Appendix B: Glossary
Numbers | A | B
| C | D | E
| F | G | H
| I | J | K
| L | M | N | O
| P
| Q | R | S
|
T | U
| V | W | X | Y
| Z
Numbers
14 CFR 121 (air):
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, part 121. Prescribes rules
governing the operation of domestic, flag, and supplemental air carriers
and commercial operators of large aircraft.
14 CFR 135 (air):
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, part 135. Prescribes rules
governing the operations of commuter air carriers (scheduled) and on-demand
air taxi (unscheduled).
A
ACCIDENT (aircraft):
As defined by the National Transportation Safety Board, an occurrence
incidental to flight in which, as a result of the operation of an aircraft,
any person (occupant or nonoccupant) receives fatal or serious injury or
any aircraft receives substantial damage.
ACCIDENT (automobile): See Crash (highway).
ACCIDENT (gas):
1) An event that involves the release of gas from a pipeline or of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) or other gas from an LNG facility resulting in personal
injury necessitating in-patient hospitalization or a death; or estimated
property damage of $50,000 or more to the operator or others, or both, including
the value of the gas that escaped during the accident; 2) an event that
results in an emergency shutdown of an LNG facility; or 3) an event that
is significant in the judgment of the operator even though it did not meet
the criteria of (1) or (2).
ACCIDENT (hazardous liquid or gas):
Release of hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide while being transported,
resulting in any of the following: 1) an explosion or fire not intentionally
set by the operator; 2) loss of 50 or more barrels of hazardous liquid or
carbon dioxide; 3) release to the atmosphere of more than 5 barrels a day
of highly volatile liquids; 4) death of any person; 5) bodily harm resulting
in one or more of the following—a) the loss of consciousness, b) the necessity
of carrying a person from the scene, c) the necessity for medical treatment,
d) disability that prevents the discharge of normal duties, and 6) estimated
damage to the property of the operators and/or others exceeding $50,000.
ACCIDENT (highway-rail grade-crossing):
An impact between on-track railroad equipment and an automobile, bus,
truck, motorcycle, bicycle, farm vehicle, or pedestrian or other highway
user at a designated crossing site. Sidewalks, pathways, shoulders, and
ditches associated with the crossing are considered to be part of the crossing
site.
ACCIDENT (rail):
A collision, derailment, fire, explosion, act of God, or other event
involving operation of railroad on-track equipment (standing or moving)
that results in railroad damage exceeding an established dollar threshold.
ACCIDENT (recreational boating):
An occurrence involving a vessel or its equipment that results in 1)
a death; 2) an injury that requires medical treatment beyond first aid;
3) damage to a vessel and other property, totaling more than $500 or resulting
in the complete loss of a vessel; or 4) the disappearance of the vessel
under circumstances that indicate death or injury. Federal regulations (33
CFR 173–4) require the operator of any vessel that is numbered or used for
recreational purposes to submit an accident report.
ACCIDENT (transit):
An incident involving a moving vehicle, including another vehicle, an
object, or person (except suicides), or a derailment/left roadway.
AIR CARRIER:
The commercial system of air transportation comprising large certificated
air carriers, small certificated air carriers, commuter air carriers, on-demand
air taxis, supplemental air carriers, and air travel clubs.
AIR TAXI: An aircraft operator who conducts operations for hire or compensation
in accordance with 14 CFR 135 (for safety purposes) or FAR Part 135 (for economic
regulations or reporting purposes) in an aircraft with 30 or fewer passenger
seats and a payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or less. An air taxi operates on
an on-demand basis and does not meet the flight schedule qualifications of a
commuter air carrier (see below).
AIRPORT: A landing area regularly used by aircraft
for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS:
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 defines alternative fuels as methanol,
denatured ethanol, and other alcohol; mixtures containing 85 percent or
more (but not less than 70 percent as determined by the Secretary of Energy
by rule to provide for requirements relating to cold start, safety, or vehicle
functions) by volume of methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols
with gasoline or other fuels. Includes compressed natural gas, liquid petroleum
gas, hydrogen, coal-derived liquid fuels, fuels other than alcohols derived
from biological materials, electricity, or any other fuel the Secretary
of Energy determines by rule is substantially not petroleum and would yield
substantial energy security and environmental benefits.
AMTRAK:
Operated by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, this rail system
was created by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-518,
84 Stat. 1327) and given the responsibility for the operation of intercity,
as distinct from suburban, passenger trains between points designated by
the Secretary of Transportation.
ARTERIAL HIGHWAY:
A major highway used primarily for through traffic.
ASPHALT:
A dark brown to black cement-like material containing bitumen as the
predominant constituent. The definition includes crude asphalt and finished
products such as cements, fluxes, the asphalt content of emulsions, and
petroleum distillates blended with asphalt to make cutback asphalt. Asphalt
is obtained by petroleum processing.
AVAILABLE SEAT-MILES (air carrier):
The aircraft-miles flown in each interairport hop multiplied by the number
of seats available on that hop for revenue passenger service.
AVERAGE HAUL:
The average distance, in miles, one ton is carried. It is computed by
dividing ton-miles by tons of freight originated.
AVERAGE PASSENGER TRIP LENGTH (bus/rail):
Calculated by dividing revenue passenger-miles by the number of revenue
passengers.
AVIATION GASOLINE (general aviation):
All special grades of gasoline used in aviation reciprocating engines,
as specified by American Society of Testing Materials Specification D910
and Military Specification MIL-G5572. Includes refinery products within
the gasoline range marketed as or blended to constitute aviation gasoline.
B
BARREL (oil):
A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.
BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (highway):
A measurement of the percentage of alcohol in the blood by grams per
deciliter.
BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (Btu):
The quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound (approximately
1 pint) of water by 1 °F at or near 39.2 °F.
BULK CARRIER (water):
A ship with specialized holds for carrying dry or liquid commodities,
such as oil, grain, ore, and coal, in unpackaged bulk form. Bulk carriers
may be designed to carry a single bulk product (crude oil tanker) or accommodate
several bulk product types (ore/bulk/oil carrier) on the same voyage or
on a subsequent voyage after holds are cleaned.
BUS:
Large motor vehicle used to carry more than 10 passengers, including
school buses, intercity buses, and transit buses.
C
CAFE STANDARDS: See
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards.
CAR-MILE (rail):
The movement of a railroad car a distance of one mile. An empty or loaded
car-mile refers to a mile run by a freight car with or without a load. In
the case of intermodal movements, the designation of empty or loaded refers
to whether the trailers or containers are moved with or without a waybill.
CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY (air carrier):
A certificate issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation to an air
carrier under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act authorizing the carrier
to engage in air transportation.
CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIER: An air carrier holding a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation to
conduct scheduled services interstate. These carriers may also conduct nonscheduled
or charter operations. Certificated air carriers operate large aircraft (30
seats or more or a maximum load of 7,500 pounds or more) in accordance with
FAR Part 121. See also Large Certificated
Air Carrier.
CERTIFICATED AIRPORTS:
Airports that service air carrier operations with aircraft seating more
than 30 passengers.
CHAINED DOLLARS:
A measure used to express real prices, defined as prices that are adjusted to
remove the effect of changes in the purchasing power of the dollar. Real prices
usually reflect buying power relative to a reference year. The “chained-dollar”
measure is based on the average weights of goods and services in successive
pairs of years. It is “chained” because the second year in each pair, with its
weights, becomes the first year of the next pair. Prior to 1996, real prices
were expressed in constant dollars, a weighted measure of goods and services
in a single year. See also
Constant Dollar and Current Dollar.
CLASS I RAILROAD:
A carrier that has an annual operating revenue of $250 million or more
after applying the railroad revenue deflator formula, which is based on
the Railroad Freight Price Index developed by the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The formula is the current year’s revenues multiplied
by the 1991 average index or current year’s average index.
COASTWISE TRAFFIC (water):
Domestic traffic receiving a carriage over the ocean or the Gulf of Mexico
(e.g., between New Orleans and Baltimore, New York and Puerto Rico, San
Francisco and Hawaii, Alaska and Hawaii). Traffic between Great Lakes ports
and seacoast ports, when having a carriage over the ocean, is also considered
coastwise.
COLLECTOR (highway):
In rural areas, routes that serve intracounty rather than statewide travel.
In urban areas, streets that provide direct access to neighborhoods and
arterials.
COMBINATION TRUCK:
A power unit (truck tractor) and one or more trailing units (a semitrailer
or trailer).
COMMERCIAL BUS:
Any bus used to carry passengers at rates specified in tariffs; charges
may be computed per passenger (as in regular route service) or per vehicle
(as in charter service).
COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIRPORT:
Airport receiving scheduled passenger service and having 2,500 or more
enplaned passengers per year.
COMMUTER AIR CARRIER:
Different definitions are used for safety purposes and for economic regulations
and reporting. For safety analysis, commuter carriers are defined as air
carriers operating under 14 CFR 135 that carry passengers for hire or compensation
on at least five round trips per week on at least one route between two
or more points according to published flight schedules, which specify the
times, days of the week, and points of service. On March 20, 1997, the size
of the aircraft subject to 14 CFR 135 was reduced from 30 to fewer than
10 passenger seats. (Larger aircraft are subject to the more stringent regulations
of 14 CFR 121.) Helicopters carrying passengers or cargo for hire, however,
are regulated under CFR 135 whatever their size. Although, in practice,
most commuter air carriers operate aircraft that are regulated for safety
purposes under 14 CFR 135 and most aircraft that are regulated under 14
CFR 135 are operated by commuter air carriers, this is not necessarily the
case.
For economic regulations and reporting requirements, commuter air carriers
are those carriers that operate aircraft of 60 or fewer seats or a maximum payload
capacity of 18,000 pounds or less. These carriers hold a certificate issued
under section 298C of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended.
COMMUTER RAIL (transit):
Urban passenger train service for short-distance travel between a central
city and adjacent suburb. Does not include rapid rail transit or light rail
service.
COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS:
Natural gas compressed to a volume and density that is practical as a
portable fuel supply. It is used as a fuel for natural gas-powered vehicles.
CONSTANT DOLLARS:
Dollar value adjusted for changes in the average price level by dividing a current
dollar amount by a price index. See
also Chained Dollar and Current Dollar.
CORPORATE AVERAGE
FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS (CAFE): Originally established by Congress for new
automobiles and later for light trucks. This law requires automobile manufacturers
to produce vehicle fleets with a composite sales-weighted fuel economy not lower
than the CAFE standards in a given year. For every vehicle that does not meet
the standard, a fine is paid for every one-tenth of a mile per gallon that vehicle
falls below the standard.
CRASH (highway): An event that produces injury
and/or property damage, involves a motor vehicle in transport, and occurs on
a trafficway or while the vehicle is still in motion after running off the trafficway.
CRUDE OIL:
A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in the liquid phase in natural
underground reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after
passing through surface-separating facilities.
CURRENT DOLLARS: Dollar value of a good or service in terms of prices
current at the time the good or service is sold. See
also Chained Dollar and Constant Dollar.
D
DEADWEIGHT TONNAGE (water):
The carrying capacity of a vessel in long tons (2,240 pounds). It is
the difference between the number of tons of water a vessel displaces “light”
and the number of tons it displaces when submerged to the “load line.”
DEMAND RESPONSIVE VEHICLE (transit):
A nonfixed-route, nonfixed-schedule vehicle that operates in response
to calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator or dispatcher.
DIESEL FUEL:
A complex mixture of hydrocarbons with a boiling range between approximately
350 and 650 °F. Diesel fuel is composed primarily of paraffins and naphthenic
compounds that auto-ignite from the heat of compression in a diesel engine.
Diesel is used primarily by heavy-duty road vehicles, construction equipment,
locomotives, and by marine and stationary engines.
DISTILLATE FUEL OIL:
A general classification for one of the petroleum fractions produced
in conventional distillation operations. Included are No. 1, No. 2, and
No. 4 fuel oils and No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 diesel fuels. Distillate fuel
oil is used primarily for space heating, on- and off-highway diesel engine
fuel (including railroad engine fuel and fuel for agricultural machinery),
and electric power generation.
DOMESTIC FREIGHT (water):
All waterborne commercial movement between points in the United States,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, excluding traffic with the Panama Canal
Zone. Cargo moved for the military in commercial vessels is reported as
ordinary commercial cargo; military cargo moved in military vessels is omitted.
DOMESTIC OPERATIONS (air carrier):
All air carrier operations having destinations within the 50 United States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
DOMESTIC PASSENGER (water):
Any person traveling on a public conveyance by water between points in
the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
DRY CARGO BARGES (water):
Large flat-bottomed, nonself-propelled vessels used to transport dry-bulk
materials such as coal and ore.
E
ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
The ratio of energy inputs to outputs from a process, for example, miles
traveled per gallon of fuel (mpg).
ENPLANED PASSENGERS (air carrier): See
Revenue Passenger Enplanements.
ETHANOL:
A clear, colorless, flammable oxygenated hydrocarbon with a boiling point
of 78.5 °C in the anhydrous state. It is used in the United States as a
gasoline octane enhancer and oxygenate (10 percent concentration). Ethanol
can be used in high concentrations in vehicles optimized for its use. Otherwise
known as ethyl alcohol, alcohol, or grain-spirit.
F
FATAL CRASH (highway):
A police-reported crash involving a motor vehicle in transport on a trafficway
in which at least 1 person dies within 30 days of the crash as a result
of that crash.
FATAL INJURY (air):
Any injury that results in death within 30 days of the accident.
FATALITY:
For purposes of statistical reporting on transportation safety, a fatality
is considered a death due to injuries in a transportation crash, accident,
or incident that occurs within 30 days of that occurrence.
FATALITY (rail):
1) Death of any person from an injury within 30 days of the accident
or incident (may include nontrain accidents or incidents); or 2) death of
a railroad employee from an occupational illness within 365 days after the
occupational illness was diagnosed by a physician.
FATALITY (recreational boating):
All deaths (other than deaths by natural causes) and missing persons
resulting from an occurrence that involves a vessel or its equipment.
FATALITY (transit):
A transit-caused death confirmed within 30 days of a transit incident.
Incidents include collisions, derailments, personal casualties, and fires
associated with transit agency revenue vehicles, transit facilities on transit
property, service vehicles, maintenance areas, and rights-of-way.
FATALITY (water):
All deaths and missing persons resulting from a vessel casualty.
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC):
The federal agency with jurisdiction over, among other things, gas pricing,
oil pipeline rates, and gas pipeline certification.
FERRYBOAT (transit):
Vessels that carry passengers and/or vehicles over a body of water. Generally
steam or diesel-powered, ferryboats may also be hovercraft, hydrofoil, and
other high-speed vessels. The vessel is limited in its use to the carriage
of deck passengers or vehicles or both, operates on a short run on a frequent
schedule between two points over the most direct water routes other than
in ocean or coastwise service, and is offered as a public service of a type
normally attributed to a bridge or tunnel.
FOSSIL FUELS:
Any naturally occurring organic fuel formed in the Earth’s crust, such
as petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
FREIGHT REVENUE (rail):
Revenue from the transportation of freight and from the exercise of transit,
stopoff, diversion, and reconsignment privileges as provided for in tariffs.
FREIGHTERS (water):
General cargo carriers, full containerships, partial containerships,
roll-on/rolloff ships, and barge carriers.
G
GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINES:
Pipelines installed for the purpose of transmitting gas from a source
or sources of supply to one or more distribution centers, or to one or more
large volume customers; or a pipeline installed to interconnect sources
of supply. Typically, transmission lines differ from gas mains in that they
operate at higher pressures and the distance between connections is greater.
GASOHOL:
A blend of finished motor gasoline (leaded or unleaded) and alcohol (generally
ethanol but sometimes methanol) limited to 10 percent by volume of alcohol.
GASOLINE: A complex mixture of relatively
volatile hydrocarbons, with or without small quantities of additives that have
been blended to produce a fuel suitable for use in spark ignition engines. Motor
gasoline includes both leaded or unleaded grades of finished motor gasoline,
blending components, and gasohol. Leaded gasoline is no longer used in highway
motor vehicles in the United States.
GENERAL AVIATION:
1) All civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and
nonscheduled air transport operations for taxis, commuter air carriers,
and air travel clubs that do not hold Certificates of Public Convenience
and Necessity. 2) All civil aviation activity except that of air carriers
certificated in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations, Parts 121,
123, 127, and 135. The types of aircraft used in general aviation range
from corporate multiengine jet aircraft piloted by professional crews to
amateur-built single-engine piston-driven acrobatic planes to balloons and
dirigibles.
GENERAL ESTIMATES SYSTEM (highway):
A data-collection system that uses a nationally representative probability
sample selected from all police-reported highway crashes. It began operation
in 1988.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (U.S.):
The total output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States, valued at market prices. As long as the labor
and property are located in the United States, the suppliers (workers and
owners) may be either U.S. residents or residents of foreign countries.
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (truck):
The maximum rated capacity of a vehicle, including the weight of the
base vehicle, all added equipment, driver and passengers, and all cargo.
H
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL:
Any toxic substance or explosive, corrosive, combustible, poisonous,
or radioactive material that poses a risk to the public’s health, safety,
or property, particularly when transported in commerce.
HEAVY RAIL (transit):
An electric railway with the capacity to transport a heavy volume of
passenger traffic and characterized by exclusive rights-of-way, multicar
trains, high speed, rapid acceleration, sophisticated signaling, and high-platform
loading. Also known as “subway,” “elevated (railway),” or “metropolitan
railway (metro).”
HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING (rail):
A location where one or more railroad tracks are crossed by a public
highway, road, street, or a private roadway at grade, including sidewalks
and pathways at or associated with the crossing.
HIGHWAY TRUST FUND:
A grant-in-aid type fund administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway Administration. Most funds for highway improvements are
apportioned to states according to formulas that give weight to population,
area, and mileage.
HIGHWAY-USER TAX:
A charge levied on persons or organizations based on their use of public
roads. Funds collected are usually applied toward highway construction,
reconstruction, and maintenance.
I
INCIDENT (hazardous materials):
Any unintentional release of hazardous material while in transit or storage.
INCIDENT (train):
Any event involving the movement of a train or railcars on track equipment
that results in a death, a reportable injury, or illness, but in which railroad
property damage does not exceed the reporting threshold.
INCIDENT (transit):
Collisions, derailments, personal casualties, fires, and property damage
in excess of $1,000 associated with transit agency revenue vehicles; all
other facilities on the transit property; and service vehicles, maintenance
areas, and rights-of-way.
INJURY (air): See Serious Injury (air
carrier/ general aviation).
INJURY (gas):
Described in U.S. Department of Transportation Forms 7100.1 or 7100.2
as an injury requiring “in-patient hospitalization” (admission and confinement
in a hospital beyond treatment administered in an emergency room or out-patient
clinic in which confinement does not occur).
INJURY (hazardous liquid pipeline):
An injury resulting from a hazardous liquid pipeline accident that results
in one or more of the following: 1) loss of consciousness, 2) a need to
be carried from the scene, 3) a need for medical treatment, and/or 4) a
disability that prevents the discharge of normal duties or the pursuit of
normal duties beyond the day of the accident.
INJURY (highway):
Police-reported highway injuries are classified as follows:
Incapacitating Injury:
Any injury, other than a fatal injury, that prevents the injured person
from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person
was capable of performing before the injury occurred. Includes severe lacerations,
broken or distorted limbs, skull or chest injuries, abdominal injuries,
unconsciousness at or when taken from the accident scene, and inability
to leave the accident scene without assistance. Exclusions include momentary
unconsciousness.
Nonincapacitating Evident Injury:
Any injury, other than a fatal injury or an incapacitating injury, evident
to observers at the scene of the accident. Includes lumps on head, abrasions,
bruises, minor lacerations, and others. Excludes limping.
Possible Injury:
Any injury reported or claimed that is not evident. Includes, among others,
momentary unconsciousness, claim of injuries not obvious, limping, complaint
of pain, nausea, and hysteria.
INJURY (highway-rail grade crossing):
1) An injury to one or more persons other than railroad employees that
requires medical treatment; 2) an injury to one or more employees that requires
medical treatment or that results in restriction of work or motion for one
or more days, or one or more lost work days, transfer to another job, termination
of employment, or loss of consciousness; 3) any occupational illness affecting
one or more railroad employees that is diagnosed by a physician.
INJURY (rail):
1) Injury to any person other than a railroad employee that requires
medical treatment, or 2) injury to a railroad employee that requires medical
treatment or results in restriction of work or motion for one or more workdays,
one or more lost workdays, termination of employment, transfer to another
job, loss of consciousness, or any occupational illness of a railroad employee
diagnosed by a physician.
INJURY (recreational boating):
Injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid as a result of an
occurrence that involves a vessel or its equipment.
INJURY (transit):
Any physical damage or harm to a person requiring medical treatment or
any physical damage or harm to a person reported at the time and place of
occurrence. For employees, an injury includes incidents resulting in time
lost from duty or any definition consistent with a transit agency’s current
employee injury reporting practice.
INJURY (water):
All personal injuries resulting from a vessel casualty that require medical
treatment beyond first aid.
INLAND AND COASTAL CHANNELS:
Includes the Atlantic Coast Waterways, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway,
the New York State Barge Canal System, the Gulf Coast Waterways, the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway, the Mississippi River System (including the Illinois
Waterway), the Pacific Coast Waterways, the Great Lakes, and all other channels
(waterways) of the United States, exclusive of Alaska, that are usable for
commercial navigation.
INTERCITY CLASS I BUS:
As defined by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, an interstate
motor carrier of passengers with an average annual gross revenue of at least
$1 million.
INTERCITY TRUCK:
A truck that carries freight beyond local areas and commercial zones.
INTERNAL TRAFFIC (water):
Vessel movements (origin and destination) that take place solely on inland
waterways located within the boundaries of the contiguous 48 states or within
the state of Alaska. Internal traffic also applies to carriage on both inland
waterways and the water on the Great Lakes; carriage between offshore areas
and inland waterways; and carriage occurring within the Delaware Bay, Chesapeake
Bay, Puget Sound, and the San Francisco Bay, which are considered internal
bodies of water rather than arms of the ocean.
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY:
Limited access, divided highway of at least four lanes designated by
the Federal Highway Administration as part of the Interstate System.
J
JET FUEL:
Includes kerosene-type jet fuel (used primarily for commercial turbojet
and turboprop aircraft engines) and naphtha-type jet fuel (used primarily
for military turbojet and turboprop aircraft engines).
L
LAKEWISE OR GREAT LAKES TRAFFIC:
Waterborne traffic between U.S. ports on the Great Lakes system. The
Great Lakes system is treated as a separate waterways system rather than
as a part of the inland system.
LARGE CERTIFICATED AIR
CARRIERS: An air carrier holding a certificate issued under section 401
of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, that: 1) operates aircraft
designed to have a maximum passenger capacity of more than 60 seats or a maximum
payload capacity of more than 18,000 pounds, or 2) conducts operations where
one or both terminals of a flight stage are outside the 50 states of the United
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Large certificated air carriers are grouped by annual operating
revenues: 1) majors (more than $1 billion in annual operating revenues), 2)
nationals (between $100 million and $1 billion in annual operating revenues),
3) large regionals (between $20 million and $99,999,999 in annual operating
revenues), and 4) medium regionals (less than $20 million in annual operating
revenues).
LARGE REGIONALS (air):
Air carrier groups with annual operating revenues between $20 million
and $99,999,999.
LARGE TRUCK:
Trucks over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, including single-unit
trucks and truck tractors.
LEASE CONDENSATE:
A mixture consisting primarily of pentanes and heavier hydrocarbons,
which are recovered as a liquid from natural gas in lease or field separation
facilities. This category excludes natural gas liquids, such as butane and
propane, which are recovered at natural gas processing plants or facilities.
LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLE:
A vehicle category that combines light automobiles and trucks.
LIGHT RAIL:
A streetcar-type vehicle operated on city streets, semi-exclusive rights-of-way,
or exclusive rights-of-way. Service may be provided by step-entry vehicles
or by level boarding.
LIGHT TRUCK:
Trucks of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or less, including
pickups, vans, truck-based station wagons, and sport utility vehicles.
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG):
Natural gas, primarily methane, that has been liquefied by reducing its
temperature to –260 °F at atmospheric pressure.
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG):
Pro-pane, propylene, normal butane, butylene, isobutane, and isobutylene
produced at refineries or natural gas processing plants, including plants
that fractionate new natural gas plant liquids.
LOCOMOTIVE:
Railroad vehicle equipped with flanged wheels for use on railroad tracks,
powered directly by electricity, steam, or fossil fuel, and used to move
other railroad rolling equipment.
LOCOMOTIVE-MILE:
The movement of a locomotive unit, under its own power, the distance
of 1 mile.
M
MAINS (gas):
A network of pipelines that serves as a common source of supply for more
than one gas service line.
MAJORS (air):
Air carrier groups with annual operating revenues exceeding $1 billion.
MEDIUM REGIONALS (air):
Air carrier groups with annual operating revenues less than $20 million.
MERCHANDISE TRADE EXPORTS:
Merchandise transported out of the United States to foreign countries
whether such merchandise is exported from within the U.S. Customs Service
territory, from a U.S. Customs bonded warehouse, or from a U.S. Foreign
Trade Zone. (Foreign Trade Zones are areas, operated as public utilities,
under the control of U.S. Customs with facilities for handling, storing,
manipulating, manufacturing, and exhibiting goods.)
MERCHANDISE TRADE IMPORTS:
Com-modities of foreign origin entering the United States, as well as
goods of domestic origin returned to the United States with no change in
condition or after having been processed and/or assembled in other countries.
Puerto Rico is a Customs district within the U.S. Customs territory, and
its trade with foreign countries is included in U.S. import statistics.
U.S. import statistics also include merchandise trade between the U. S.
Virgin Islands and foreign countries even though the Islands are not officially
a part of the U.S. Customs territory.
METHANOL:
A light, volatile alcohol produced commercially by the catalyzed reaction
of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Methanol is blended with gasoline to improve
its operational efficiency.
METHYL-TERTIARY-BUTYL-ETHER (MTBE):
A colorless, flammable, liquid oxygenated hydrocarbon that contains 18.15
percent oxygen. It is a fuel oxygenate produced by reacting methanol with
isobutylene.
MINOR ARTERIALS (highway):
Roads linking cities and larger towns in rural areas. In urban areas,
roads that link but do not penetrate neighborhoods within a community.
MOTORBUS (transit):
A rubber-tired, self-propelled, manually steered bus with a fuel supply
onboard the vehicle. Motorbus types include intercity, school, and transit.
MOTORCYCLE:
A two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle designed to transport one or two
people, including motor scooters, minibikes, and mopeds.
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NATIONALS (air):
Air carrier groups with annual operating revenues between $100 million
and $1 billion.
NATURAL GAS:
A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases
found in porous geologic formations beneath the Earth’s surface, often in
association with petroleum. The principal constituent is methane.
NATURAL GAS PLANT LIQUIDS:
Liquids recovered from natural gas in processing plants or field facilities,
or extracted by fractionators. They include ethane, propane, normal butane,
isobutane, pentanes plus, and other products, such as finished motor gasoline,
finished aviation gasoline, special naphthas, kerosene, and distillate fuel
oil produced at natural gas processing plants.
NEAR MIDAIR COLLISION (air):
An incident in which the possibility of a collision occurred as a result
of aircraft flying with less than 500 feet of separation, or a report received
from a pilot or flight crew member stating that a collision hazard existed
between two or more aircraft.
NONOCCUPANT (Automobile):
Any person who is not an occupant of a motor vehicle in transport (e.g.,
bystanders, pedestrians, pedalcyclists, or an occupant of a parked motor
vehicle).
NONSCHEDULED SERVICE (air):
Revenue flights not operated as regular scheduled service, such as charter
flights, and all nonrevenue flights incident to such flights.
NONSELF-PROPELLED VESSEL (water):
A vessel without the means for self-propulsion. Includes dry cargo barges
and tanker barges.
NONTRAIN INCIDENT:
An event that results in a reportable casualty, but does not involve
the movement of ontrack equipment and does not cause reportable damage above
the threshold established for train accidents.
NONTRESPASSERS (rail):
A person lawfully on any part of railroad property used in railroad operations
or a person adjacent to railroad premises when injured as the result of
railroad operations.
NONVESSEL-CASUALTY-RELATED DEATH (water):
A death that occurs onboard a commercial vessel but not as a result of
a vessel casualty, such as a collision, fire, or explosion.
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OCCUPANT (highway):
Any person in or on a motor vehicle in transport. Includes the driver,
passengers, and persons riding on the exterior of a motor vehicle (e.g.,
a skateboard rider holding onto a moving vehicle). Excludes occupants of
parked cars unless they are double parked or motionless on the roadway.
OCCUPATIONAL FATALITY:
Death resulting from a job-related injury.
OPERATING EXPENSES (air):
Expenses incurred in the performance of air transportation, based on
overall operating revenues and expenses. Does not include nonoperating income
and expenses, nonrecurring items, or income taxes.
OPERATING EXPENSES (rail):
Expenses of furnishing transportation services, including maintenance
and depreciation of the plant used in the service.
OPERATING EXPENSES (transit):
The total of all expenses associated with operation of an individual
mode by a given operator. Includes distributions of “joint expenses” to
individual modes and excludes “reconciling items,” such as interest expenses
and depreciation. Should not be confused with “vehicle operating expenses.”
OPERATING EXPENSES (truck):
Includes expenditures for equipment maintenance, supervision, wages,
fuel, equipment rental, terminal operations, insurance, safety, and administrative
and general functions.
OPERATING REVENUES (air):
Revenues from the performance of air transportation and related incidental
services. Includes l) transportation revenues from the carriage of all classes
of traffic in scheduled and nonscheduled services, and 2) nontransportation
revenues consisting of federal subsidies (where applicable) and services
related to air transportation.
OTHER FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS (highway):
All urban principal arterials with limited access but not part of the
Interstate system.
OTHER PRINCIPAL ARTERIALS (highway):
Major streets or highways, many of multi-lane or freeway design, serving
high-volume traffic corridor movements that connect major generators of
travel.
OTHER RAIL REVENUE:
Includes revenues from miscellaneous operations (i.e., dining- and bar-car
services), income from the lease of road and equipment, miscellaneous rental
income, income from nonoperating property, profit from separately operated
properties, dividend income, interest income, income from sinking and other
reserve funds, release or premium on funded debt, contributions from other
companies, and other miscellaneous income.
OTHER REVENUE VEHICLES (transit):
Other revenue-generating modes of transit service, such as cable cars,
personal rapid transit systems, monorail vehicles, inclined and railway
cars, not covered otherwise.
OTHER 2-AXLE 4-TIRE VEHICLES (truck):
Includes vans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
OXYGENATES:
Any substance that when added to motor gasoline increases the amount
of oxygen in that gasoline blend. Includes oxygen-bearing compounds such
as ethanol, methanol, and methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether. Oxygenated fuel tends
to give a more complete combustion of carbon into carbon dioxide (rather
than monoxide), thereby reducing air pollution from exhaust emissions.
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PASSENGER CAR:
A motor vehicle designed primarily for carrying passengers on ordinary
roads, includes convertibles, sedans, and stations wagons.
PASSENGER-MILE:
1) Air: One passenger transported 1 mile; passenger-miles for 1 interairport
flight are calculated by multiplying aircraft-miles flown by the number
of passengers carried on the flight. The total passenger-miles for all flights
is the sum of passenger-miles for all interairport flights. 2) Auto: One
passenger traveling 1 mile; e.g., 1 car transporting 2 passengers 4 miles
results in 8 passenger-miles. 3) Transit: The total number of miles traveled
by transit passengers; e.g., 1 bus transporting 5 passengers 3 miles results
in 15 passenger-miles.
PASSENGER REVENUE:
1) Rail: Revenue from the sale of tickets. 2) Air: Revenues from the
transport of passengers by air. 3) Transit: Fares, transfer, zone, and park-and-ride
parking charges paid by transit passengers. Prior to 1984, fare revenues
collected by contractors operating transit services were not included.
PASSENGER VESSELS (water):
A vessel designed for the commercial transport of passengers.
PEDALCYCLIST:
A person on a vehicle that is powered solely by pedals.
PEDESTRIAN:
Any person not in or on a motor vehicle or other vehicle. Excludes people
in buildings or sitting at a sidewalk cafe. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration also uses an “other pedestrian” category to refer
to pedestrians using conveyances and people in buildings. Examples of pedestrian
conveyances include skateboards, nonmotorized wheelchairs, rollerskates,
sleds, and transport devices used as equipment.
PERSON-MILES:
An estimate of the aggregate distances traveled by all persons on a given
trip based on the estimated transportation-network-miles traveled on that
trip.
PERSON TRIP:
A trip taken by an individual. For example, if three persons from the
same household travel together, the trip is counted as one household trip
and three person trips.
PERSONAL CASUALTY (transit):
1) An incident in which a person is hurt while getting on or off a transit
vehicle (e.g., falls or door incidents), but not as a result of a collision,
derailment/left roadway, or fire. 2) An incident in which a person is hurt
while using a lift to get on or off a transit vehicle, but not as a result
of a collision, derailment/left roadway, or fire. 3) An incident in which
a person is injured on a transit vehicle, but not as a result of a collision,
derailment/left roadway, or fire. 4) An incident in which a person is hurt
while using a transit facility. This includes anyone on transit property
(e.g., patrons, transit employees, trespassers), but does not include incidents
resulting from illness or criminal activity.
PETROLEUM (oil):
A generic term applied to oil and oil products in all forms, such as
crude oil, lease condensate, unfinished oils, petroleum products, natural
gas plant liquids, and nonhydrocarbon compounds blended into finished petroleum
products.
PROPERTY DAMAGE (transit):
The dollar amount required to repair or replace transit property (including
stations, right-of-way, bus stops, and maintenance facilities) damaged during
an incident.
PUBLIC ROAD:
Any road under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority
(federal, state, county, town or township, local government, or instrumentality
thereof) and open to public travel.
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RAPID RAIL TRANSIT:
Transit service using railcars driven by electricity usually drawn from
a third rail, configured for passenger traffic, and usually operated on
exclusive rights-of-way. It generally uses longer trains and has longer
station spacing than light rail.
REFORMULATED GASOLINE:
Gasoline whose composition has been changed to meet performance specifications
regarding ozone-forming tendencies and release of toxic substances into
the air from both evaporation and tailpipe emissions. Reformulated gasoline
includes oxygenates and, compared with gasoline sold in 1990, has a lower
content of olefins, aromatics, volatile components, and heavy hydrocarbons.
RESIDUAL FUEL OIL:
The heavier oils that remain after the distillate fuel oils and lighter
hydrocarbons are distilled away in refinery operations and that conform
to American Society for Testing and Materials Specifications D396 and 976.
Includes, among others, Navy Special oil used in steam-powered vessels in
government service and No. 6 oil used to power ships. Imports of residual
fuel oil include imported crude oil burned as fuel.
REVENUE:
Remuneration received by carriers for transportation activities.
REVENUE PASSENGER:
1) Air: Person receiving air transportation from an air carrier for which
remuneration is received by the carrier. Air carrier employees or others,
except ministers of religion, elderly individuals, and handicapped individuals,
receiving reduced rate charges (less than the applicable tariff) are considered
nonrevenue passengers. Infants, for whom a token fare is charged, are not
counted as passengers. 2) Transit: Single-vehicle transit rides by initial-board
(first-ride) transit passengers only. Excludes all transfer rides and all
nonrevenue rides. 3) Rail: Number of one-way trips made by persons holding
tickets.
REVENUE PASSENGER ENPLANEMENTS
(air): The total number of passengers boarding aircraft. Includes both originating
and connecting passengers.
REVENUE PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR (air):
Revenue passenger-miles as a percentage of available seat-miles in revenue
passenger services. The term is used to represent the proportion of aircraft
seating capacity that is actually sold and utilized.
REVENUE PASSENGER-MILE:
One revenue passenger transported one mile.
REVENUE PASSENGER TON-MILE (air):
One ton of revenue passenger weight (including all baggage) transported
one mile. The passenger weight standard for both domestic and international
operations is 200 pounds.
REVENUE TON-MILE:
One short ton of freight transported one mile.
REVENUE VEHICLE-MILES (transit):
One vehicle (bus, trolley bus, or streetcar) traveling one mile, while
revenue passengers are on board, generates one revenue vehicle-mile. Revenue
vehicle-miles reported represent the total mileage traveled by vehicles
in scheduled or unscheduled revenue-producing services.
ROAD OIL:
Any heavy petroleum oil, including residual asphaltic oil, that is used
as a dust palliative and surface treatment on roads and highways. It is
generally produced in six grades from zero, the most liquid, to five, the
most viscous.
ROLL ON/ROLL OFF VESSEL (water):
Ships that are designed to carry wheeled containers or other wheeled
cargo and use the roll on/roll off method for loading and unloading.
RURAL HIGHWAY:
Any highway, road, or street that is not an urban highway.
RURAL MILEAGE (highway):
Roads outside city, municipal district, or urban boundaries.
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SCHEDULED SERVICE (air):
Transport service operated on published flight schedules.
SCHOOL BUS:
A passenger motor vehicle that is designed or used to carry more than
10 passengers, in addition to the driver, and, as determined by the Secretary
of Transportation, is likely to be significantly used for the purpose of
transporting pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students between
home and school.
SCHOOL BUS-RELATED CRASH:
Any crash in which a vehicle, regardless of body design and used as a
school bus, is directly or indirectly involved, such as a crash involving
school children alighting from a vehicle.
SCOW (water):
Any flat-bottomed, nonself-propelled, rectangular vessel with sloping
ends. Large scows are used to transport sand, gravel, or refuse.
SELF-PROPELLED VESSEL:
A vessel that has its own means of propulsion. Includes tankers, containerships,
dry bulk cargo ships, and general cargo vessels.
SERIOUS INJURY (air carrier/general aviation):
An injury that requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within
7 days from the date when the injury was received; results in a bone fracture
(except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); involves lacerations that
cause severe hemorrhages, or nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; involves injury
to any internal organ; or involves second- or third-degree burns or any burns
affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.
SMALL CERTIFICATED AIR CARRIER:
An air carrier holding a certificate issued under section 401 of the
Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, that operates aircraft designed
to have a maximum seating capacity of 60 seats or fewer or a maximum payload
of 18,000 pounds or less.
STATE AND LOCAL HIGHWAY EXPENDITURES:
Disbursements for capital outlays, maintenance and traffic surfaces,
administration and research, highway law enforcement and safety, and interest
on debt.
STREETCARS:
Relatively lightweight passenger railcars operating singly or in short
trains, or on fixed rails in rights-of-way that are not always separated
from other traffic. Streetcars do not necessarily have the right-of-way
at grade crossings with other traffic.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR CARRIER:
An air carrier authorized to perform passenger and cargo charter services.
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TANKER:
An oceangoing ship designed to haul liquid bulk cargo in world trade.
TON-MILE (truck):
The movement of one ton of cargo the distance of one mile. Ton-miles
are calculated by multiplying the weight in tons of each shipment transported
by the miles hauled.
TON-MILE (water):
The movement of one ton of cargo the distance of one statute mile. Domestic
ton-miles are calculated by multiplying tons moved by the number of statute
miles moved on the water (e.g., 50 short tons moving 200 miles on a waterway
would yield 10,000 ton-miles for that waterway). Ton-miles are not computed
for ports. For coastwise traffic, the shortest route that safe navigation
permits between the port of origin and destination is used to calculate
ton-miles.
TRAFFICWAY (highway):
Any right-of-way open to the public as a matter of right or custom for
moving persons or property from one place to another, including the entire
width between property lines or other boundaries.
TRAIN LINE MILEAGE:
The aggregate length of all line-haul railroads. It does not include
the mileage of yard tracks or sidings, nor does it reflect the fact that
a mile of railroad may include two or more parallel tracks. Jointly-used
track is counted only once.
TRAIN-MILE:
The movement of a train, which can consist of many cars, the distance
of one mile. A train-mile differs from a vehicle-mile, which is the movement
of one car (vehicle) the distance of one mile. A 10-car (vehicle) train
traveling 1 mile is measured as 1 train-mile and 10 vehicle-miles. Caution
should be used when comparing train-miles to vehicle-miles.
TRANSIT VEHICLE:
Includes light, heavy, and commuter rail; motorbus; trolley bus; van
pools; automated guideway; and demand responsive vehicles.
TRANSSHIPMENTS:
Shipments that enter or exit the United States by way of a U.S. Customs
port on the northern or southern border, but whose origin or destination
is a country other than Canada or Mexico.
TRESPASSER (rail):
Any person whose presence on railroad property used in railroad operations
is prohibited, forbidden, or unlawful.
TROLLEY BUS:
Rubber-tired electric transit vehicle, manually steered and propelled
by a motor drawing current, normally through overhead wires, from a central
power source.
TRUST FUNDS:
Accounts that are designated by law to carry out specific purposes and
programs. Trust Funds are usually financed with earmarked tax collections.
TUG BOAT:
A powered vessel designed for towing or pushing ships, dumb barges, pushed-towed
barges, and rafts, but not for the carriage of goods.
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U.S.-FLAG CARRIER OR AMERICAN FLAG CARRIER (air):
One of a class of air carriers holding a Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity, issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation and approved
by the President, authorizing scheduled operations over specified routes
between the United States (and/or its territories) and one or more foreign
countries.
UNLEADED GASOLINE: See Gasoline.
UNLINKED PASSENGER TRIPS (transit):
The number of passengers boarding public transportation vehicles. A passenger
is counted each time he/she boards a vehicle even if the boarding is part
of the same journey from origin to destination.
URBAN HIGHWAY:
Any road or street within the boundaries of an urban area. An urban area
is an area including and adjacent to a municipality or urban place with
a population of 5,000 or more. The boundaries of urban areas are fixed by
state highway departments, subject to the approval of the Federal Highway
Administration, for purposes of the Federal-Aid Highway Program.
V
VANPOOL (transit):
Public-sponsored commuter service operating under prearranged schedules
for previously formed groups of riders in 8- to 18-seat vehicles. Drivers
are also commuters who receive little or no compensation besides the free
ride.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE (transit):
All activities associated with revenue and nonrevenue (service) vehicle
maintenance, including administration, inspection and maintenance, and servicing
(e.g., cleaning and fueling) vehicles. In addition, it includes repairs
due to vandalism or to revenue vehicle accidents.
VEHICLE-MILES (highway):
Miles of travel by all types of motor vehicles as determined by the states
on the basis of actual traffic counts and established estimating procedures.
VEHICLE-MILES (transit):
The total number of miles traveled by transit vehicles. Commuter rail,
heavy rail, and light rail report individual car-miles, rather than train-miles
for vehicle-miles.
VEHICLE OPERATIONS (transit):
All activities associated with transportation administration, including
the control of revenue vehicle movements, scheduling, ticketing and fare
collection, system security, and revenue vehicle operation.
VESSEL CASUALTY (water):
An occurrence involving commercial vessels that results in 1) actual
physical damage to property in excess of $25,000; 2) material damage affecting
the seaworthiness or efficiency of a vessel; 3) stranding or grounding;
4) loss of life; or 5) injury causing any person to remain incapacitated
for a period in excess of 72 hours, except injury to harbor workers not
resulting in death and not resulting from vessel casualty or vessel equipment
casualty.
VESSEL-CASUALTY-RELATED DEATH (water):
Fatality that occurs as a result of an incident that involves a vessel
or its equipment, such as a collision, fire, or explosion. Includes drowning
deaths.
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WATERBORNE TRANSPORTATION:
Transport of freight and/or people by commercial vessels under U.S. Coast
Guard jurisdiction.
WAYBILL:
A document that lists goods and shipping instructions relative to a shipment.
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