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CFTE Glossary
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Mag-lev (or maglev)
Magnetic levitation: A rail transportation system with exclusive right-of-way which is propelled along a fixed guideway system by the attraction or repulsion of magnets on the rails and under the rail cars.
Maintenance
Inspection, overhaul, repair, preservation and the replacement of parts, but excluding preventive maintenance.
Managers of mobility
See mobility managers.
Mandatory Spending
Outlays generally not controllable through the congressional appropriation process. Mandatory amounts are budget authority or outlays that cannot be increased or decreased in a given year without a change in substantive law. Entitlement programs (e.g., food stamps, Medicare, veterans' pensions) are chief examples of mandatory programs, whereby Congress controls spending indirectly, by defining eligibility and setting benefit payment rules, rather than directly through the appropriation process. With regard to the federal-aid highway program, mandatory spending refers to outlays resulting from obligations of contract authority programs not subject to annual obligation limitations, such as Minimum Allocation, Emergency Relief, and Demonstration Project spending.
Manual restraint system
Occupant restraints that require some action, usually buckling, before they are effective. Examples include shoulder belts, lap belts, infant carriers and child safety seats.
Manufactured housing
A factory-built, single-family structure that is built on a permanent chassis and transportable in one or more sections. One of the least expensive forms of housing on the market today and often difficult to distinguish from a site-built house.
Marginal Cost Pricing
Marginal cost pricing is a mechanism of financing and pricing public services. Marginal Cost Pricing charges users the cost of providing one additional unit, i.e. the marginal cost, of a service - sewer, water, electricity, etc. This is in contrast to the average cost pricing of municipal services which charges all users the same rate irrespective or whether they consume the first unit or the last unit of a service. Marginal cost pricing is most applicable in instances where the service is expanded on a small, incremental basis.
Mass transit (or mass transportation)
The term generally used to describe the movement of a large number of people at one time, usually by bus or train. Also another name for public transportation, particularly used from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Mass Transit Account
The federal account, established by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, into which a designated portion of the federal Highway Trust Fund revenue from motor fuel taxes is placed. This account is used for federal public transportation assistance.
Match
State or local funds required by the federal government to complement federal funds for a project. A match also may be required by states in funding projects which are joint state/local efforts.
Mean distance between failures
The average distance in miles that a transit vehicle travels before failure of a vital component forces removal of the vehicle from service.
Mediation
Efforts by an impartial third party to encourage agreement between a labor union and management by counseling each side and facilitating negotiations. Also known as "conciliation."
Medicaid
Also known as Medical Assistance, this is a health care program for low-income and other medically needy persons. It is jointly funded by state and federal governments. The Medicaid program pays for transportation to non-emergency medical appointments if the recipient has no other means to travel to the appointment.
Medical Review Officer (MRO)
An accredited physician who can review the results of drug and alcohol tests for transit employees. A MRO is mandatory for certain transit agencies under the DOT Drug and Alcohol Regulations. The definition and qualifications for a MRO are included in 49 C.F.R. Part 40.
Medium-sized bus
A bus that is 29 feet to 34 feet in length.
Methanol
(CH3OH) A colorless, nearly odorless, volatile alcohol used in transportation as a vehicle fuel by itself or blended with gasoline. Also an alternative fuel; a liquid alcohol fuel with vapor heavier than air; primarily produced from natural gas.
Metropolitan planning area
The geographic area in which the metropolitan transportation planning process required by 23 U.S. Code 134 and Section 8 of the Federal Transit Act (49U.S. Code app.1607) must be carried out.
Metropolitan planning organization (MPO)
The forum for cooperative transportation decision making for a metropolitan area. Formed in cooperation with the state, develops transportation plans and programs for the metropolitan area. For each urbanized area, the MPO must be designated by agreement between the Governor and local units of government, representing 75 percent of the affected population (in the metropolitan area), including the central city or cities defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, or in accordance with procedures established by applicable state or local law (23U.S. Code 134(b)(1)/Federal Transit Act of 1991 Sec.8(b)(1)). (FHWA) Also: The organization designated by local elected officials as being responsible for carrying out the urban transportation and other planning processes for an area. A local agency responsible for developing a long-range transportation plan and a short-range transportation improvement program, including funding sources, for the urbanized area as well as adjacent areas that will become urbanized.
Metropolitan rail
(Or "metro") Another name for "heavy rail."
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
Area defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. An MSA is: 1) a county or group of contiguous counties that contains at least one city of 50,000 inhabitants or more, or 2) an urbanized area of at least 50,000 inhabitants and a total MSA population of at least 100,000 inhabitants (75,000 in New England). The contiguous counties are included in an MSA if, according to certain criteria, they are essentially metropolitan in character and are socially and economically integrated with the central city or cities. In New England, MSAs consist of towns and cities rather than counties.
Midday period
The period of time between the end of the a.m. peak and the beginning of the p.m. peak.
Minivan
Type of small van that first appeared with the designation in 1984. Any of the smaller vans built on an automobile-type frame.
Minority business enterprise
A business owned and operated by one or more individuals who are defined as minorities under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. See also "disadvantaged business enterprise."
Mitigation Measure
When environmental impact or potential impact is identified, measures that may be proposed to eliminate, avoid, rectify, compensate for, or reduce those environmental effects.
Mixed-use
In land-use and transit planning, generally refers to different compatible land uses located within a single structure or in close proximity to each other. For example, buildings with retail space at street level and apartments above.
Mobile office
A type of telecommute in which workers are equipped with the tools, technology and skills to perform their jobs from anywhere the person has to be -- home, office or customer's location. Also known as a "virtual office."
Mobility managers
Transit systems which expand their role to include services and approaches beyond traditional public transportation to include ridesharing, high occupancy vehicle programs, public education on transit's benefits and integration of land use, air quality and transportation decisions; the phrase was developed as part of the industry's "Transit 2000" policy effort undertaken in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Modal split
A term which describes how many people use alternative forms of transportation. Frequently used to describe the percentage of people using private automobiles as opposed to the percentage using public transportation.
Mode
Transit service operated in a particular format. There are two types: fixed-route and non-fixed-route. Transportation planners, decisionmakers and analysts refer to the means of transportation as the "mode." Also, the types of transportation available for use, such as rail, bus, vanpool, personal vehicle or bicycle.
Model
An analytical tool (often mathematical) used by transportation planners to assist in making forecasts of land use, economic activity, travel activity and their effects on the quality of resources such as land, air and water.
Modification
Federal government action, including legislation or administrative action, that alters the estimated subsidy cost and the present value of outstanding direct loans (or direct loan obligations), or the liability of loan guarantees (or loan guarantee commitments). Direct modifications change the subsidy cost by altering the terms of existing contracts or by selling loan assets. Indirect modifications are actions that change the subsidy cost by legislation that alters the way in which an outstanding portfolio of direct loans or loan guarantees is administered. The term modification does not include subsidy cost reestimates, the routine administrative workouts of troubled loans, and actions that are permitted within the existing contract terms.
Modified grid street pattern
In land-use and transit planning, a network of streets that is similar to a grid street pattern except that it is modified to incorporate curves in roadways or diagonally directed streets. This pattern is useful in areas where the roadway design must be sensitive to topography, existing development or other pre-existing constraints.
Modified van
A standard van which has undergone some structural changes, usually made to increase its size and particularly its height. The seating capacity of modified vans is approximately nine to 18 passengers. Certain modified vans also may be referred to as "cutaway vans."
Monorail
An electrical railway in which a car or train of cars is suspended from or straddles a fixed guideway formed by a single beam or rail (or tube). Most monorails are either heavy rail systems or automated guideway systems.
Morphology
Term used to describe form and structure.
Motor bus
A rubber-tired, self-propelled, manually steered vehicle with fuel supply carried on board the vehicle.
MPA
Metropolitan planning area
MPO
See: "Metropolitan planning organization"
MRO (Medical Review Officer)
An accredited physician who can review the results of drug and alcohol tests for transit employees. A MRO is mandatory for certain transit agencies under the DOT Drug and Alcohol Regulations. The definition and qualifications for a MRO are included in 49 C.F.R. Part 40.
MSA
See: "Metropolitan Statistical Area"
Multimodal
Accomodating various modes of surface transportation including bicycles, pedestrians, transit vehicles, ferries, trains and personal vehicles. Also see "intermodal."
Multiple land use
In land-use and transit planning, generally refers to different compatible land uses located within a defined area.
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