Terms/Concepts/Acronyms

Definitions/Meanings

Use/Applicability

AASHTO

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities

Americans with Disabilities Act

All project constructed with federal funds must meet ADA standards and specifications for construction.

Applicant

The entity submitting the application for Enhancement funding. The applicant may also be the sponsor of the project.

CE

Categorical Exclusion – These are actions which: do no induce significant impacts to planned growth or land use for the area, do not require relocation of significant numbers of people; do not have a significant impact on any natural, cultural, recreational, historic or other resources; do not involve significant air, noise, or water quality impacts; do not have significant impacts on travel patterns; and do not otherwise, either individually or cumulatively, have any significant environmental impacts.

Davis-Bacon Act (Requirement)

The payment of predetermined minimum wages on Federal-aid contracts. The law requires such contracts to specify minimum ages to be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics employed under the contract. The minimum wages must be based on the wages determined by the Secretary of Labor and be prevailing for the corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics employed on similar contracts in the city, town, village or other civil subdivision of the state in which the work is to be performed.

DBE

Disadvantage Business Enterprise

Award recipients are strongly encouraged to seek out and do business with DBE’s.

DEHNR

Department of Environment Health and Natural Resources

EAC

Enhancement Advisory Council

Funding Selection Process

Eligible Expenses

Expenses incurred by the award recipient, which are subject to FHWA reimbursement.

Environmental Documentation

A federal requirement that in some instances the applicant may be required to demonstrate that the project will not result in notable environmental effects. The applicant may be required to provide documentation, which addresses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project in the form of a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion (PCE) Checklist. The checklist should be completed by a qualified professional.

Fee-Simple

Private ownership of a real estate in which the owner has the right to control, use, and transfer the property at will.

Used in the context of ROW certification.

FHWA

Federal Highway Administration

Funding Agency/Regulator

Fully Funded

The applicant’s total budget (as specified in the Call-for-Projects application) request was entirely approved and awarded by NCDOT.

Historic Designation of property

A property or district determined eligible for or listed on The National Register of Historic Places. This determination is confirmed by SHPO.

These TE projects must be coordinated with SHPO.

Linked Projects

Proximity or Impact to a Federal-aid highway Project. Without the Federal-aid highway the project would not exist)

MPO

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Used to meet the public involvement requirement of FHWA regarding TE projects

Greenway

An asphalt trail permitting more than one type of user, such as a trail designated for use by both pedestrian and bicyclist.

PE

Preliminary Engineering

Includes cost for environmental documentation, design and preliminary hazardous waste testing – may be requested by Applicant/Sponsor

Pedestrian Path is not a term to be used in writing a project description.

This is a temporary or permanent area that typically indicates the common route taken by pedestrians between two locations and often indicates the need to provide a sidewalk or paved surface. A route along which people are intended to travel.

Resolution

A formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion put before or adopted by an assembly or public body.

A signed and dated resolution must be included with your official application for enhancement funding.

ROW

Right-of -Way

RPO

Rural Planning Organization

Used to meet the public involvement requirement of FHWA regarding TE projects

Scope of Services

All significant categories of services need to achieve the purpose as stated in your application.

Scoping Meeting

A meeting held between TE staff and project sponsor for the purpose of clarifying and setting forth project roles responsibilities, due dates, expectations, project implementation schedule, ROW issues, environmental issues, monthly reporting of progress by award recipient, invoicing and related issues.

Section 4(f)

A class of resources (historic properties, wildlife refuges, public parks and public recreation facilities) identified by FHWA, which must be avoided during the design of projects involving FHWA or DOT monies.

SHPO

State Historic Preservation Office

All projects which involves historic resources listed in or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places must be coordinated and approved by this state agency.

Sidewalks

The portion of the highway designed for preferential or exclusive use by pedestrians. A five (5) foot wide paved area (typically concrete) which normally runs parallel to vehicular traffic and is separated from the road surface by curb and gutter and/or a ditch.

STP

Surface Transportation Program

Sponsor

The governmental entity that agrees to assume all regulatory, financial and administrative requirements associated with applying for and receiving Transportation Enhancement funds

TE

Transportation Enhancement

Tier I County

Economically distressed county. This determination is made annually by The Department of Commerce.

Local Cash Match Requirement Determination

Tier II County

Economically distressed county. This determination is made annually by The Department of Commerce.

Local Cash Match Requirement Determination

Trails/Greenway

A ten (10) foot wide asphalt path of travel for recreation and/or transportation within a park, natural environment, or designated corridor that is not classified as a highway, road, or street.

Type I CE (Categorical Exclusion)

Project which does not require a written Categorical Exclusion Document. This determination is made by the Transportation Program Consultant.

Environmental Documentation Requirement

Type II CE

Projects that require a written Categorical Exclusion Document signed by municipal sponsor, NCDOT and FHWA.

Environmental Documentation Requirement