The
following serves as a guide to terms used in the capital
plan:
PHASES
OF WORK
This
classification indicates the stage of development of
a project as it moves through the "project development
pipeline."
Planning
Study (PLS)
A
phase or type of work involving traffic studies needs
analyses, corridor studies, and other work preparatory
to project development. See also "Concept Development."
Concept
Development (CD, LCD)
A
phase of type of work involving traffic studies needs
analyses, corridor studies, and other work preparatory
to project development. CD denotes NJDOT Concept Development;
LCD denotes Concept Development by a local entity (MPO,
county, municipality).
The
purpose of Concept Development is to deliver projects
to Scope Development with a well-defined need and a
recommended concept that has been environmentally screened
and has received community support. Concept Development
includes the following major elements:
-
early and intensive public involvement
- an
evaluation of project need
- an
analysis of physical deficiencies
- environmental
screening
- evaluation
of alternative strategies/fulfillment of CMS equirements
- definition
of potential concepts, limits and/or complimentary
strategies as well as staging and phasing opportunities
- address
community design/aesthetic opportunities
- order
of magnitude cost estimate
The
Concept Development Process is divided into the following
four phases:
- 1.
Background Research and Work Program Development
-
Problem Identification and Project Need
- Congestion
Management Strategies and Fulfilling Congestion Management
System (CMS) Requirements
- Concept
Development and Analysis
Feasibility
Assessment (FA, LFA)
A
phase or type of work intended to develop feasible project
proposals that produce the best balance among transportation
needs, environmental values, public concerns and costs.
The end products of scoping are: a recommended scheme
with a realistic cost estimate; an approved environmental
document; reasonable assurance that environmental permits
can be obtained; community support, or documentation
explaining why such support cannot reasonably be obtained;
and identification of right of way (ROW) needs and costs.
Scoping consists of two phases in NJDOT: Feasibility
Assessment and Final Scope Development. FA denotes Feasibility
by NJDOT; LFA denotes Local Feasibility by a local entity
(MPO, county, municipality).
Feasibility
Assessment is the first phase of scoping, during which
the Bureau of Project Scope Development performs sufficient
engineering to determine whether the concept emerging
from Concept Development can be feasibly evolved into
a project in light of environmental and community constraints
and issues. If it cannot be reasonably demonstrated
that environmental approvals and community support are
forthcoming, the concept will neither become a project,
nor pass into the Five-Year Capital Program.
During
Feasibility Assessment, project schemes that balance
project objectives against environmental, community,
engineering and budget constraints are developed. If
alternatives which can resolve the problem to full engineering
standards in light of constraints cannot be developed,
then a full range of design and alignment alternatives
will be considered, including those which back off desirable
standards and instead meet minimum standards, which
drop below minimum standards, or even those which do
not achieve one or more of the project goals. In essence,
BPSD will systematically "ratchet down" project
expectations until a good fit between engineering goals
and environmental and political considerations are achieved.
This will lead to the development of what has been termed
at the Initially Preferred Alternative (IPA).
During
Feasibility Assessment, the community involvement will
generally be limited to coordination with municipal
staff and officials, although, if deemed necessary,
the Department may decide to conduct the public meetings
normally reserved for Final Scope Development. This
may include the obtaining of the actual resolution of
support from the community governing body.
Feasibility
Assessment will culminate in a presentation to the CPC
regarding the potential project. If deemed a worthy
project, the project will be assigned to a PM and entered
into the Draft Project Pool for completion of Final
Scoping. If the project is determined to be "fatally
flawed," it will be recommended for termination,
or recycled for reconsideration as part of Concept Development.
Preliminary
Design (PD, LPD)
Preliminary
design is the process of advancing preliminary engineering
and obtaining formal community and environmental approval
of the Initially Preferred Alternative. PD denotes Preliminary
Design by NJDOT; LPD denotes Local Preliminary Design
by a local entity (MPO, county, municipality).
During PD, the Program Manager who was liaison for the
Feasibility Assessment phase will assume full control
of the project. A number of activities will be simultaneously
set in motion, based on the IPA: Community Involvement,
Environmental Documentation, and Design services.
To
obtain the formal community involvement buy-in, a public
meeting will be generally be arranged, which may lead
to some minor adjustments to the project's scope. Ultimately,
the local officials will be asked to provide a resolution
of support endorsing the project.
To
obtain the environmental approvals for the IPA, consultation
with outside agencies, such as the State Historic Preservation
Office may be necessary. The approved Environmental
Document will be based on technical studies conducted
by the Environmental Teams within the Bureau of Environmental
Services, and will generally consist of a Categorical
Exclusion. The Preliminary Design phase will not be
considered complete until the Environmental Document
is approved.
The
Preliminary Engineering conducted during this phase
will be initiated to facilitate later final design activities.
They will be based on the IPA, and consist of, among
other things: development of base plans for final design;
development of geometric design sufficiently to clarify
environmental impacts and to define ROW parcels; utilities
discovery and verification; geotechnical studies (soil
borings and analysis); preliminary drainage work; and
development of property acquisition cost estimates.
Design
(DES)
A phase or type of work consisting of taking a recommended
solution and scope of work defined in the project development
phase and developing a final design, including right
of way and construction plans.
Design
and Construction (EC)
Funding
is provided for both design and construction costs.
Design
and Right of Way (ER)
Funding
is provided for both design and right of way costs.
Design,
Right of Way and Construction (ERC)
Funding
is provided for design, right of way, and/or construction
costs.
Right of Way (ROW)
A phase or type of work in which the land needed to
build a project is purchased.
Construction (CON)
A phase or type of work involving the actual building
of a project.
Utility (UTIL)
In
some cases, the utility relocation work associated with
a project must be programmed separately from the actual
construction phase of work. These items are shown under
the "Utility" category.
Capital Acquisition (CAP)
Term used to denote the acquisition of rolling stock
by NJ TRANSIT.
FUNDING
CATEGORIES
Projects
are funded under various funding categories, depending
on the type of work to be done.
Air
Safety
State funds allocated for aviation purposes.
BR
BOND
These
are funds that were appropriated by legislation signed
by the Governor on November 13, 2000 to fund statewide
transportation improvements and the repair and rehabilitation
of local bridges under the Statewide Transportation
and Local Bridge Bond Act of 1999.
Bridge
This federal-aid funding category provides funds for
the rehabilitation or replacement of bridges defined
as structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete
according to federal definitions.
Bridge-Off
This
federal-aid funding category provides funds for the
rehabilitation or replacement of bridges defined as
structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete
according to federal definitions. This funding is used
for bridges that are off the federal-aid system.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)
This federal-aid funding category was established under
the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act (ISTEA) to support projects which improve air quality
and/or relieve congestion without adding new highway
capacity. These funds are especially targeted for states
like New Jersey with serious air quality problems.
Demonstration
Funds (DEMO)
Federal transportation acts sometime target specific
projects in various states in addition to general programs
for federal support. This funding category includes
"demonstration" funding provided under ISTEA,
as well as "high priority project" funding
provided under TEA-21. These projects, for "demonstration"
or "high priority project" funding often have
special rules applying to their use.
Emergency Repair (Emergency Relief)
Funds
are made available by the Federal Highway Administration,
through the Federal Emergency Management Administration,
for repairs to the infrastructure as a result of natural
disasters.
Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
Federal
Funds allocated for aviation purposes.
Ferry
Funds (Ferry)
Federal
funds are allocated for the rehabilitation and/or development
of ferry facilities.
Interstate
Maintenance (I-Maint)
A federal-aid funding category has been established
to promote resurfacing, rehabilitation, and preventive
maintenance on the interstate system.
Minimum Guarantee (MIN GAR)
The
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
specifies for each State a specific share of the aggregate
annual funding for Interstate Maintenance, National
Highway System, Bridge, Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality Improvement, Surface Transportation Program,
Metropolitan Planning. The percentage shares were set
to result in a 90.5 percent return.
The percentage shares are adjusted each year to ensure
that each State's share of apportionments for the specified
programs is at least 90.5 percent of its percentage
contributions to the Highway Account. The shares of
States falling below that minimum return will be increased
and the shares of the remaining States will be decreased
so that the shares continue to total 100 percent.
No
state may receive less than $1 million per year in Minimum
Guarantee funds.
National
Boating Infrastructure Grant Program
Federal
funds are provided to construct, renovate, and maintain
tie-up facilities for vessels that are 26 feet or more
in length. Activities eligible for funding are: construction,
renovation and maintenance of public and private boating
infrastructure tie-up facilities; one-time dredging
only between the tie-up facility and the already maintained
channel; installation of navigational aides; application
of funds to grant administration; and funding preliminary
costs.
National
Highway System (NHS)
ISTEA has created a "national highway system,"
consisting of the interstate highway system and other
key highway links. The NHS funding category has been
established to support improvement projects on this
key network.
Planning (PL)
This
federal-aid funding category provides funds for the
federally mandated transportation planning process conducted
within each Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Public
Lands Highways (PLH)
This
is a source of federal funds to be used for various
unanticipated public lands grants received through the
FHWA Public Lands Highways Discretionary Program. The
PLH funds are available for transportation planning,
research, engineering, and construction of the highways,
roads, and parkways, or of transit facilities within
the Federal public lands. Eligible projects may also
include the following, but must meet the public lands
highway criteria: transportation planning for tourism
and recreational travel; adjacent vehicular parking
areas; interpretive signage; acquisition of necessary
scenic easements and scenic or historic sites; provision
for pedestrians and bicycles; construction and reconstruction
of roadside rest area including sanitary and water facilities;
other appropriate public road facilities such as visitor
centers.
Recreational
Trails (REC. TRAILS)
New
Jersey's Recreational Trails Program provides grants
to public agencies and non-profit organizations for
a variety of trail projects. The NJ Department of Environmental
Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry administer
the program.
State
The "State" or "TTF" category is
used to show the disposition of funding received from
the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund.
Statewide
Planning and Research (SPR)
Federal
law requires a percentage of funds allocated to states
for highway improvements to be devoted to planning and
research activities.
Support
Services (SUP SRV)
Support
Services is a federal-aid funding category established
under TEA-21 for services and activities provided in
connection with minority business enterprise programs
which are designed to increase the total number of minority
businesses active in the highway program and contribute
to the growth and eventual self-sufficiency of individual
minority businesses so that such businesses may achieve
proficiency to compete, on an equal basis, for contracts
and subcontracts.
Surface
Transportation Program (STP)
The Surface Transportation Program is a federal-aid
funding category established under ISTEA, which encompasses
funding previously made available under various smaller
federal-aid categories as well as a broad, flexible
component. Funding must be set aside for safety (STP-SY)
and transportation enhancement (STP-TE). Sub-allocations
must be made to urbanized and non-urbanized areas (STP-NJ;
funding provided to NJTPA, STP-STU; funding provided
to DVRPC, STP-SJ; funding provided to SJTPO).
Transit
Transit funding categories are indicated generally by
reference to federal statutory categories and are identified
as follows:
COPS
(Certificates of Participation)-Funds freed up on
existing COPS Notes substituting insurance policy
for a cash reserve fund to guarantee payment to the
note holders.
LEV
LEASE (Leverage Lease Funds)-Funds obtained by
NJT from the sale and lease back of Capital Assets.
PANYNJ-Anticipated
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey funds.
Other-Potential
federal earmarks or unidentified non-traditional transit
funds.
Section
5307-Federal Transit Administration Urbanized
Area Formula Program.
Section
5309-Federal Transit Administration Fixed-Guideway
Modernization Program
State-New
Jersey Transportation Trust Funds appropriated for
fiscal year 2004.
Urban
Core-Federal Transit Administration Section 5309
funds for projects defined by TEA-21 as "Urban
Core" projects.
Various
Federal (VAR FEDERAL)
This
funding category is used to denote unanticipated allocations
of Federal funds, outside the parameters of the regular
apportionment process. Until such allocations are made,
the exact funding source is not known.
PROJECT
CATEGORIES
For
the purpose of program planning and analysis, transportation
improvements are classified into categories, generally
defined by the type of "product" they produce.
This classification system improves the department's
ability to develop system objectives and performance
measurements. These classifications are:
Bridge
Preservation
This classification includes work, which is designed
to keep the existing bridges functioning, and in a state
of good repair, including work which rehabilitates or
replaces existing bridges to current design standards.
Program categories within this classification include
bridge rehabilitation and replacement, bridge capital
maintenance, bridge management, local bridges, NJ TRANSIT
bridges, and railroad overhead bridges.
Capital
Program Delivery
This
classification includes a variety of activities that
provide direct support to the capital program pipeline.
Program categories within this classification include
program implementation costs, planning and research,
project scoping and design, right of way and utility,
construction, unanticipated expenses, project cost settlement,
and transportation grants.
Capital
Program Support
This
classification includes a variety of "overhead"
type activities that indirectly contribute to the project
pipeline. Program categories within this classification
include facilities and equipment, contractor support,
operational support.
Congestion
Management
This classification encompasses work that improves the
flow of people and goods along transportation corridors.
Specific programs under this heading include highway
operational improvements, bottleneck widening, intelligent
transportation systems, demand management, and congestion
management system.
Intermodal
Programs
This
classification includes work that addresses improvements/provisions
for alternative modes of transportation. Program categories
within this classification include aviation, goods movement,
bicycle/pedestrian, ferries, paratransit, intermodal
connections, rail, and other modes.
Local
Aid
This
classification provides for development and implementation
of transportation improvements on the local roadway
network. Program categories within this classification
include local aid to counties, local aid to municipalities,
local aid discretionary, local aid other programs, local
roadway improvements, regional planning and project
development.
Quality
of Life
This
classification includes work which is designed to enhance
the environment associated with, or impacted by, transportation
improvements. Program categories within this classification
include transportation enhancements, noise walls, landscape,
air quality, signs, wetland mitigation, and rest areas.
Roadway Preservation
This
classification includes work that is designed to keep
the existing highway system functioning and in a state
of good repair, including work which upgrades segments
of the system to current design standards. Program categories
within this classification include highway rehabilitation
and reconstruction, highway resurfacing, highway capital
maintenance, drainage, truck size and weight control,
pavement management system, and dams.
Safety
This
classification includes work that is designed to improve
safety for the travelling public on the existing highway
system. Program categories within this classification
include safety improvements, safety management, and
safety capital maintenance.
Strategic
Mobility
This classification includes work that adds to the capacity
of the transportation system through major capital construction.
Under this heading are projects listed as missing links,
major widening, and economic development.
METROPOLITAN
PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS
Metropolitan
Planning Organizations (MPOs) are planning organizations
that serve as the forum for cooperative transportation
decision making for metropolitan planning areas as required
by federal regulations. MPOs consist of representatives
of state and local governments and major transportation
agencies. There are three MPOs in New Jersey:
DVRPC
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
The MPO covering the counties of Mercer, Burlington,
Camden, and Gloucester.
NJTPA
- North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
The MPO covering the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson,
Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic,
Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.
SJTPO
- South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization.
The MPO covering the counties of Cape May, Atlantic,
Cumberland, and Salem.
