Definitions

Definitions

AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) – A nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO serves as a liaison between state departments of transportation and the federal government. AASHTO is instrumental in providing technical standards and guidance documents that are commonly used for design, construction of highways and bridges, materials, and many other technical areas.

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) – Construction methods which utilize and apply innovative planning, design, material, and/or construction techniques to reduce the number of onsite construction days required and potentially minimize traffic disruption.

Access Control – The limiting and regulating of public and private access to highways.

Access Management – The practice of controlling ingress and egress to and from abutting properties to preserve or improve facility service and to reduce crash frequency and severity.

Addendum/ Addenda – Bid proposal revision(s) issued after advertisement and before the bid opening date.

Advanced Acquisition – The acquisition of any interest in real property prior to approval of final right-of-way plans for the project.

Advanced Acquisition Committee – A committee which must approve all of DelDOT’s proposed advanced acquisitions. Upon approval, the project team may start negotiations with the affected property owner.

Advertisement – A public announcement inviting proposals for the work to be performed or material to be furnished.

Advisory Committee – A group of project stakeholders selected to directly obtain feedback and potentially recommendations during the project development process. The people who participate on the advisory committee may be selected at random, selected to represent a particular homogeneous group, or selected to provide expert opinion.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) – An independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of the nation’s diverse historic resources. Additionally, the agency advises the United States President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.

After the Fact Waiver – A form that is completed when goods or services, exceeding a threshold value, are requisitioned from and provided by a vendor before funds had not been properly obligated.

Allocation – A distribution of funds to states with qualifying projects through general administrative criteria provided in law.

Allotment – Money that is “set aside” within authorized funds for a purchase order. The allotment balance is all allotments less expenditures and encumbrance balances.

Alternative Project Delivery – A project delivery method other than DelDOT’s traditional design-bid-build contracting method.

Alternatives Analysis – A process where alternatives are developed, analyzed, and compared against each other. The analysis is complete once a preferred alternative is determined.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – Federal legislation passed in 1990 which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.

Apportionment – A distribution of funds to states through a formula prescribed within statute.

As-acquired – The actual acquisitions that were acquired versus what was called for in the plans.

At-grade Intersection – A crossing of two or more roadways that occur at the same level.

Attainment Area – A geographic area where air pollution levels consistently stay below the NAAQS established under the Clean Air Act and which are not considered maintenance areas.

August Redistribution – A redistribution of federal transportation funds that occurs near the end of the federal fiscal year. The redistribution gives state DOTs access to any anticipated unused obligation limitation, allowing them to commit additional funds beyond their initial share by the end of the fiscal year on September 30th.

Authorization – Authorization at the state level consists of a cost limit being approved by the General Assembly through the annual Bond Bill. All state authorization is given at the start of a new phase. Authorization at the federal level is provided by the in-effect federal authorization act. Authorization approval for a phase is provided through FMIS approval.

Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) – The total yearly traffic volume divided by the number of days in the year.

Average Daily Traffic (ADT) – The total traffic volume during a given time period in whole days greater than one day and less than one-year divided by the number of days in that time period.

Base Course – The layer or layers of specified or selected material of designated thickness placed on a subbase to support a surface course.

Baseline – A two-dimensional line with curvature that acts as a reference for either construction or right-of-way purposes. Baselines are also commonly referred to as an alignment.

Best Management Practices – Schedules of activities, prohibition of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices or measures to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants during storm events.

Bid Phase – The portion of the project development process when the Invitation to Bid and the other contract documents are publicly advertised for prospective bidders to review, submit questions, and potentially offer bid.

Bid Tabulations – A summary of bids received organized by bidder and bid item detail.

Blanket Easement – An easement that has an undefined boundary or location, meaning the easement applies to the entire parcel of land.

Bond Bill – The State’s capital spending plan.

Borrow – Soil removed from a designated location for the purpose of providing embankment/fill material at another site.

Breakout Sheet – A worksheet that is included in the Invitation to Bid package wherein a lump sum pay item is broken into smaller and more easily quantifiable line items. Typical elements that utilize breakout sheets include various utility work, tree plantings, and certain rehabilitation work.

Brownfield – Real property where it is either known or there is a reasonably held belief that the property is environmentally contaminated which have entered into the Brownfield Program.

Byway – A designation for a roadway in recognition of its scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, and archaeological value to the State.

Byway Program – A program established by Delaware’s General Assembly to encourage and coordinate state actions and the activities of others which relate to the development, protection, promotion, operation and management of portions of Delaware’s highway system which have scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, and archaeological value.

Capacity Analysis – An evaluation performed to evaluate the operational characteristics of a facility in terms of defined performance measures.

Capital Transportation Plan (CTP) – A staged, multi-year, statewide intermodal program comprised of transportation projects and programs that are consistent with the Long-Range Transportation Plan. The CTP can be viewed as the culmination of the statewide planning process. The CTP serves to program planned expenditures by fiscal year and by project phase for capital projects. Delaware Code requires that the CTP cover 6-years and be updated at least every 2-years.

Categorical Exclusion (CE) – Actions that normally do not individually or cumulatively have a significant environmental effect. CEs do not induce significant impacts to planned growth or land use for the area; do not require the relocation of significant numbers of people; do not have a significant impact on any natural, cultural, recreational, historic or other resource; do not involve significant air, noise, or water quality impacts; do not have significant impacts on travel patterns; or do not otherwise, either individually or cumulatively, have any significant environmental impacts.

Chief Engineer – A DelDOT position established in [placeholderlinkhere 17 Del. C. § 111(c)]. The Chief Engineer oversees DelDOT’s Division of Transportation Solutions.

Clean Air Act – Federal legislation initially enacted in 1963. The law authorizes the EPA to establish and enforce NAAQS and to regulate hazardous air pollutants.

Closed Drainage System – A drainage system which uses inlets, pipes, and/or culverts to convey stormwater.

Coastal Barrier – Landscape features that protect the mainland from the full force of wind, storm surges, or other tidal energy.

Coastal Barrier Resources Act – Federal legislation passed in 1982 that protects the nation’s coastal barrier units by prohibiting the expenditure of federal funds to develop these sensitive areas.

Coastal Management Program – A program authorized by the 1972 Coastal Zone Management Act which incentives states to develop their own coastal management program to protect, restore, and establish preservation and development responsibilities.

Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) – Federal legislation passed in 1972 that provides for the management of the nation’s coastal resources, including the Great Lakes.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) – The official consolidation and codification of the general and permanent regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the United States.

Community Cohesion – The concept that programs and activities that receive government financial assistance provide just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability. Community cohesion requires an entity to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations to achieve an equitable distribution of benefits and burdens.

Community Transportation Fund (CTF) – A fund established by the Bond Bill Committee to speed the process of making relatively small local improvements and to put decision-making about priorities into the hands of each community through their elected representatives. Projects funded through the CTF are limited by Rule 12 of the Joint Committee on Capital Improvements Rules.

Compaction – The decrease in volume and porosity of a material by its densification due to an applied force (e.g., rollers).

Complete Streets – An approach to transportation planning and design that prioritizes the creation of a comprehensive, integrated, and connected network that is safe and efficient for all modes of transportation. Achievement of complete streets affords users the opportunity to choose among different transportation modes, both motorized and non-motorized.

Composite Utility Map – A display showing the entire project limits with existing and proposed utility and roadway features included.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) – Provides a federal “superfund” to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. The EPA is delegated the authority to seek out parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the cleanup.

Conformity – A process to assess the consistency of any transportation plan, program, or project with state air quality implementation plans. The transportation conformity process is defined by the Clean Air Act as amended and implemented by [placeholderlinkhere 40 CFR 93].

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) – A flexible funding source available to state and local governments for transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Under the program, funding is made available to reduce congestion and improve air quality for areas that are considered nonattainment or maintenance areas.

Construction Phasing and Sequencing Design – The design practice of selecting work zone management strategies that best balance the needs of stakeholders with exposure levels of potential hazards to the traveling public and workers while maintaining project constructability.

Contaminated Materials Management Plan (CMMP) – A site-specific plan that outlines procedures for handling, managing, and disposing anticipated hazmat.

Context Sensitive Design – A proactive approach to planning and designing improvements to the transportation system that considers each project within the context of its site, while gathering and including information and ideas from the public throughout the planning and design process. Context sensitive design involves a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach in which citizens are part of the project team. It simultaneously advances the objectives of safety, mobility, enhancement of the natural environment, and preservation of community values.

Contingency Management Team (CMT) – A DelDOT group established to manage DelDOT’s contingency funds through approving project cost increases.

Contract Authority – A form of federal budget authority that permits obligations to be made in advance of appropriations.

Contract Road User Costs (RUCs) – A contract management technique where the contractor is assessed either all or a portion of a calculated road user cost as a penalty for violating the contract time restrictions.

Controlling Criteria – The geometric and structural design criterion in which violation requires the processing of a design exception.

Corridor Capacity Preservation Program – A program that performs transportation studies and develops plans with the goal of delaying future transportation network expansion. The program’s focus is to establish development strategies and identify future system expansion in ways that preserve quality of life.

Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contract – A contracting method that reimburses a vendor for allowable direct and indirect costs attributable to the project, plus a negotiated predetermined amount for profit (fixed fee).

Council on Transportation (COT) – A body appointed by the Governor which is responsible for advising the Governor, DelDOT, and other relevant agencies on matters related to transportation. The goal of the COT is to enhance transportation systems, promote economic growth, and improve the overall quality of life for residents and visitors in the State.

Crash Modification Factors – Numerical values applied to an average crash rate in order to compute the number of crashes expected after implementing a countermeasure on a roadway or an intersection.

Critical Habitat – Specific areas occupied by, or which contain physical or biological features that are essential to conservation that may need special management or protection at the time a species is listed as an endangered or threated species under the Endangered Species Act. Critical habitat may also include areas that were not occupied by the species at the time of the listing but are essential to its conservation.

Critical Path Method (CPM) Schedule – A project scheduling method which relies on identifying the longest stretch of dependent activities and measuring the time required to complete them from start to finish.

Cumulative Effects – The incremental effects of an action when added to the impacts of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable actions regardless of what agency or person undertakes such other actions. Cumulative effects can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over time.

Curb – An element placed at the edge of a roadway for a variety of purposes.

Debt Service – Money required to cover the payment of interest and principal on a [placeholderlinkhere loan] or other [placeholderlinkhere debt] for a particular time period.

Deed of Record – A document containing the legal conveyance or transfer of property from one party to another.

Delaware Code – A compilation of all statutory laws in effect in the State of Delaware.

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) – The State agency responsible for environmental protection, conservation, and management.

Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC) – A committee appointed by the Governor that is tasked with performing revenue and expenditure forecasts for both the General Fund and the Transportation Trust Fund. The council is overseen by the State of Delaware’s Department of Finance.

Delaware General Assembly – The two legislative bodies of Delaware State government, comprised of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House. Members of the General Assembly are elected by constituents in legislative districts to represent them in matters of State government.

Delaware Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (DE MUTCD) – The DE MUTCD is a regulatory document that serves as a comprehensive set of standards for all traffic control devices.

Delaware Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – A state agency that plays a central role in designing and implementing the state budget, allocating state resources, coordinating state agency management and budget practices, and supporting government services.

Delaware Sediment and Stormwater Regulations (DSSR) – A set of rules and requirements established to manage and control the adverse impacts of land development activities on water quality and quantity.

Delaware State Historic Preservation Office (DE SHPO) – The State of Delaware’s State Historic Preservation Office created through the federal National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Under the legislation, each state must create their own historic preservation office tasked with surveying and recognizing historic properties, reviewing nominations for properties to be included on the National Register of Historic Places, reviewing undertakings for the impact on the properties, and supporting federal organizations, state and local governments, and the private sector.

Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) – An Operating Division of DelDOT, DTC is the operator and coordinator of public transit services in Delaware. DTC operates fixed route, paratransit, and micro transit services throughout the State and contracts with adjoining transit providers such as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and Cecil County to interconnect the transit networks. In coordination with DelDOT, DTC is responsible for maintaining its existing public transportation infrastructure and for planning future services and needed facilities to provide the highest quality public transportation services that satisfy the needs of the customer and the community.

Delaware Urban Runoff Management Model (DURMM) – A Microsoft Excel based tool used to assess the performance of a stormwater BMP and a project’s compliance under the DSSR.

DelDOT Gateway – A web-based mapping application hosted on the ArcGIS Online cloud platform that consumes both DelDOT mapping services and other services originating from federal, state, and local governmental entities.

Denial of Access – A restriction that prohibits a boundary along a property from having access to an adjacent roadway.

Design Exception – Documentation of the reason(s) for violating one of the controlling criteria. Design exceptions require approval of the Chief Engineer.

Design Guidance Memorandum (DGM) – A document that summarizes DelDOT design policy. Design guidance memorandums are typically intended to be included in future DelDOT manual updates.

Design Hourly Volume (DHV) – The peak hourly traffic volume expected in the 30th highest hour during the chosen design year. This metric accounts for unusual seasonal fluctuations or other conditions that may cause capacity problems.

Design Resource Center – A website managed by DelDOT containing numerous design and project development-related documents.

Design Speed – The speed selected to determine the various geometric features of a roadway.

Design Standards – The geometric and structural design criterion selected for highway design. Design standards are selected through establishment of design controls and design criteria.

Design Team – The staff charged with guiding a project through DelDOT’s project development process. The design team is comprised of a Project Manager and technical design staff.

Design Vehicle – The vehicle type whose characteristics will be accommodated for in a project’s design. Pertinent characteristics of the design vehicle include weight, dimensions, and operating traits.

Developer Contribution – A payment from a developer to DelDOT toward a capital project listed in the CTP.

Developer Reimbursement – An exchange of funds between DelDOT and a property developer when one entity designs and/or constructs a portion of the others proposed work.

Development Coordination Manual – A DelDOT manual with regulatory authority which defines the processes and procedures required to be completed before access to a state-maintained road is constructed or modified.

Direct Effects – Effects of an action that occur at the same time and place as the action.

Direct Expense – Fees for anticipated work which are billed at cost in a contract. Direct expenses include mileage, living and traveling expenses when away from the home office on project-related business, printing, cost of materials directly assignable to the project, postage, parking fees, subconsultants, or other similar items.

Direct Labor – The salary cost of personnel that work on a task.

Directional Distribution (D) – A measure of the highest traffic volume in one direction during peak hours, expressed as a percentage of the DHV. This is important principally with relatively high traffic volumes where capacity is being approached.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program – A program administered by DelDOT’s Office of Civil Rights which requires that a certain percentage of work be performed by a for-profit small business where socially and economically disadvantaged individuals own at least a 51% interest and also control management and daily business operations.

Distribution List – A listing of staff recommended to receive a milestone submission or other information desired to be distributed across the Department.

DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Permit – Permits that are processed through DNREC’s Wetlands and Waterways section.

Dover Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization – Metropolitan planning organization covering Kent County Delaware.

Easement – An interest in real property that conveys a right to use or control a portion of an owner's property or a portion of an owner's rights in the property either temporarily or permanently.

Electronic Design Data Files – Files whose content is generated directly from 3D engineered models.

Electronic File Release Waiver – An agreement signed by parties outlining appropriate uses and limitations of electronic files.

Emergency Project – A project whose need is created after a natural disaster or catastrophic network failure from an external cause.

Encumbrance – Allotted money that has been assigned to a specific entity.

Endangered Species Act (ESA) – Federal legislation passed in 1973 that requires federal and state governments to protect all species threatened with extinction.

Engineer of Record (EoR) – The individual who creates, or causes to be created, engineering work products. The Engineer of Record is in responsible charge of the project design and construction plan development and is expected to comply with all applicable engineering standards, guidelines, policies, regulations, and laws for their project.

Engineering Instruction (EI) – Documents that are published to provide specific technical and typically procedural guidance on a particular element in the project development process.

Engineering Judgement – The process of applying expert knowledge and experience to make informed decisions when faced with unique circumstances.

Entrance Plans – Construction plans that are submitted by a developer to DelDOT for review which define ingress and egress movements onto a site being developed and connected to a state-maintained roadway.

Environmental Assessment (EA) – A NEPA class of action in which the level of environmental impacts do not have a reasonably foreseeable significant effect on the quality of the human environment or for which the significance of the environmental impact is unknown. All actions that are not classified as either a categorical exclusion or an environmental impact statement class of action are EAs. EAs require consultation with interested agencies and other stakeholders as well as public involvement. If it is determined at any point during the EA process that the action is likely to have a significant impact on the environment, the preparation of an EIS is required. If no significant impact is discovered during the EA process, the EA documentation is submitted to the administering federal agency with the recommendation that a Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) be issued which would serve as the project’s environmental documentation.

Environmental Document – An environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, notice of intent, environmental impact statement, or record of decision.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – A NEPA class of action in which the level of environmental impact is considered significant. Examples of transportation actions that normally require an EIS are included in [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 771.115(a)].

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – A federal agency that works to protect human health and the environment.

Environmental Statement – A summary used to specify environmental compliance commitments, restrictions, and substantive permit and/or memorandum of agreement (MOA) special conditions. An environmental statement is provided for all advertised DelDOT contracts and all IDIQ contract work order locations.

Erosion and Sediment Control – The control of solid material, both mineral and organic, during a land disturbing activity, to prevent its transport out of the disturbed area by means of wind, water, gravity, or ice.

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) – Protected designated regions due to the water and substrate contained being necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.

Excursion Rail – A railroad that provides a short outward and return journey by train. Excursion rail is intended to provide entertainment value.

Existing Site Investigation – Activities that are used to assess a project site’s condition, features, or other physical characteristics as part of the project development process.

Exposure Control Measures – Traffic management strategies to avoid work zone crashes involving workers and motorized traffic by eliminating or reducing traffic through the work zone, or diverting traffic away from the work space.

Extra Work – Work that is added to a previously agreed upon scope of work.

Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA) – Federal legislation passed in 1981 with the goal of minimizing the extent to which federal programs contribute to the unnecessary conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – A federal agency that is tasked with overseeing national emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) – An agency of the United States Department of Transportation that supports states and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the nation’s highway system, primarily through the Federal-aid Highway Program.

Federal Highway Trust Fund – A federally maintained financial account into which specific revenue streams are deposited. The fund was initially created to finance the interstate highway system and certain other roads. The fund is currently used to finance the Federal-aid Highway Program.

Federal Project Number – An identification number assigned to a project to assist with project identification and tracking.

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) – An agency of the United States Department of Transportation that oversees the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods by rail.

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – An agency of the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems.

Federal Transportation Authorization Act – Federal legislation which provides the legal authority to operate the Federal-aid Highway Program. The authorization act defines the funding programs within the Federal-aid Highway Program, sets maximum funding levels, and establishes program rules.

Federal-aid Highway Program (FAHP) – An umbrella term, not defined in law, which in general refers to most of the federal programs providing highway funds to the states. When used in a budgetary context, Federal-aid Highway Program specifically refers to highway programs financed by contract authority out of the Highway Account of the federal Highway Trust Fund, plus any Highway Trust Fund supplemental appropriations for the Emergency Relief program.

Federal-aid Projects – Projects which utilize federal funds. Federal-aid projects for DelDOT are typically part of the Federal-aid Highway Program.

Fee Simple – The greatest possible interest in land with full rights of ownership.

Financial Management and Information Systems (FMIS) – Accounting software used by the FHWA.

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) – A document presenting an agency's determination that a proposed action does not require the issuance of an environmental impact statement.

First State Financials (FSF) – The official accounting system used by the State of Delaware.

Fiscal Constraint – Occurs when the projects listed in MTP, TIP, and STIP include sufficient financial information to demonstrate that the plan can be implemented using committed, available, or reasonably available revenue sources, with assurance that the federally supported transportation system is being adequately operated and maintained.

Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS) – The system used by FHWA and state DOTs to establish project agreements and record Federal-aid fund obligations. The system is used to record various project related information as part of the project agreement.

Fiscal Year (FY) – An accounting period that lasts one year. The State of Delaware’s fiscal year extends from July 1st to June 30th while the federal fiscal year extends from October 1st to September 30th.

Fixed Fee – A cost that is intended to compensate the vendor for contingencies, interest on invested capital, readiness to serve, disallowed overhead items, and profit.

Flexible Pavement – Roadway pavement comprised of a binder and aggregate that is designed to maintain intimate contact with and distribute loads to the subgrade. Flexible pavement structures rely upon aggregate interlock, particle friction, and cohesion for stability.

Floodplain – Areas of land adjacent to a waterbody that help mitigate the effects of flooding during an event by capturing and holding excess water.

Floodway – The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that are under water or otherwise reserved to carry and discharge the overflow of water caused by flooding.

Force Account – A construction payment method where the entity performing the construction work is reimbursed for their actual costs of labor, materials, equipment, and overhead and are provided an additional fee for profit.

Forestlands – As defined by [placeholderlinkhere 3 Del. C. § 902 (6)], “a contiguous area of trees or forest cover at least 10 acres in size which is capable of being timbered and reforested as determined by the State Forester.”

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – The term assigned to the laws that require either the full or partial disclosure of information and documents controlled by government. The governing federal law is contained in [placeholderlinkhere 5 U.S.C. 552] while Delaware’s implementing regulations are contained in [placeholderlinkhere 29 Del. C. Chapter 100].

Freight Rail – A railroad line that is designed and operated to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers.

Frontage Road – A roadway provided adjacent to a higher functional classification roadway for the purpose of segregating local traffic from higher speed through traffic.

Functional Classification – A categorization system in which roadways are classified based on the type of trips, mix of traffic, accessibility to the facility, and the overall role of the facility in the total transportation system. The functional classification provides key insight into a roadway’s intended function in the transportation network.

Funds Allocation for Capital Transportation System (FACTS) – A DelDOT financial program that tracks estimates, authorizations, obligations, and spend information on a detailed project level. FACTS also interfaces with and communicates information between financial programs.

General Description – Included in the invitation to Bid Package and consists of information including but not limited to; location, description, completion time, prospective bidders notes, anticipated notices to proceed, special notices, bidding criteria, construction sequence notes, road user costs, modifications to liquidated damages, addenda issued, questions and answers published, prebid meeting transcripts, construction items units of measure, and table of contents.

General Notices – A section of the Invitation to Bid package that defines the governing federal and state regulations which the contract is subject to.

Geodetic Control – A network that consists of stable, identifiable points with published datum values derived from observations that tie the points together.

Geographic Information System (GIS) – A computer system used for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface.

Grant – A funding source where applicants compete for award against submittals from other perspective grantees.

Grantee – An entity applying for a grant.

Grantor – The entity administering and awarding a grant.

Green Book – The term commonly given to AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets based on its green color. The Green Book serves as the primary national road design reference.

Grouped Project – An individual project which has been grouped under a line-item program in the CTP. Specific projects within program lines are typically relatively inexpensive improvements compared to standalone CTP projects.

Hazard Elimination Program (HEP) – A program that identifies high crash locations and makes recommendations to reduce the severity and frequency of the crashes. This is done through identifying locations with statistically significant crash patterns or rates, conducting engineering studies (such as road safety audits and other safety assessments or reviews), and developing potential solutions.

Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act (HSCA) – A State of Delaware Act that gives DNREC the ability to ensure cleanup of facilities with a release or imminent threat release of hazardous substances. The act is intended to address hazmat sites that are not remediated under the federal Superfund program.

Hazmat – A commonly used acronym for “hazardous material”. Hazardous materials are substances that have been determined capable of posing an unreasonable risk to public health and the environment.

Hazmat Remedial Design and Implementation – The third and final phase in the DelDOT Hazmat process. The phase consists of planning the remediation work, obtaining approvals from regulatory agencies, preparing contract language to dictate and control the remediation work, and ultimately either performing or overseeing the remediation work.

Hazmat Site Investigation – Phase 2 in the DelDOT Hazmat process. This phase consists of performing field investigations to determine the limits, nature, site specific risks, and extent of any hazmat.

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) – A program with the goal of reducing fatalities and serious injuries resulting from crashes on all public roads.

Historic Properties or Structures – Any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion on, the National Register of Historic Places, including artifacts, records, and material remains related to such a property or resource.

Horizontal Alignment – A two-dimensional plan view representation of a roadway’s location with no vertical element considered. A horizontal alignment is comprised of horizontal curves and straight-line tangents around a reference.

Inactive Federally Participating Project – A project that utilizes Federal-aid Highway Program funds and which hasn’t had an expenditure in over 12 months.

Incentives/Disincentives – A contract management provision which compensates the contractor a certain amount of money for each day identified critical work is completed ahead of schedule and assesses a deduction for each day the contractor overruns the incentive/disincentive time.

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract – This contract type provides for an indefinite quantity of services for a fixed time. This contract type is commonly referred to as an “open end” agreement. IDIQ contracts are intended for the performance of a number of routine or specialized tasks under a single professional service agreement or construction contract.

Indemnification – The act of providing protection to a party from loss or damages resulting from another’s actions.

Independent Utility – An improvement is considered to have independent utility when the result of the improvement will be usable and be a reasonable expenditure even if no additional transportation improvements in the area are made.

Indirect Effects – Effects from an action that occur later in time or are farther removed in distance from the action but are still reasonably foreseeable.

Initial Environmental Evaluation – An assessment conducted as part of the initial project baselining activity that informs the design team of the environmental coordination related processes and deliverables which will need to be accounted for during their initial baselining effort.

Intelligent Transportation Management System (ITMS) – A coordinated system that uses sensing, analysis, control, and communication technologies to ease congestion, improve traffic management, minimize environmental impact, and increase the benefits of transportation to all users.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Devices – Electronics, communications, or information processing systems used singly or in combination to improve the efficiency and safety of a transportation network. ITS devices are part of an Integrated Transportation Management System (ITMS) network.

Interagency Agreement – An agreement between DelDOT and another state agency.

Interchange – A system of interconnecting roadways placed on different grade levels with connecting ramps provided to allow movement between the roadways.

Invitation to Bid – The portion of the advertisement package that includes the Bid Proposal and is sometimes referred to as the “Request for Proposals” or “RFP”.

Joint Use Agreements – An agreement which lays out the terms and conditions for two entities to share the use of a single facility.

Landscaping – Plantings or other vegetation outside of DelDOT’s typical grass seeding applications used for a variety of project specific purposes.

Legal Description – The description of real estate that is specific enough to uniquely identify it as distinct from all other properties. A land’s legal description is typically provided in a metes and bounds format.

Legislative Briefings – A meeting used to update members of the Delaware General Assembly on project progress which will in turn, allow them to keep their constituents updated.

Level-of-Service (LOS) – A qualitative measure used to rate a facility’s quality of traffic service. The measure is based upon performance measures including vehicle speed, density, and congestion and other physical facility features.

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis - An economic evaluation technique that considers initial and future agency costs, road user costs, and other relevant costs over a defined period to provide a comparative cost between alternatives.

Lift – A layer of similar material placed as part of a construction activity. Common applications are lifts of soil in an embankment or lifts of bituminous concrete in a pavement structure.

Limits of Construction (LOC) – The boundaries that define the area within which the contractor must confine its work.

Liquidated Damages – An amount due and payable to DelDOT by a contractor if the contractor fails to complete the contract within the time specified in the contract.

Local Public Agencies – Any city, county, township, municipality, or other political subdivision that may be empowered to cooperate with the state transportation department in highway matters.

Long-Range Transportation Plan – The official, statewide, multimodal, transportation plan covering a period of no less than 20 years developed through the statewide transportation planning process.

Maintenance Agreements – An agreement between DelDOT and either a public or private entity which establishes maintenance roles and responsibilities between the parties.

Maintenance Area – A geographic area where air pollution levels had designated the area as nonattainment and subsequently been redesignated to attainment.

Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) – The process of establishing a work zone which allows for the movement of traffic around a construction or maintenance activity. Maintenance of traffic is sometimes referred to as temporary traffic control.

Maintenance Road Number – The number assigned to each state owned and/or maintained road by county.

Major Project – A Federal-aid Project funded under Title 23 with an estimated total cost of $500 Million or more. Major Projects are required to submit a project management plan and an annual financial plan to FHWA for review in accordance with the Stewardship and Oversight agreement between DelDOT and FHWA.

Materially Unbalanced Bid – a bid which generates a reasonable doubt that award to the bidder submitting a mathematically unbalanced bid will result in the lowest ultimate cost.

Mathematically Unbalanced Bid – A bid containing lump sum or unit bid items which do not reflect reasonable actual costs plus a reasonable proportionate share of the bidder's anticipated profit, overhead costs, and other indirect costs.

Median – The portion of a highway that separates opposing directions of travel.

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) – A legal document that describes a partnership or agreement entered into to achieve an agreed upon objective or to complete a project.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – An agreement entered into by two or more parties in a formal but not necessarily legally binding document. The document signals the intent and willingness of the parties to move toward a common objective.

Metes and bounds – Typically used to describe the limits of real property. Metes are the bearing directions and distances from point to point along the boundary, while bounds are a more general description of where the metes are located, such as along the property line of adjacent lands/owner, a road right-of-way, a certain watercourse, or other physical feature.

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) – A regional entity designated by federal law with responsibility for developing transportation plans and programs for urbanized areas of 50,000 or more in population.

Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) – The official multimodal transportation plan addressing no less than a 20-year planning horizon that a metropolitan planning organization develops, adopts, and updates through the metropolitan transportation planning process.

Microtransit – A curb to curb transit service provided within a designated service area.

Milestone Submittal – Key points within the project development process in which the Project Manager has decided to transmit work products to key stakeholders.

Miscellaneous Improvement Projects – Projects that do not readily fit into the other project types and are typically performed beyond the existing edge of pavement. They may also include improvements within the roadway intended to improve safety which do not degrade the existing highway geometrics.

Mitigation Bank – A site where wetlands and/or other aquatic resources or natural habitats are restored, created, enhanced, or in exceptional circumstances, preserved, expressly for the purpose of providing compensatory mitigation in advance of authorized impacts to similar resources.

Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT) – Air toxics emitted by motorized vehicles.

Monumentation – Markers that distinguish boundaries associated with property interests.

Municipality – A city, town, or other entity that has corporate status and local government.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) – Established under the Clean Air Act to gauge a geographic region’s air quality compared to a national benchmark criterion.

National Bridge Inventory (NBI) – A database compiled by the FHWA with information on all bridges and tunnels in the United States that have roads passing above or below them.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – Federal legislation enacted in 1969 and signed into law in 1970 that establishes a process intended to ensure that actions that are performed by federal agencies or that utilize federal funds, examine and consider the potential environmental effects of the proposed action. The process demands that agencies utilize a systematic interdisciplinary approach to balance infrastructure need with potential effects to the human and natural environment to reach a decision that is in the best overall public interest.

National Highway System (NHS) – Routes included on the NHS are, interstate highways, other principal arterials, highways on the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET), major STRAHNET connectors, intermodal connectors, and other routes as approved by the FHWA. National Highway System routes are roadways important to the nation’s economy, defense, and mobility.

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) – Federal legislation enacted in 1966 which establishes the National Register and the process for adding properties to it.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) – A federal program that regulates point source discharges.

National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) – The United States government’s official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or great artistic value.

Navigable Waterway of the United States – As defined by [placeholderlinkhere 33 CFR 329], a navigable waterway of the United States are those waters that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, or have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport interstate or foreign commerce.

New Construction Project – A project that consists of all new construction on a new alignment where no road is present for the majority of the project.

New Task – The first professional services provided by a vendor for an individual project or phase of a project.

No-Build Alternative – A project scoping alternative which includes no upgrades that would change the road’s operation or extend its service life and instead, would only continue the routine maintenance of the existing facility.

Nonattainment Area – A geographic area where air pollution levels exceed the NAAQS established under the Clean Air Act.

Non-Reporting Permit – A United States Army Corps of Engineers permit type that does not require the applicant to formally notify the United States Army Corps of Engineers prior to a project’s construction occurring.

Notice to Proceed (NTP) – A statement provided by DelDOT that work on a planned task can commence. Notice to proceed for professional services are issued by DelDOT’s Division of Finance. Notices to proceed are not issued until the associated purchase order has reconciled in FACTS and in FSF.

Obligation – The federal government’s commitment to reimburse for the federal share of an approved project’s eligible costs. This commitment occurs when the project phase is approved.

Obligation Plan – A four-year listing of federally funded projects summarized from the first four years of the CTP showing the State project number, FHWA/FTA program code and name, project title, and FHWA/FTA funds to be obligated, and the planned spend in each of the four years.

On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program – A program administered by DelDOT’s Office of Civil Rights which provides training opportunities for women, minorities, and disadvantaged persons in the highway construction industry.

Open Drainage System – A drainage system which uses ditches, swales, or other natural or man-made channels to convey water.

Open End Contract – See Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity.

Operating Budget – The sum of DelDOT’s operating expenses.

Operating Expense – A cost incurred by DelDOT to operate the existing transportation system.

Overhead – A cost that considers expenses that are outside of direct labor, and which are not directly attributable to a project. Overhead expenses include costs related to office space, taxes and insurance, business development expenses, and employee benefits that are not related to salary like insurance benefits, time off, unemployment taxes, social security taxes, and retirement benefits.

Paratransit – A transit service designed for customers with disabilities which provides door to door service.

Park-and-Ride – A facility designated to provide parking and/or staging space for travelers to transfer from a private vehicle to another mode of transportation.

Passenger Rail – A railroad line that is designed and operated to transport human passengers as opposed to cargo.

Pavement Coring – A cylinder of pavement material (Portland cement concrete, hot mix asphalt, or other solid material) extracted from a road or bridge surface with a hollow drill bit, usually for purposes of discovery or testing.

Pavement Design – The practice of assessing location condition and predicted traffic needs to provide a safe, durable, and cost-effective roadway pavement structure.

Pavement Structural Number – An empirical value used in flexible pavement design that represents the overall structural strength or capacity of the pavement section.

Pavement Structure – The combination of material lifts such as subbase, base course, and surface course placed on a subgrade to support the traffic load and distribute it to the roadbed.

Payment Voucher – A method of recording payments made to vendors. DelDOT’s Division of Finance creates payment vouchers in the State’s finance system that matches invoiced amounts.

Peak-Hour Traffic (PHT) – The traffic volume during an interval shorter than a day, usually one hour, that reflects the frequently repeated rush-hour periods.

Pedestrian Access Route (PAR) – An accessible, continuous, and unobstructed path of travel for use by pedestrians with disabilities within a pedestrian circulation path.

Percent Trucks – The portion of trucks in the total traffic volume on a roadway, expressed as percentage of all vehicles.

Permit Modification – A change to a permit application submitted by an applicant after initial permit application submission to a regulatory agency.

Planning and Environmental Linkage Studies (PEL) – A collaborative and integrated approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the transportation planning process, and uses the information, analysis, and products developed during planning to inform the environmental review process.

Planning Development Coordination Application (PDCA) – A web-based portal for the submittal of on-line fee payments and project documents related to land development, subdivision projects, and entrances.

Plat – A boundary plan for an existing property or proposed acquisition that includes the metes and bounds for the area(s).

Point Source Discharge – A release of pollutants into the environment from a specific and identifiable origin. In transportation construction, this is usually any discrete conveyance such as a pipe or a man-made ditch into a waterbody.

Policy Implement (PI) – A document that establishes DelDOT policies, procedures, or processes. The Division of Planning is responsible for maintaining DelDOT’s Policy Implements.

Positive Protection Devices - Devices that contain or redirect vehicles and meet applicable industry crashworthiness evaluation criteria.

Pre-Bid Meeting – A meeting that is held after a contract is advertised but before the bids are due. Pre-bid meetings offer potential bidders the opportunity to get clarification on the project requirements.

Preconstruction Notification (PCN) – A notice that must be submitted by the permittee as early as possible before an action commences.

Preliminary Hazmat Site Assessment – Phase 1 in the DelDOT Hazmat process. This phase consists of performing record searches of the project area to evaluate for the presence of contamination.

Preventive Maintenance (1R and 2R) Project – A project that consists of performing resurfacing and restoration of existing infrastructure that preserves the system, retard future deterioration, and maintains or improves the functional condition of the system without increasing structural capacity. Any enhancements within this alternative type are typically minor and are generally intended to restore the overall condition of the transportation facility.

Professional Services – Nonphysical products or services. Project development professional services utilized by DelDOT can be categorized as design related professional services or as design support related professional services.

Program Management – The process of managing a group of related projects in a coordinated way. Program management provides well defined system goals that are met through the completion of a group of projects.

Programmatic Agreement (PA) – An agreement between two entities which outlines how a program can be carried out. Programmatic agreements are intended to streamline the review and approval process.

Project – An undertaking including planning, preliminary engineering, acquisitioning of right-of-way, and actual construction.

Project Baselining – The process of evaluating a project’s specific conditions, parameters, and other associated constraints to determine an estimated project schedule and budget.

Project Closeout – The process that DelDOT uses to finalize and remove a project from DelDOT’s accounting system.

Project Development – The term assigned to the process which is used to take a project from origination through implementation.

Project Directory – The location where project development related files are kept.

Project Initiation – An early phase in the project development process in which a project is assigned to a section within DelDOT for further development.

Project Level DURMM (PLD) – A stormwater management evaluation in which DNREC’s DURMM program is used to determine a project’s stormwater management volume shortfall.

Project Management – The process of managing a task in a thoughtful manner with the goal of ensuring that all work is completed at the correct performance level, on time, and within budget and scope.

Project Manager – The qualified employee who is placed in responsible charge of a project. In accordance with [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 172.9(d)(1)], the Project Manager ensures that the work delivered is complete, accurate, and consistent with the terms, conditions, and specifications of the professional services contract. Independent consultants may be procured to serve in a program or project manager support role, as specified in [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 172.7(b)(5)].

Project Origination – The initial development and conceptualization of a transportation project. Project origination involves the identification of transportation needs and deficiencies, assessment of alternatives, and the initiation of a project planning process.

Project Permitting – The process used to obtain approval or other required agreement from regulatory agencies prior to proceeding with an activity.

Project Phase – Portions of a project typically defined by the work being performed. Project phases are also used as an accounting tool to separate money that will be used for different purposes. FHWA divides project funding phases into Preliminary Engineering (PE), Right-of-Way (ROW), Construction (CON), and Other. DelDOT’s project funding phases include Preliminary Engineering (PE), Right-of-Way (RW), Construction (C), Utility, Traffic, and Construction Engineering (CE).

Project Prioritization – A performance-based process which involves evaluating and selecting projects based on measurable criteria.

Project Scoping – The process that is used to evaluate a transportation deficiency and determine what work should be included within a proposed project to address the deficiency.

Project Stakeholder - Any individual or entity that has an interest or concern in a proposed action.

Project Statements – Project statements that are included in the Invitation to Bid Package are used to summarize third-party actions or coordination that either has been performed or which still needs to be performed. Project statements that are not included in the Invitation to Bid Package are used to formally communicate information between DelDOT sections.

Project Team – The project team includes the design team and the support section staff assigned to a project.

Project Tracking – The act of monitoring a task’s progress to ensure on-time and on-budget deliverables that are complete, accurate, and consistent with the terms, conditions, and specifications of the contract under which they were developed.

Projects of Division Involvement (PODI) – Projects which have been identified as having an [placeholderlinkhere elevated] risk, contain elements of higher risk, or present a meaningful opportunity for FHWA involvement to enhance meeting program or project objectives. PODI projects are selected by the FHWA and will have a specific Stewardship and Oversight Plan crafted outside of the general DelDOT and FHWA Stewardship and Oversight Agreement that establishes the responsibilities of both entities.

ProjectWise – A cloud-based Document Management System (DMS) designed specifically to manage documents related to design and construction projects. ProjectWise provides a secure file management system where access is controlled by security groups managed by DelDOT’s ProjectWise Administrators.

Protected Resources – Elements or features that contribute to the human and built environment or the natural environment and which are protected in some capacity by law, regulation, or other policy.

PS&E (Plans, Specifications, and Estimate) – The milestone in the project development process ahead of project advertisement. The PS&E submittal includes all elements of a construction project that will become the contract between the advertising agency and the awarded contractor.

Public Hearing – A specific type of public workshop that is federally required based on the scope of a project in accordance with [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 771.111(h)(2)(iii)].

Public Information Meetings – A public workshop that is intended to inform the public rather than solicit feedback in cases where there has been no public involvement over a significant amount of time.

Public Involvement Plan – A project-specific set activities coordinated to solicit the desired level of public input on a proposed project.

Public Transportation Operators – A public entity or government-approved authority that participates in the continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process and is a recipient of federal funds to provide transportation to the public within a specific area or jurisdiction.

Public Utility – As defined by [placeholderlinkhere 26 Del. C. § 102].

Public Workshop – A meeting that is advertised and open to the public with the goal of providing information or soliciting feedback. Public workshops provide an opportunity for the public to engage in a free exchange of views and ideas and encourages public involvement in the decision-making process.

Purchase Order (PO) – A document that holds a specific sum of money to be paid to a specific vendor for a specific project or purchase.

Purchase Order Modifications – A budgeting technique that is used to take a project to the next phase or to supplement an existing purchase order with additional funds for work that was previously unforeseen but within the original scope.

Purpose and Need Statement – A summary of a project’s objectives. Purpose and need statements are required for EIS and EA classes of actions and are a good practice for all other projects. The need statement provides the factual foundation for the project while the purpose is the desired transportation outcome.

Quality Assurance (QA) – Involves reviewing work products prior to submission to verify the appropriate QC processes were followed, that it is complete, accurate, and high‐quality, and that it meets the Standard of Care. QA is performed at a global level across a project by a third party qualified to conduct the review. It may involve a multi‐disciplinary team on complex projects.

Quality Control (QC) – Involves a detailed review of a work product by a second party qualified to conduct the review. QC is performed on each work product making up the various component pieces of a larger deliverable.

Quarterly Legislative Reports – A standardized summary provided to members of the Delaware General Assembly that summarize project progress. These reports are typically generated quarterly but can be generated upon request.

Railroad Agreement – Project-level railroad agreements are developed in accordance with the master railroad agreement that DelDOT maintains with railroad owners and operators within the State. Project-level agreements outline the project scope, project schedule, responsibilities of involved parties, estimated costs for necessary services, and method(s) of payment that will be used. An individual project may have one or multiple railroad agreements based on the scope of the project. Federal-aid Highway Program projects are required to have a construction phase agreement in-place before any work is performed on railroad right-of-way or adjustments are made to railroad facilities.

Railroad Master Agreement – An agreement that DelDOT maintains with railroad owners and operators within the State that dictates the process used to achieve the necessary individual railroad agreements at the project-level.

Railroad Operator – An entity that uses another railroad owner’s right-of-way.

Railroad Owner – The entity that owns the railroad right-of-way. Also known as the host railroad when other railroad operators use the railroad owner’s right-of-way.

Railroad Protection Services – Activities that are performed to ensure that work required near a railway can be performed safely. Two common methods of providing railroad protective services are through railroad flagging and track outages.

Railroad Statement – A document that certifies that all railroad work has been completed or that all necessary arrangements have been made for it to be undertaken and completed as required by the advertised construction schedule. Providing a railroad statement at advertisement is required for Federal-aid Highway Program projects.

Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species (RTE) – A designation applied to a species by a regulatory agency. A designation as rare, threatened, or endangered creates additional protections for the species.

Reallocations – The redistribution of funds within an existing purchase order.

Reconstruction (4R) Project – A project that consists of utilizing an existing roadway alignment or making only minor changes to an existing alignment but involves changing the basic roadway type. Typical work includes improving operation by widening, horizontal and/or vertical realignment, addition of travel lanes, access improvement, and replacing bridges.

Record of Decision (ROD) – Documentation of the environmental decision made by the administering federal agency for a project. The ROD includes the basis for the decision, identifies the selected alternative, and summarizes any mitigation measures that will be incorporated in the project.

Record Plan – As defined by the DelDOT [placeholderlinkhere Development Coordination Manual], a record plan is a complete plan which defines the property lines, proposed street and other improvements, and easements. A record plan also establishes the streets to be dedicated to public use.

Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) – A policy board of nonmetropolitan local officials or their designees created to carry out the regional transportation planning process.

Regionally Significant – As defined by [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 450.104], regionally significant means a transportation project (other than projects that may be grouped in the TIP and/or STIP or exempt projects as defined in EPA's transportation conformity regulations ([placeholderlinkhere 40 CFR part 93, subpart A])) that is on a facility that serves regional transportation needs (such as access to and from the area outside the region; major activity centers in the region; major planned developments such as new retail malls, sports complexes, or employment centers; or transportation terminals) and would normally be included in the modeling of the metropolitan area's transportation network. At a minimum, this includes all principal arterial highways and all fixed guideway transit facilities that offer an alternative to regional highway travel.

Regulatory Agencies – Government authorities that are given the ability to set and enforce standards.

Reporting Permit – A United States Army Corps of Engineers permit type that requires the applicant to formally notify the United States Army Corps of Engineers prior to a project’s construction occurring.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) – Establishes federal laws that govern the disposal of solid and hazardous waste.

Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (3R) Project – A project that consists of resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (3R) of an existing facility with the intention of preserving and extending service life and enhancing highway safety. This project type could include pavement improvements of the existing road, minor roadway widening, and typically includes minor drainage improvements within the scope of the project.

Right-of-Way (R/W) – Land, property, or an interest therein possessed by DelDOT, or other entity acquired for, or devoted to, transportation purposes.

Right-of-Way Acquisition – Activities to obtain an interest in, and possession of, real property.

Right-of-Way Dedication – Land that is granted to the State.

Right-of-Way Reservation – A commitment by DelDOT for future acquisition from an owner of any interest in a property, in exchange for an agreement by the owner to refrain from further developing the property or designated portions.

Right-of-Way Statement – A summary of a project’s required property rights acquisition status.

Right-of-Way Use and Occupancy Agreements – An agreement between DelDOT and a private entity which allows use of the public right-of-way.

Right to Enter (RTE) – Authority provided to DelDOT through the Delaware Code to enter onto private property to maintain, repair or reconstruct existing facilities used by the public and maintained at the public’s expense.

Rigid Pavement – Roadway pavement that is designed to have a relatively high bending resistance that distributes loads to the base material (if applicable) and then to the subgrade.

Road Design – The practice of analyzing and selecting the geometric and physical features that will define a roadway.

Road User Costs (RUC) – Additional costs borne by motorists and the community at-large that are a result of a work zone activity.

Roadside Design – The consideration and subsequent efforts to minimize the severity of errant vehicles leaving the traveled way.

Roadway – The portion of a highway, including shoulders, for vehicular use. A divided highway has two or more roadways.

Roadway Drainage Design – The practice of designing systems that collect, convey, and discharge stormwater flowing within and along the highway right-of-way.

Rumble Strips – Patterns constructed on, or in, the travel lane or shoulder pavement that are intended to produce a sudden audible sound, cause the vehicle to vibrate, and indicate that the driver needs to take some type of action.

Safe System Approach – A principles-based approach to transportation design and operation that recognizes that safe roads are a continuum and not an absolute. The approach emphasizes the use of multiple layers of protection to both prevent crashes and to reduce harm caused to those involved when crashes occur.

Salisbury/ Wicomico Metropolitan Planning Organization (S/WMPO) – A metropolitan planning organization covering portions of Sussex County , Maryland, and the surrounding region.

Scope Management – The act of evaluating work proposed after the initial scoping phase and determining whether the proposed work fits within the project objectives and should be included or if it is outside of the project’s objectives and should be excluded. Scope management is primarily concerned with defining, and then controlling, what is and is not included in the project scope.

Scope of Work – A detailed list of the items required to complete a contract.

Section 4(f) – A reference to Section 4(f) of the DOT Act of 1966 which declares that it is the policy of the United States Government that special effort be made to preserve the natural beauty of the countryside and public park and recreation lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites.

Section 6(f) – A reference to Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act of 1964 which contains strong provisions to protect federal investments made through said act.

Shoulder – The portion of the roadway that is contiguous with the traveled way. The shoulder is not intended for regular vehicular travel.

Sight Distance – The length of roadway ahead that is visible to a vehicle driver.

Soil Boring – A subsurface investigation performed to determine the existing soil profile. Consistency of cohesive soils and relative density of cohesionless soil are determined for design purposes. The soil samples obtained in the drilling operation are tested for physical, index, and engineering properties to facilitate decisions on construction issues.

Soil Cement – A combination of a soil material and cement to create a stable material. Soil cement can be mixed in place, an application typically performed underneath roadway pavements where a calculated amount of cement is blended with a soil of known moisture content.

Special Provision – Project specifications that are modifications of standard specifications or are new specifications. Special provisions must be incorporated into each contract in which they apply.

Spend – Cash that is used to pay for goods and services on a project. Spend limits are set after funds are authorized.

Spend Balance – The amount of cash available to spend on a project. Spend balances are calculated by subtracting a project’s expenditures from its assigned spend.

Spend Plan – A schedule of cash payments on a project or program typically projected over fiscal years.

Standard Construction Details – Drawings that are incorporated into DelDOT contracts by reference, thereby making them an enforceable part of the contract.

Standard Specifications – DelDOT’s general contracting, material, and construction method requirements for typical road and bridge construction. The Standard Specifications are incorporated into DelDOT contracts by reference, thereby making them an enforceable part of the contract.

State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) – The official designated by the governor of each state to carry out the responsibilities of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 and administer the State’s historic preservation program and the duties, as described in [placeholderlinkhere 36 CFR 61]. While the SHPO is an individual, it is also an office that performs a variety of functions under the NHPA and associated state laws.

State Implementation Plan (SIP) – A plan that is required under the Clean Air Act which outlines how a state will achieve, maintain, and enforce the NAAQS.

State of Delaware General Fund – A financial account into which all revenue streams for the State are deposited, except those specified by law to be deposited elsewhere. The General Fund is used to finance and account for the ordinary operations of the State.

State of Delaware Transportation Trust Fund – A financial account into which specific revenue streams are deposited. The money within the fund is then budgeted and programmed by DelDOT for operating expenses and capital expenditures.

State of Good Repair (SoGR) – A condition in which a transportation asset is able to operate at a full level of performance.

State Project Number – An identification number assigned to a project to assist with project identification and tracking.

State Regulated Wetland – An area designated as a wetland in accordance with [placeholderlinkhere 7 Del. C. § 6603] and [placeholderlinkhere 7 DE. Admin. Code § 7502(5.0)].

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – A federally required staged, multi-year, statewide intermodal program comprised of transportation projects and programs that are consistent with the Long-Range Transportation Plan. The STIP is required to cover a period of 4-years. The STIP is commonly referred to in Delaware as the Capital Transportation Plan (CTP).

Stewardship and Oversight (S&O) Agreement – 23 U.S.C. 106 requires that FHWA and each state enter into an agreement documenting the extent to which a state assumes the responsibilities of FHWA under Title 23. The Stewardship and Oversight Agreement formalizes these delegated responsibilities and agreements to address how the Federal-aid Highway Program will be administered in a state.

STIP Amendment – A change to the STIP that is considered a major revision and requires public review and comment and a redemonstration of fiscal constraint. If an amendment involves “non-exempt” projects in nonattainment and maintenance areas, a conformity determination is required.

STIP Modification – A change to the STIP that is considered a minor revision and does not require public review and comment, a redemonstration of fiscal constraint, or a conformity determination (in nonattainment and maintenance areas).

Stormwater Management – A system of vegetative, structural, and other measures that serve to control the volume and rate of stormwater runoff as well as associated adverse effects on water quality caused by land disturbing activities.

Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) – A comprehensive plan, based on safety data, developed by a state DOT that requires consultation with a broad range of safety stakeholders. The plan provides a framework for reducing highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.

Subaqueous Lands – Submerged lands and tidelands as designated in [placeholderlinkhere 7 Del. C. § 7202] and [placeholderlinkhere 7 DE. Admin. Code § 7504(1.0)].

Subbase – One or more layers of specified material thickness placed on a subgrade to support a base course in bituminous concrete pavement applications or Portland cement concrete pavement applications.

Subgrade – The existing soil or rock that the subbase is placed upon for a pavement structure.

Subgrade Treatment – Modification made to the underlying roadbed material by using cement or other materials.

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) – The specialty practice of civil engineering that includes the investigation, analysis, judgement, and documentation of existing utility networks.

Supplemental Task – A budgeting technique that is used to process a new purchase order to take the project to the next project milestone or to supplement the current task with additional funds for work that was previously unforeseen but within the original scope.

Support Sections – A group within DelDOT that oversees a particular area of the project development process and perform ancillary tasks to deliver a project. Support sections are relied upon by DelDOT as subject matter experts within their field due to their focus and expertise on a particular subject matter.

Surface Course – The top layer of a pavement structure that is intended to resist skidding, traffic abrasion, and the disintegrating effects of climate. The top layer is sometimes called the wearing surface.

Task Upset Limit – A maximum amount above which an entity cannot charge.

Tax Ditches – Waterways that are constructed through petition filed in the Superior Court of the county in which all or the major portion of the area involved is located. Once constructed, tax ditches are maintained by a tax ditch organization.

Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) Plan – The measures included in the contract for facilitating road users through a work zone. It may also be referred to as a Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plan.

Time of Year Restriction (TOYR) – A period in which certain work is prohibited by a regulatory agency.

Timing Statement – A summary of the analysis conducted to determine the contract duration which will be included in a contract’s General Description.

Town Agreements – An agreement between a municipality and DelDOT which allows DelDOT to perform work within a municipality’s boundaries.

Traffic Barrier – Features installed to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway and colliding with objects that have a greater crash severity potential than the barrier itself.

Traffic Calming – Changes in street alignment, installation of barriers, and other physical measures to reduce traffic speeds and/or cut‐through volumes, in the interest of street safety, livability, and other public purposes.

Traffic Control Device – Markings, signs, and signal devices used to inform, guide, or otherwise control traffic.

Traffic Engineering – The subdiscipline of transportation engineering which focuses on techniques and controls to achieve the efficient movement of people and goods on roadways while minimizing the level of exposure to potential hazards.

Traffic Impact Study (TIS) – A study conducted during the development approval process to determine the impacts that traffic generated by a proposed development will have on the surrounding street network and the improvements needed to the transportation system in order to mitigate those impacts.

Traffic Officers – Uniformed law enforcement officers provided in view of traffic in work zones intended to enhance the safety of workers and the traveling public.

Traffic Operational Analysis (TOA) – An evaluation, or series of evaluations, conducted during the review of subdivision, land development, and entrance plans primarily intended to determine site entrance location and movements to be allowed at the site entrance.

Traffic Signal Agreements – An agreement that allows the State to place and maintain traffic control devices along state-maintained roadways within another public traveled way owner’s jurisdiction and sometimes on private property.

Traffic Statement – A summary of the traffic related responsibilities of the project contractor, traffic contractor, and the traffic supply items required.

Transit Center – A facility that functions as a destination point where multiple public transportation routes and modes converge. Transit centers typically enable mode transfer and provide amenities.

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) – A program administered by DelDOT that chooses projects for funding through a selection process. DelDOT’s TAP receives funding through FHWA’s Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside from the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program. The TAP is a key program for building complete streets that are safe for all users and achieve safe, connected, and equitable on and off-road networks.

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Agreements – An agreement used by DelDOT’s TAP to outline the responsibilities of DelDOT, a project sponsor, and any other pertinent project stakeholders. The agreement summarizes the scope and limits of the project and assigns funding and future maintenance responsibilities to the parties to the agreement.

Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP) – A plan required per [placeholderlinkhere 23 CFR 515] that establishes a process for managing an asset base over a period of time in order to deliver desired performance targets in a cost-effective way.

Transportation Improvement District (TID) – A geographic area defined for the purpose of securing required improvements to transportation facilities in the area.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – A prioritized listing/ program of transportation projects covering a period of 4 years that is developed and formally adopted by a metropolitan planning organization as part of the metropolitan transportation planning process.

Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund (TIIF) – A grant program available to businesses in Delaware to help offset their transportation improvements costs. The program is administered by DelDOT with goal of helping build the infrastructure that supports new or growing businesses in Delaware.

Transportation Management Area (TMA) – An urbanized area with a population over 200,000, as defined by the Bureau of the Census and designated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, or any additional area where TMA designation is requested by the Governor and the metropolitan planning organization and designated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation. Metropolitan planning organizations located within a TMA are charged with developing additional planning products in recognition of the greater complexity of transportation challenges that are inherently present in large urban areas.

Transportation Management Plan (TMP) – A set of coordinated strategies to manage the work zone impacts of a project.

Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) – A set of strategies that focus on creating operational improvements which do not require adding system capacity. The goal of TSMO alternatives is to maintain or even restore the performance of the existing transportation system.

Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) – The financial account in which DelDOT generated revenues are deposited and money withdrawn to pay expenses encumbered through DelDOT’s activities.

Transportation User Groups – A categorization of transportation network users based on distinct characteristics and needs.

Traveled Way – The portion of the roadway that allows for the movement of through traffic, including vehicles, transit, and freight. It does not include such facilities as curbs, shoulders, turn lanes, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, or park lanes. Divided highways are made up of two separate roadways, each with its own traveled way.

Tree Bill – Delaware legislation that provides protection to trees throughout the State. The Tree Bill emphasizes the removal, clearing, or cutting of the minimum of number of trees to complete a project and requires the performance of a tree survey for certain construction activities which then establishes a project’s mitigation requirements.

Unauthorized Work – Work performed that is beyond the terms of the contract and which has not been directed through other means.

Uneconomic Remanent – A parcel of real property in which the owner is left with an interest after the partial acquisition of the owners' property, and which the acquiring agency has determined has little or no value or utility to the owner.

Unifier – A software platform that DelDOT uses to perform, track, and manage several of its business processes performed throughout the project development process.

United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – A branch of the United States Army that performs several functions including civil works which entails providing navigation, flood and storm damage protection, and aquatic ecosystems restoration.

United States Coast Guard (USCG) – The maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces. The Coast Guard serves as a regulatory agency in matters concerning marine environment and navigation.

United States Code (U.S.C.) – The official consolidation and codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States.

United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) – A federal agency with the responsibility of overseeing and planning all federal transportation projects and for setting regulatory policy. The Department includes several agencies including the FHWA, FTA, FRA, and FAA.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – A federal agency within the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats.

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) – An unmanned aircraft and the equipment necessary for the safe and efficient operation of that aircraft.

Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) – An aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. A UAV is a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

Utility Agreement – An agreement entered into by the Department and a utility owner when monies will be exchanged as part of a project or when the work is otherwise reimbursable under the Delaware Code. The agreement establishes the utility work required along with its terms and conditions, in accordance with the State code.

Utility Conflict Matrix (UCM) – A tool used by DelDOT to identify, track, coordinate, and resolve potential conflicts with utility companies throughout the highway project design process.

Utility Coordinator – The staff member assigned by the DelDOT Utilities section to oversee a project’s utility coordination.

Utility Designation – The act of horizontally locating and mapping the approximate location of a utility through surface geophysical techniques.

Utility Master Franchise Agreement – The legal document that authorizes a regulated public utility to place its facilities within state rights-of-way.

Utility Permit Application (UPA) – An online portal used for the electronic submission of utility plans and documents associated with highway projects.

Utility Quality Level – An assigned value that is intended to describe the level of uncertainty of a utility’s location and existence and reflect the professional SUE opinion on the reliability of utility information provided in accordance with ASCE standards.

Utility Statement – A summary of the existing utilities within the project area, the temporary and permanent relocations, and work responsibilities and associated conditions.

Utility Test Hole – A small, limited excavation made to determine, measure, and record data about a buried utility segment or utility feature.

Utility Use and Occupancy Agreement – The document by which DelDOT approves the use and occupancy of highway right-of-way by utility facilities or private lines.

Value Engineering – A systematic process of reviewing and assessing a project by a multidisciplinary team, with no prior direct project involvement, to provide recommendations for achieving the project’s needed function while also considering community and environmental commitments, safety, reliability, efficiency, and overall life-cycle cost in a manner which optimizes the value and quality while reducing project delivery time.

Value Engineering Proposal – A submission by a contractor for the purpose of reducing the total cost or the project duration, or both.

Vendor – A person or company that supplies services or goods.

Vertical Alignment – The vertical alignment defines the roadway’s grade in relation to its horizontal axis.

Wild and Scenic River – A waterway that is protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.

Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) – Metropolitan planning organization covering New Castle County in Delaware and Delaware and Cecil counties of Maryland. WILMAPCO is additionally considered a TMA.

Work Zone Management Strategies – Techniques used to minimize traffic delays, preserve mobility, maintain motorist and worker safety, complete roadwork in a timely manner, and provide access for businesses and residents.