Glossary

AADT usually represents a metric of traffic flow measured for a segment of roadway.

Nonprofit organization funded by state departments of transportation. Provides information, research, and general support for surface transportation in the United States.

ACS is a Census Bureau product based on nationwide sampling which provides statistical information on social, economic, and housing characteristics of the population.

Awarded through the APA, AICP certification is a nationally recognized credential of a planner’s qualifications and dedication to the profession.

Nonprofit support organization for MPOs like Metroplan.

Nonprofit organization for planning professionals.

(formerly AHTD, Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department)

A set of regulations and policies within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that prioritizes the use of American-made materials in federally funded infrastructure projects.

Citizen body which supports and advocates for biking and bikers.

Provides economic analysis with detailed data on GDP and income.

Provides detailed employment and unemployment statistics.

Often used in conjunction with Central Arkansas’ Energy and Environment Innovation Plan.

Taxpayer-funded program by ARDOT to improve roadway infrastructure in the state.

Ongoing transportation planning effort by Metroplan for Central Arkansas.

A program is designed to finance projects in commercial and multifamily buildings centered around energy efficiency, alternative energy, building resiliency, and water conservation.

A program of EPA’s Air and Radiation Division, which awarded a total of $99.9 million to three regions in Arkansas in 2024 – Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, and the City of Fort Smith.

An Arkansas initiative, funded by CPRG, to plan for air quality improvement and emissions reductions in the Natural State.

A financing mechanism that allows organizations to implement energy efficiency and infrastructure improvements without upfront capital, where the project costs are paid back through guaranteed savings generated from the resulting energy and operational improvements over time. 

Branch of USDOT which funds highways.

Atmospheric gases, both natural and human-made, that trap heat radiating from Earth’s surface, preventing it from escaping into space and thereby warming the planet through a process known as the greenhouse effect. 

Typically this term refers to vehicles with at least two persons riding.

Assessment of building to identify energy-saving opportunities.

A green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.

A qualitative measure used to relate the quality of motor vehicle traffic service. LOS is used to analyze roadways and intersections by categorizing traffic flow and assigning quality levels of traffic based on performance measure like vehicle speed, density, and congestion.

Process to assess and quantify energy savings from energy efficiency projects, ensuring that the expected savings are actually achieved.

What Metroplan is. All metropolitan areas in the United States are required to designate an MPO to coordinate and guide transportation investments.

A county or counties designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) based on population density and commuting flows.

A White House Agency.

Local resource providing GIS services, including an online browsing tool.

Often used in conjunction with Central Arkansas’ Energy and Environment Innovation Plan.

In traffic, right-of-way is the legal priority to move first in a situation. On property, it’s the established right to pass through someone else’s land for a specific purpose, such as a public path or utility line.

Central Arkansas’ public transit system offering bus, streetcar, paratransit, and microtransit services to Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Sherwood, Conway, and surrounding Pulaski County areas.

A standing Metroplan Board Committee designed to address the unique transportation and planning needs of the smaller cities within the Metroplan membership area, while fostering collaboration and the sharing of best practices in governance among these communities.

This federal grant program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

A federal grant program offering flexible funding provided via ARDOT to preserve and improve the conditions and performance on any Federal-aid highway, bridge and tunnel projects, public roads, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and transit capital projects.

State transportation funding plan that is the state counterpart to the regional TIP (see below).

Provides federal funds to states for smaller-scale infrastructure and community projects, such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails, safe routes to schools, and environmental mitigation, to expand travel choices and improve safety for non-motorized users.

Small geographic area serving as a node of origin and destination for traffic within a TDM (see below). TAZs connect localized socioeconomic data with traffic flows.

Body of selected transportation professionals and providing guidance for planning decisions made by the Metroplan Board.

Computer simulation which connects socioeconomic factors with transportation infrastructure. A TDM can simulate how changes in population, employment and other factors affect traffic flows.

A short-range project implementation tool developed by the MPO in consultation with the state. All surface transportation projects using federal funds must be listed on the TIP and prioritized. Updated every three years for the CARTS area. The local TIP must conform to the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program).

An urbanized area with over 200,000 population. TMAs receive attributed STP funds and are subject to specific federal planning requirements. CARTS is a TMA.

An urban planning strategy that creates compact, mixed-use communities within walking distance of public transit stations to encourage walking, biking, and transit use while reducing car dependence and preserving rural areas.

Research, information and support body for transportation planning within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

A region of high population density as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, typically at or above 1,000 persons per square mile. Similar to but not the same as an MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area).

A global, non-profit research and education organization dedicated to responsible land use and creating thriving communities.

A document prepared annually by Metroplan of officially endorsed surface transportation planning activities and budgets carried out in the CARTS area in coordination with FHWA, ARDOT,  and Rock Region METRO.

A form of air pollutant that can contribute to formation of ground-level ozone.

The dollar cost of a project per metric ton of carbon dioxide or equivalent emissions reduced or sequestered by the project (CPRG’s main evaluation criteria).