Glossary (Under Construction – Coming Soon!)

Term Definition
3-C Planning Process A description of the type of planning process used by metropolitan planning organizations such as COMPASS to develop transportation plans. The three “C’s” stand for “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive.”

A

Access Management The regulation of interchanges, intersections, driveways, and median openings to a roadway. Access management is used to maintain roadway safety and mobility by controlling access location, design, spacing, and operation. Examples of access management include restricting the number of driveways into a parking lot, routing cars on frontage roads, and restricting left-turns out of driveways.
ACHD Commuteride Ada County Highway District’s commuter services program. The program provides a network of vanpools, coordinates ridesharing, manages park-and-ride lots, and provides assistance to area employers regarding alternative transportation options.
ADA Ada County Highway District’s commuter services program. The program provides a network of vanpools, coordinates ridesharing, manages park-and-ride lots, and provides assistance to area employers regarding alternative transportation options.
Ada County Highway District (ACHD) The agency responsible for Ada County’s roads and bridges, except for those managed by the Idaho Transportation Department. It is the only countywide highway district in the State of Idaho and encompasses all roadways in unincorporated Ada County as well as those in Ada County’s cities.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) A federal law mandating sweeping changes in building codes, transportation, and hiring practices to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Apportionment The amount of money Congress authorizes for each funding program in a Congressional funding bill.
Appropriation The amount of funding contained within a Congressional bill that authorizes the government to spend money for a certain program.
Area of (City) Impact The land area surrounding the limits of a city, negotiated between each individual city and the county in which it lies. Each city has comprehensive planning authority for its area of impact, but until annexation occurs, zoning and development entitlement is handled by the county.
Arterial Street A class of street serving major traffic, but not designated as a highway. Examples of arterials in Ada and Canyon Counties include Cleveland Boulevard in Caldwell, 12th Avenue in Nampa, and Fairview Avenue in Boise/Meridian.
At-grade Intersection An intersection where all vehicles pass through the intersection at ground level, or “at grade.” There is no grade separation (overpass or underpass).
Average Daily Traffic (ADT) The average number of vehicles passing a fixed point in a 24-hour time frame. A convention for measuring traffic volume.

B

Base Year The baseline or lead-off year of a study or analysis. The year to which other years are compared.
Bikeway A facility, such as a path or bike lane, intended to accommodate bicycle travel for recreational or commuting purposes.
[COMPASS] Board of Directors COMPASS’ governing body, consisting primarily of local elected officials representing COMPASS member agencies.
Boise Cutoff The section of the rail line between the City of Nampa and the City of Boise north of Interstate 84.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) A transit system that looks and feels like a rail system but operates like a bus system with rubber tires and no rail. BRT may or may not operate on a dedicated lane.
Bypass Lane A right-turn lane where transit vehicles are not required to turn right, gaining the ability to travel through an intersection without waiting in a queue of vehicles. Also called a “queue jump lane.”

C

Capacity A transportation facility’s ability to accommodate a stream of people or vehicles in a given time period. Increased capacity can come from adding lanes or building more roads, adding more public transportation options, or other sources.
Capital (project) A project or purchase that involves purchasing or building a “thing,” as opposed to a purchase of a service. For example, buying a bus or building a road are capital purchases/ projects, while operating a bus or maintaining a road are not.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) A medium- to long-range plan to coordinate funding and phasing of capital projects.
Capital Program Funds A medium- to long-range plan to coordinate funding and phasing of capital projects.
Carpool An arrangement where two or more people share the use and cost of privately owned automobiles in traveling to and from pre-arranged destinations together.
Categorical Exclusion (CE or Cat Ex) One potential outcome of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Categorical exclusions apply to projects that do not have a significant impact on the human and natural environment.
Census An official count of a population. Most commonly, “the Census” is referring to the decennial census, which is conducted every ten years (years ending in “0”) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The decennial census is required by the U.S. Constitution.
Census Tract A small, relatively permanent subdivision of a county that is delineated following guidelines set by the US Census Bureau.
CFR Code of Federal Regulations. Federal interpretation of United States law.
CIM Communities in Motion, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties.
CIP Capital Improvement Program. A medium- to long-range plan to coordinate funding and phasing of capital projects.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Federal interpretation of United States law.
Collector Any street that primarily moves traffic from local roads to arterials.
Communities in Motion (CIM): The regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties. The plan serves as the defining vision for the Treasure Valley’s transportation systems and services and indicates the transportation improvements scheduled for funding over the next 20 years. CIM was originally adopted in 2006 and updated in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. “Communities in Motion” is often accompanied by a year (e.g., Communities in Motion 2050), which indicates the horizon year of that specific Communities in Motion plan.
Communities in Motion 2050 (CIM 2050) Vision The “preferred growth scenario” for Communities in Motion 2050. The Communities in Motion 2050 Vision illustrates the amount, type, and location of growth forecasted to the year 2050 for Ada and Canyon Counties, ID. Created using input from local stakeholders, including the public, the CIM 2050 Vision guides development of the long-range transportation plan, Communities in Motion 2050. Both the Communities in Motion 2050 plan and Vision support safety, convenience, economic vitality, and quality of life for all residents.
COMPASS Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho
Complete Network An approach to designing a transportation system to ensure that the entire system serves all users — pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motor vehicle drivers, as well as freight needs — based on the land use contexts and role in the overall system. The concept of a “complete network” differs from a “complete street” in that it does not strive for all roadways to serve all needs for all people, but rather considers the context of land uses, roadway users, roadway typologies, and parallel routes, combined, to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system for all.
Complete Street A concept in transportation design that strives to ensure roadways serve all users.
Congestion Management System (CMS) A systematic process for managing traffic congestion. A CMS provides information on transportation system performance and finds productive ways to manage the growth of congestion and enhance the mobility of people and goods, to levels that meet state and local needs.