Purpose and Need Statement if intent for use in the environmental process is specified. This is not the intent of the use of this term in this process necessarily.]

Opportunity - Potential solutions that could achieve goals and solutions.

Partner - Agency which has some decision level authority, contributes resources, and has ownership in the solution.

Phasing - Where something falls in a timeline.

Purpose - Fundamental reasons why a project is being proposed, expressed as a desired transportation outcome as sharply as possible. (40 CFR 1502.13) This should only be used as it moves into the environmental process.

Resource Agency - Agency with regulatory responsibility over public resources.

Risk and Resilience Context - The context of risk and resilience is defined as a system’s ability to continue to function at an acceptable level of efficiency in the face of disruptive or unexpected conditions and the risk factors of how likely these are to happen.

Scope - The range of actions, alternatives, and impacts to be considered in an environmental document. (40 CFR 1508.25)

Scoping - An early and open process for determining the extent of variety of issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to a proposed action. (40 CFR 1501.7)

Screening Criteria - Criteria used to screen and eliminate alternatives.

Significant - As used in NEPA, determining significance requires consideration of both context and intensity. (40 CFR 1508.27)

Social Context - The social context is defined by the settings in which people are engaged, including the groups with whom they interact and the culture of how they live such as mindsets, traditions, and behaviors. The social context also includes the history of an area and those elements that define the culture such as historic places, parks, and important trails. This context is also defined by the demographic makeup of the community and all populations that need to be involved in the process.

Solutions - Strategies or specific projects that will help achieve the vision, goals, and/or objectives of an area or corridor.

Individual Solution – A prominent solution that is able to stand alone to address the goals and objectives and meet the identified needs such as a signalized intersection or a new interchange.

Solution Set – multiple solutions that may be combined to identify the benefits of looking at the needs together. The solutions set may include a combination of options such as land use solutions, TDM Solutions, TSMO solutions, along with infrastructure improvements.

Stakeholder - Indirectly and directly affected individual with ownership in the solutions and has personally-vested interests in the study.

Transportation Context - The transportation context description outlines the current and future transportation system and the gaps as related to the transit system, the active transportation system, and the roadway system.

TSMO - Transportation Systems Management and Operations - an integrated set of strategies that focus on operational improvements that can maintain and even restore the performance of the existing transportation system before extra capacity is needed.

Vision - A high-level statement of a desired outcome (or set of outcomes). The vision informs the goals for an area or corridor.