Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
A general term given to various public transportation systems that, through both improvements in infrastructure (i.e. the buses themselves) and scheduling, provide higher quality services compared to ordinary bus lines. The aim of BRT systems is often to approximate the service quality of rail transit while enjoying the cost savings and flexibility of buses.
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
This public transportation system is managed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Transit Department, which is responsible for public transportation issues in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area. Officials with CATS have succeeded in getting a light rail line built in Charlotte, despite increasing expenses and technical problems associated with the project. CATS is currently working with local government in Charlotte to plan additional light rail lines. The body’s agenda doesn’t end with light rail, however: “An integral element of [our] effort is proactive participation in virtually every facet of land use and development planning in Mecklenburg County.” See also Light Rail and TTA.
Division of Highways
Charged with planning, designing and maintaining state roads, the Division of Highways within the NCDOT is responsible for the upkeep of one of the country’s largest intrastate systems.
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Perhaps the most visible division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the DMV is responsible for licensing motorists and registering vehicles. Fees from these activities are allocated to the Highway Fund and the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The DMV takes in about $550 million per year in revenue, about $100 million of which goes back to the DMV. See also NCDOT, Highway Fund, and HTF.
Environmental Impacts Assessment
An assessment of the likely ecological health effects, risk to human health, and reduction in nature’s benefits that may result from a transportation project. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision-makers consider environmental impacts before deciding whether to proceed with a new project. The trouble with these assessments, however, is that they can add both costs and delays to projects, which affect the state’s ability to keep up with economic and population trends.
Equity Formulas
Or “equitability” formulas — uniform distribution measures set in statute that NCDOT uses to allocate resources for road construction projects around the state. The formulas are meant to ensure that all seven North Carolina super districts get fair and adequate funding for new projects, including the four-laning of highways in rural areas or loop construction in urban areas, depending on the super district. While population is factored into the main equity formulas, many analysts feel they should be updated to include dimensions such as congestion relief, or cost-effectiveness (as determined by cost per vehicle-mile served). At the time the formula was written, the option of using vehicle miles traveled was discussed but ultimately rejected in favor of population.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
The federal body that sets national transportation standards and directs federal transportation funding for every state. About one-third of the NCDOT budget — $1.1 billion — comes from the FHWA. In turn, North Carolina’s transportation policy, particularly with respect to interstate highways, is dictated by federal guidelines such as those pertaining to minimum safe speeds, controlled access, and shoulder/median widths. State taxpayers pay for this federal “assistance” primarily through an 18.4 cent per gallon federal gas tax (averaging around $25 billion per year), which is then redistributed back to each state.
GARVEE Bonds
Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle, or GARVEE, bonds are bonds or notes repayable, either exclusively or primarily, with future federal-aid highway funds. These federal tax-exempt financing mechanisms are designed for funding state and municipal transportation projects. GARVEE bonds were authorized in the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, which amended the Federal Aid Highway Act to expand the eligibility of bond and other debt instrument financing costs for federal-aid reimbursement. While GARVEE bonds represent a creative financing mechanism for cash-poor states that need immediate resources, they can tie up federal funding of future projects. See also SIBs and Tollways.
General Fund
Funds general needs, as opposed to specific or restricted purposes, such as those projects funded by the Highway Trust Fund. The General Fund is the central operating fund of the state and accounts for about half of the state’s total budgetary financing. The fund is supplied by revenue from a wide variety of taxes and fees, as well as money from judicial fees, disproportionate share receipts, investment earnings and bonds, the tobacco settlement, the Highway Fund, and the Highway Trust Fund.
High-Occupancy Traffic Lanes (HOT lanes)
HOT lanes are pay-per-use lanes that include variable pricing according to traffic conditions. During high-traffic times, motorists can pay to ride in HOT lanes (often HOV lanes converted to accommodate paying users). Because the price is determined by the flow of traffic in the lane, motorists pay less if HOT lane traffic is moving slowly, more if it’s moving rapidly. See also HOV lanes.
High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (HOV Lanes)
Designed to relieve traffic congestion and encourage carpooling by providing a specially designated lane for cars with multiple passengers. Some states use mixed HOV/HOT lanes, allow single drivers of hybrid vehicles to use HOV lanes, or designate HOV lanes only during commute hours. The number of passengers required to qualify for travel in an HOV lane is generally two or three. In North Carolina, the first HOV lane opened on I-77 in the Charlotte area at the end of 2004. The I-77 HOV lanes operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, do not allow single drivers of hybrid cars, and require two people per vehicle. See also HOT lanes and ITS.
Highway Fund
Dedicated to supporting the operations and capital construction needs of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and related services, the Highway Fund is derived from the following sources: 75 percent of fuel tax revenues, various fees collected by the Division of Motor Vehicles, and investment income from the existing Highway Fund. The Highway Fund pays for road maintenance and construction, the operations and capital needs of the Division of Motor Vehicles and the State Highway Patrol, and other transportation-related functions. While the Highway Trust Fund is focused on construction, the greatest expenditures from the Highway Fund are for road maintenance. The Highway Fund also pays for some non-DOT operations that were originally part of the DOT, such as highway patrol and motor carrier enforcement (now in the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety), and prison road crews. Under the auspices of the Highway Patrol, the Highway Fund was also used to pay for part of the development of the proposed 800 MHz statewide emergency communications network, VOICE. In addition to roadwork, the NCDOT is directly responsible for various matters related to aviation, ferries, bikeways and walkways, bridges, public transportation, and rail.
Highway Trust Fund (HTF)
Created in 1989 with the goal of rapidly expanding North Carolina’s highway/road system for economic development purposes, the HTF is supplied by the following taxes and fees, totaling $1 billion annually: 25 percent of motor fuel and related tax revenues; a 3 percent highway use tax levied on title transfers; various title and registration fees; and investment income from the existing trust fund. In 1996, voters approved an additional $950 million in general obligation bonds to support the HTF. By law, $170 million is transferred annually from the HTF to the General Fund, but between 2001 and 2005 the governor and the Legislature raided the fund to subsidize other projects (See Moving Ahead). The HTF was originally projected to be fully funded at $8.2 billion by 2003 — triggering the elimination of the tax increases that supply the fund. As of 2006, only half the original mileage had been funded, at a cost to taxpayers of $8 billion.
IMPACT
NCDOT’s public information program for road construction, IMPACT stands for Information Management Public Affairs, Construction and Traffic Control. The program has three primary goals according to NCDOT: 1) promote safety in the work zone; 2) inform the public of impacts from construction; and 3) provide exceptional customer service. IMPACT uses various communications strategies, including: news releases to media outlets and interested organizations; brochures, fliers, and posters distributed to communities; construction information meetings held in areas around the state; news stories or interviews highlighting work zone safety and specific project impacts.
Industrial Access/Road Access Fund
Administered by NCDOT, this program provides funds for the construction of roads to provide adequate access to new or expanding industrial sites. Adequate access – normally determined by the type and volume of traffic anticipated to be generated by a site – may require construction of new roadways or improvements to existing roadways.
Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE)
An academic nonprofit chartered by the General Assembly to research issues pertaining to transportation in North Carolina. In 2005, ITRE received nearly half its $10 million funding from state (31 percent) and federal (14 percent) contracts, with most of the remainder coming from individual “pass-through” projects. Housed at North Carolina State University, the ITRE’s research includes studies on bicyclers and pedestrians, environmental impacts, and public transportation. North Carolina and other states commission the ITRE to look into issues of interest to both leaders and concerned citizens.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Intelligent transportation systems are primarily aimed at integrating the needs and movements of individual vehicles with a wider transportation infrastructure. For example, ITS technology can be used to link vehicles with GPS devices to a HOT lane highway network so as to automate the collection of user fees. Motorists enter and exit the HOT lanes at specific locations where electronic readers identify the vehicle from an onboard transponder and deduct charges from a prepaid account.
Interstate Highway System
The National Highway System includes a subset of approximately 160,000 miles of roadway comprising a network called the Interstate Highway System. Championed by the Eisenhower Administration, this freeway network was created for both civilian and military purposes. About 56 percent of the construction and maintenance costs are funded through fees such as titles and licenses, gasoline taxes (collected by states and the federal government), and tolls. The remainder of the cost is borne by the federal budget. While Interstate Highways usually receive substantial federal funding and must comply with federal standards, they are owned, built, and operated by the states in which they are located. Primary interstates are given one- or two-digit route numbers; auxiliary interstates have three-digit numbers. East-west highways are assigned even numbers (like I-40); north-south highways, odd (as in I-77).
Intrastate Highway System
In contrast to the federal interstate system, which is both more heavily funded and controlled by the federal government, the Intrastate Highway System is limited to a specific state. While intrastate projects sometimes receive federal subsidies, the system is primarily funded and regulated by each state. Although North Carolina ranks 11th in population and 28th in total area, it has the second largest state road system in the United States. (Only Texas, which is ranked second in population and second in total area, has a more extensive system.) Yet much of the 78,000 mile network is relatively underused, with just over 14,000 miles carrying 60 percent of vehicle miles traveled. See also TIP and Urban Loops.
Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee (JTLOC )
Select members of both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly comprise this committee established to oversee major transportation projects. More recently, however, the JTLOC has studied issues related to HTF mismanagement at the executive level, as well as project delivery problems within NCDOT. The JTLOC meets during the interims between state legislative sessions.
Light Rail
A form of urban rail transit that normally uses less massive equipment and infrastructure than other rapid transit systems like subways. Projects planned initially for Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham would offer light rail service with the intention of relieving traffic congestion. Charlotte’s $550 million, nine-mile project is largely completed, but has been dogged by technical and budgetary problems. After 11 years, Raleigh-Durham may be forced to abandon its quest to build an $810 million, 28-mile commuter line through Raleigh, Research Triangle Park and Durham. Federal officials refused to subsidize the project after feasibility studies demonstrated that the Triangle could not sustain light rail due to the area’s relatively low population density and low projected ridership.
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
MPOs are the urban counterpart to North Carolina’s rural planning organizations (RPOs). These localized committees were formulated to help the state’s major urban centers better plan, communicate and fund needs unique to their communities, such as loops, light rail, and public transportation. The MPOs may also contribute their own resources to certain local projects. See also RPOs, Light Rail.
Moving Ahead
A 2003 statewide initiative by Governor Easley — implemented by S.L. 2003-383 — that funded relatively small road construction, reconstruction, bridge repair, and public transportation projects with the goal of improving roads and public transit to keep pace with economic and population growth. At the administration’s urging, the General Assembly allocated $700 million for 2004 and 2005 to Moving Ahead. (Unspent portion could be rolled into 2006). The plan allowed for the $700 million to be spent from the cash balance in the HTF, which would then be replenished by issuing $700 million remaining in bonds from a $950 million transportation bond passed by voters in 1996. (The bond was issued to accelerate completion of urban loops and pave secondary roads.) Critics charge the bond sales were already earmarked for HTF coffers and so were not supposed to be used for Moving Ahead – a diversion that effectively negated $700 million of the voters’ intentions for the original bond.
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
The primary executive agency responsible for implementing transportation measures, constructing and maintaining highways, licensing drivers, and registering vehicles. NCDOT is the state’s primary recipient of funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). NCDOT divisions include: Aviation, Bicycle & Pedestrian, DMV, Ferry, Highways, Public Transportation, and Rail. See also FHWA.
Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs)
Multicounty organizations, with both unique and overlapping functions, that promote comprehensive transportation planning, as well as increased local involvement regarding transportation decisions. The organizations are the result of a 2001 General Assembly mandate and are counterparts to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), which focus on urban transportation needs. North Carolina currently has 20 RPOs, with Albemarle in eastern North Carolina being the largest and Isothermal in western North Carolina being the smallest. See also MPOs.
Smart Growth
An urban planning model that aims to create communities that are more compact, transit-oriented and environmentally friendly. Advocates of smart growth wish to increase urban density as a means of minimizing the negative impact of “sprawl” on communities and the environment. The theory behind smart growth is that keeping populations concentrated in the center of a city prevents rapid outward growth and suburban development. Critics point out that smart growth policies often result in increased regulatory measures and higher prices that often hurt low-income families living in urban centers.
State Infrastructure Banks (SIBs)
Investment funds created at the state or multi-state level with funding from the federal government. Intended to provide states with new financing capabilities, SIBs (also known as capitalization grants) complement other programs offered by the USDOT, offering a range of loan and credit enhancement assistance options (like lines of credit), giving states and municipalities maximum flexibility regarding project selection and financial management.
Telecommuting
An employment arrangement in which employees enjoy limited flexibility in working location and hours. Since telecommuters are often able to work from home offices via the Internet, some traffic congestion is eliminated as those workers never get onto roads.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
A formal planning document that outlines the state’s major highway construction projects and balances anticipated construction costs against projected revenues. The TIP originated in a 1973 mandate by Governor Jim Holshouser that NCDOT develop a temporary “seven-year” transportation plan. Subsequently, plans of cost-to-revenues projections have become a fixture of transportation policy, especially as federal rules require all state transportation departments regularly to compile such documents for major projects. North Carolina’s document, the TIP, is updated every two years. Many projects in the TIP are unfunded. Calvin Leggett – NCDOT’s chief planner – said about the state's TIP: “We have $2 in projects for every $1 we have coming in.”
Triangle Transit Authority (TTA)
Local government unit responsible for public transport issues in Durham, Orange, and Wake counties. It is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees, of whom 10 members are appointed by local governments and three are appointed by the secretary of NCDOT. Specifically, the TTA was created in 1989 to “plan, finance, organize, and operate a public transportation system for the Research Triangle area.” The TTA has three primary program areas: bus service, rideshare service, and transit planning. TTA has legislative authority to levy a vehicle registration tax of up to $5 per registration and a tax on rental vehicles of up to 5 percent of gross receipts (the latter tax is to finance light rail).
Tollways
Or “turnpikes” are pay-per-use roads, often administered by non-state entities in order more rapidly to raise revenue for a project, usually at the point of need. According to the N.C. Turnpike Authority, “a projected $65 billion gap between transportation needs and revenues during the next 25 years means we will be able to meet less than half of the state’s transportation needs.” So North Carolinians face a choice: “find new sources of funding that could speed the construction of some critical highway projects or wait years, perhaps even decades, until traditional funds are available to build free roads.”
Turnpike Authority
Non-major component unit (a legally separate entity from the state of North Carolina) created in 2002 to manage the design, financing, operation and upkeep of turnpikes and tollways in the state. The General Assembly established the North Carolina Turnpike Authority to raise more private money for faster delivery and funding of transportation services and infrastructure. Integrating toll roads has become increasingly important to the North Carolina system, particularly as a means of serving hard to reach coastal areas like the Outer Banks.
Urban Loop
A curved roadway (loop) or series of loops that either encircle or bypass large urban centers, such as Charlotte (Outer Beltway), Raleigh-Durham (Beltline) and Wilmington (Wilmington Bypass). Also known as “beltways,” these urban loops are primarily funded by the HTF. Although loops can relieve traffic congestion, they are costly and can take a long time to build. The TIP currently includes planned or partially complete loops for Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. See also HTF, TIP and Moving Ahead.
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
The number of miles residential vehicles are driven in a specified length of time, generally a day or a year. VMT helps analysts determine road construction and maintenance needs, predict future surface demands, and estimate environmental costs.