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Safety and Security Reporting Manual Glossary

Key Word

Definition

Reporting Manual Location

AB

Vehicle Type: Articulated Buses

  

Actual Person Count

Full and part time employees of the transit agency, permanent or temporary, who hold approved and filled positions at the end of the fiscal year.

S&S-30

Aerial Tramway (TR)

A transit mode that is an electric system of aerial cables with suspended powerless passenger vehicles. The vehicles are propelled by separate cables attached to the vehicle suspension system and powered by engines or motors at a central location not on board the vehicle.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Aerial Tramways (TR)

Vehicle Type: Unpowered passenger vehicles suspended from a system of aerial cables and propelled by separate cables attached to the vehicle suspension system. Engines or motors at a central location, not on-board the vehicle, power the cable system.

S&S-40

AG

Automated Guideway Transit

  

AG

Vehicle Type: Automated Guideway Vehicles

  

Aggravated Assault

An unlawful attack by one person upon another wherein the offender:

  • Uses a weapon or displays it in a threatening manner, or
  • The victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Alaska Railroad (AR)

In recognition of the special Federal relationship with the Alaska railroad (AR), a segment of the passenger service portion of the Alaska railroad is considered to be eligible for certain FTA funding under the Fixed Guideway Modernization program. The service encompasses only those lines operating within the Anchorage, Alaska urbanized area (UZA) where passenger service is provided and only includes car miles for passenger cars; car miles for freight cars are specifically excluded.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

The legislation defining the responsibilities of and requirements for transportation providers to make transportation accessible to individuals with disabilities.

S&S Introduction

AO

Vehicle Type: Automobiles

  

AR

Alaska Railroad

  

Arrest

To take a person into custody, by authority of law, for the purpose of charging him/her with a criminal offense.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Arson

To unlawfully and intentionally damage, or attempt to damage, any real or personal property by fire or incendiary device.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Articulated Buses (AB)

Vehicle Type: Extra long (54 feet to 60 feet) buses with two connected passenger compartments. The rear body section is connected to the main body by a joint mechanism that allows the vehicles to bend when in operation for sharp turns and curves and yet has a continuous interior.

S&S-40

Automated Guideway (AG) Transit

A transit mode that is an electric railway (single or multi-car trains) of guided transit vehicles operating without vehicle operators or other crew on board the vehicle. Service may be on a fixed-schedule or in response to a passenger activated call button. Automated guideway (AG) transit includes:

  • Personal rapid transit
  • Group rapid transit, and
  • People mover systems.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Automated Guideway Vehicles (AG)

Vehicle Type: Guided transit passenger vehicles operating under a fully automated system (no crew on transit units).

S&S-40

Automobiles (AO)

Vehicle Type: Passenger cars, up to and including station wagons in size.

S&S-40

Bomb Threat

Credible written or oral (e.g., telephone) communication to a transit agency threatening the use of an explosive or incendiary device for the purpose of disrupting public transit services or to create a public emergency.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Bombing

The unlawful and intentional:

  • Delivery
  • Placement
  • Discharge, or
  • Detonation of an explosive, or other lethal device in, into, or against
    • A public transport facility
    • A public transportation system (including vehicles), or
    • An infrastructure facility.
  • Or conspiracy, instigation, or attempts to commit such acts
    1. With the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or
    2. With the intent to cause extensive damage to, or destruction of such a place, facility or system, where such destruction results in or is likely to result in major economic loss.

S&S-40
S&S-50

BU

Vehicle Type: Buses

  

Burglary

The unlawful entry into a building or other structure with the intent to commit a felony or a theft.

S&S-50

Bus (MB)

A transit mode comprised of rubber-tired passenger vehicles operating on fixed routes and schedules over roadways. Vehicles are powered by:

  • Diesel
  • Gasoline
  • Battery, or
  • Alternative fuel engines contained within the vehicle.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Buses (BU)

Vehicle Type: Rubber-tired passenger vehicles powered by diesel, gasoline, battery or alternative fuel engines contained within the vehicle. Vehicles in this category do not include articulated, double-decked, or school buses.

S&S-40

Buyer

The NTD reporter contracting with a seller under a purchased transportation agreement to provide transit services. The contractor may be a public transit agency or a private company.

S&S Introduction

Cable Car (CC)

A transit mode that is an electric railway with individually controlled transit vehicles attached to a moving cable located below the street surface and powered by engines or motors at a central location, not on board the vehicle.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Cable Cars (CC)

Vehicle Type: Streetcar type of passenger vehicles operating by means of an attachment to a moving cable located below the street surface and powered by engines or motors at a central location not on-board the vehicles.

S&S-40

CC

Cable Car

  

CC

Vehicle Type: Cable Cars

  

CEO

Chief Executive Officer

  

Charter Service

A vehicle hired for exclusive use that does not operate over a regular route, on a regular schedule and is not available to the general public.

S&S Introduction

Chemical, Biological, or Radiological / Other Release

The unlawful and intentional:

  • Delivery
  • Placement
  • Discharge, or
  • Detonation of a biological, chemical, or radiological/other lethal device in, into, or against
    • A public transport facility
    • A public transportation system (including vehicles), or
    • An infrastructure facility, or conspiracy, instigation or attempts to commit such acts.

Chemical, biological, or radiological/other releases involve:

  1. Solids, liquids, or gases that have chemical properties that produce lethal or serious effects in human beings, or
  2. Any weapon involving a disease organism.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The principal executive in charge of and responsible for the transit agency.

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification

A letter signed by the chief executive officer (CEO) of an agency certifying the accuracy of the data submitted to the NTD.

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

Citation

A writ or order commanding a person to appear in court as a notice to a person that he or she is charged with a petty offense.

S&S-50

Collision

A vehicle accident in which the first harmful event is the impact of a road vehicle in transport with:

  • Another vehicle
  • An object, or
  • Person(s).

S&S-40
S&S-50

Collision with Object

An incident in which a transit vehicle strikes an obstacle other than a vehicle or person (e.g., building or utility pole).

S&S-40
S&S-50

Collision with Person

An incident in which a transit vehicle strikes an individual. Incidents involving suicides and attempted suicides are excluded from this category.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Collision with Vehicle

An incident in which a transit vehicle strikes or is struck by another vehicle.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Commuter Rail (CR)

A transit mode that is an electric or diesel propelled railway for urban passenger train service consisting of local short distance travel operating between a central city and adjacent suburbs. Service must be operated on a regular basis by or under contract with a transit operator for the purpose of transporting passengers within urbanized areas (UZAs), or between urbanized areas (UZAs) and outlying areas.
Such rail service, using either locomotive hauled or self-propelled railroad passenger cars, is generally characterized by:

  • Multi-trip tickets
  • Specific station to station fares
  • Railroad employment practices, and
  • Usually only one or two stations in the central business district.

It does not include:

  • Heavy rail (HR) rapid transit, or
  • Light rail (LR)/streetcar transit service.

Intercity rail service is excluded, except for that portion of such service that is operated by or under contract with a public transit agency for predominantly commuter services. Predominantly commuter a service means that for any given trip segment (i.e., distance between any two stations), more than 50 percent of the average daily ridership travels on the train at least three times a week. Only the predominantly commuter service portion of an intercity route is eligible for inclusion when determining commuter rail (CR) route miles.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10
S&S-40

Commuter Rail Locomotives (RL)

Vehicle Type: Commuter rail (CR) vehicles used to pull or push commuter rail (CR) passenger coaches. Locomotives do not carry passengers themselves.

S&S-40

Commuter Rail Passenger Coaches (RP)

Vehicle Type: Commuter rail (CR) passenger vehicles not independently propelled and requiring one or more locomotives for propulsion.

S&S-40

Commuter Rail Self-Propelled Passenger Cars (RS)

Vehicle Type: Commuter rail (CR) passenger vehicles not requiring a separate locomotive for propulsion.

S&S-40

Cooperative Agreement

An agreement where one or more public transit agencies or governmental units contribute to, or are assessed for, the value of public transit services provided by another public transit agency. There is usually a written memorandum of understanding or mutual agreement on the calculation and payment for the services. Generally, the service is part of the public transit agency’s directly operated (DO) service.

S&S Introduction

Cyber Incident

Involves the targeting of:

  • Transit facilities
  • Personnel
  • Information
  • Computer, or
  • Telecommunications systems associated with transit agencies.

Proscribed activities include:

  1. Denial or disruption of computer or telecommunications services, especially train control systems
  2. Unauthorized monitoring of computer or telecommunications system
  3. Unauthorized disclosure of proprietary or classified information stored within or communicated through computer telecommunications systems
  4. Unauthorized modification or destruction of computer programming codes, computer network databases, stored information or computer capabilities; or
  5. Manipulation of computer telecommunications services resulting from fraud, financial loss, or other criminal violations.

S&S-40
S&S-50

CR

Commuter Rail

  

DB

Vehicle Type: Double Decker Buses

  

Declarations

Documents stating the validity of the data being reported to the NTD/FTA:

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification
  • Independent Auditor Statement for Financial Data,
  • Independent Auditor Statement for Federal Funding Allocation Data, and the Safety and Security Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification.

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

Demand Response (DR)

A transit mode comprised of passenger cars, vans or small buses operating in response to calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator, who then dispatches a vehicle to pick up the passengers and transport them to their destinations. A demand response (DR) operation is characterized by the following:

  1. The vehicles do not operate over a fixed route or on a fixed schedule except, perhaps, on a temporary basis to satisfy a special need, and
  2. Typically, the vehicle may be dispatched to pick up several passengers at different pick-up points before taking them to their respective destinations and may even be interrupted en route to these destinations to pick up other passengers.

The following types of operations fall under the above definitions provided they are not on a scheduled fixed route basis:

  • Many origins — many destinations
  • Many origins — one destination
  • One origin — many destinations, and
  • One origin — one destination.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Derailment

A non-collision incident in which one or more wheels of a transit vehicle unintentionally leaves the rails.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Directly Operated (DO)

Transportation service provided directly by a transit agency, using their employees to supply the necessary labor to operate the revenue vehicles. This includes instances where an agency’s employees provide purchased transportation (PT) services to the agency through a contractual agreement.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10
S&S-40
S&S-50

DO

Directly Operated

  

DR

Demand Response

  

Double Decker Buses (DB)

Vehicle type: High capacity buses having two levels of seating, one over the other, connected by one or more stairways. Total bus height is usually 13 to 14.5 feet, and typical passenger seating capacity ranges from 40 to 80 people.

S&S-40

Evacuation

A condition requiring all passengers and employees to depart a transit vehicle and enter onto the transit right-of-way (ROW) or roadway under emergency circumstances.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Failure to Report

Submitting a late report, incomplete report or no report.

S&S Introduction

Fare Evasion

The unlawful use of transit facilities by riding without paying the applicable fare.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Fatality

A transit-caused death confirmed within 30 days of a transit incident, which occurs under the collision, derailment, fire, evacuation, security incident, vehicle leaving the roadway, or not otherwise classified categories.

S&S Introduction
S&S-40
S&S-50

FB

Ferryboat

  

FB

Vehicle Type: Ferryboats

  

Ferryboat (FB)

A transit mode comprised of vessels carrying passengers and/or vehicles over a body of water that are generally steam or diesel powered.
Intercity ferryboat (FB) service is excluded, except for that portion of such service that is operated by or under contract with a public transit agency for predominantly commuter services. Predominantly commuter a service means that for any given trip segment (i.e., distance between any two piers), more than 50 percent of the average daily ridership travels on the ferryboat on the same day. Only the predominantly commuter service portion of an intercity route is eligible for inclusion when determining ferryboat (FB) route miles.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Ferryboats (FB)

Vehicle Type: Vessels for carrying passengers and / or vehicles over a body of water. The vessels are generally steam or diesel powered conventional ferry vessels. They may also be hovercraft, hydrofoil and other high speed vessels.

S&S-40

FG

Fixed Guideway

  

Fire

Uncontrolled combustion made evident by flame and/or smoke that requires suppression by equipment or personnel.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Fixed Guideway (FG)

A mass transportation facility using and occupying:

  • A separate right-of-way (ROW) or rail for the exclusive use of mass transportation and other high occupancy vehicles (HOV), or
  • Using a fixed catenary system useable by other forms of transportation.

S&S Introduction

Forcible Rape

The carnal knowledge of a person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will.

S&S-40
S&S-50

FTA Growing States and High Density States Formula (Section 5340)

New Growing States and High Density States Formula Factors: Section 5340 of the Federal Transit Act that establishes new factors to distribute funds to the urbanized area formula and rural formula programs. One-half of the funds that are made available under the Growing States factors are apportioned by a formula based on state population forecasts for 15 years beyond the most recent census; amounts apportioned for each state are then distributed between urbanized areas and rural areas based on the ratio of urban/rural population within each state. The High Density States factors distribute the other half of the funds to states with population densities in excess of 370 persons per square mile. These funds are apportioned only to urbanized areas within those states.

S&S Introduction

FTA Non-Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5311)

Financial assistance from Section 5311 of the Federal Transit Act. This program provides formula funding to States and Indian Tribes for the purpose of supporting public transportation in areas with a population of less than 50,000. Funding may be used for capital, operating, State administration, and project administration expenses. Under Section 5311 SAFETEA-LU also includes provisions for Growing States and High Density States Factors.

S&S Introduction

FTA Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) Formula

SAFETEA-LU establishes a provision in the FTA Urbanized Area Formula program (Section 5307) to distribute funds to urbanized areas under 200,000 population. Under the formula for STIC, funds are apportioned to urbanized areas (UZA) with a population less than 200,000 that meet or exceed the average level of service for all UZAs with populations between 200,000 and 1,000,000.
The UZAs must operate at a level of service equal to or above the industry average level of service for all UZAs with a population of at least 200,000 but not more than 999,999, in one or more of six performance categories:

  1. Passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue mile,
  2. Passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue hour
  3. Vehicle revenue miles per capita,
  4. Vehicle revenue hours per capita,
  5. Passenger miles traveled per capita, and
  6. Passengers per capita.

S&S Introduction

FTA Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307)

Financial assistance from Section 5307 of the Federal Transit Act. This program makes Federal resources available for capital and operating assistance for transit in urbanized areas (UZAs). The Urbanized Area Formula Program also supports planning, in addition to that funded under the Metropolitan Planning program (Section 5303). Funding is apportioned directly to each UZA with a population of 200,000 or more, and to the State Governors for UZAs with populations between 50,000 and 200,000. Generally, operating assistance is not an eligible expense for UZAs with populations of 200,000 or more. However, there are several exceptions to this restriction (See SAFETEA-LU). Under Section 5307 SAFETEA-LU also includes provisions for Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) Formula and Growing States and High Density States Factors.

S&S Introduction

Full Time Employees

Employees of the transit agency meeting the local definition of full time hours. Normally, these persons are entitled to receive the full benefits package (e.g., sick leave, vacation and insurance benefits).

S&S-30

Grade Crossing

An intersection of roadways, railroad tracks, or dedicated transit rail tracks that run across mixed traffic situations with:

  • Motor vehicles
  • Light rail (LR)
  • Commuter rail (CR)
  • Heavy rail (HR) or
  • Pedestrian traffic
  • Either in mixed traffic or semi-exclusive situations.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Heavy Rail (HR)

A transit mode that is an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. It is characterized by:

  • High speed and rapid acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multi-car trains on fixed rails
  • Separate rights-of-way (ROW) from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded
  • Sophisticated signaling, and
  • High platform loading.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Heavy Rail Passenger Cars (HR)

Vehicle Type: Rail cars with:

  • Motive capability
  • Driven by electric power taken from overhead lines or third rails
  • Configured for passenger traffic, and
  • Usually operated on exclusive right-of-way (ROW).

S&S-40

Hijacking

Any person who:

  • Unlawfully
  • By force or threat thereof, or
  • By any other form of intimidation, seizes or exercises control of a transit vehicle with the intent to:
    1. Cause any person on-board the vehicle to be detained against his or her will
    2. Cause any person on-board the vehicle to be transported against his or her will to any lace other than the next scheduled stop, or
    3. Cause that vehicle to deviate from its schedule.

S&S-50

Homicide

The killing of one human being by another, including the following:

  1. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter — The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.
  2. Negligent manslaughter — The killing of another person through gross negligence.

S&S-40
S&S-50

HR

Heavy Rail

  

HR

Vehicle Type: Heavy Rail Passenger Cars

  

ID

NTD identification number

  

Inclined Plane (IP)

A transit mode that is a railway operating over exclusive right-of-way (ROW) on steep grades (slopes) with powerless vehicles propelled by moving cables attached to the vehicles and powered by engines or motors at a central location not on board the vehicle. The special tramway type of vehicles have passenger seats that remain horizontal while the undercarriage (truck) is angled parallel to the slope.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Inclined Plane Vehicles (IP)

Vehicle Type: Special type of passenger vehicles operating up and down slopes on rails via a cable mechanism.

S&S-40

Incomplete Report

NTD report not containing all the required:

  • Reporting forms and data
  • Not in conformance with the NTD requirements, or
  • Not containing the chief executive officer (CEO) certification and independent auditor statements, as applicable.

S&S Introduction

Independent Auditor

A person appointed and authorized to:

  • Examine accounts and accounting records
  • Make comparisons with vouchers, invoices and other documents, and
  • State the result.

For NTD, the auditor must meet the independence criteria contained in the Government Auditing Standards (General Accounting Office).

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

Injury

Any physical damage or harm to persons as a result of an incident that requires immediate medical attention away from the scene.

S&S Introduction
S&S-40
S&S-50

Intercity Bus Service

Regularly scheduled bus (MB) service for the general public, using an over-the-road bus, that:

  • Operates with limited stops over fixed routes connecting 2 or more urban areas not in close proximity or connecting 1 or more rural communities with an urban area not in close proximity;
  • Has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers; and
  • Makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points.

S&S Introduction

IP

Inclined Plane

  

IP

Vehicle Type: Inclined Plane Vehicles

  

Jitney (JT)

A transit mode comprised of passenger cars or vans operating on fixed routes (sometimes with minor deviations) as demand warrants without fixed-schedules or fixed stops.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

JT

Jitney

  

Larceny/theft

The unlawful:

  • Taking
  • Carrying
  • Leading, or
  • Riding away of property from the possession, or
  • Constructive possession, of another person.

Attempted larcenies are excluded.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Late Report

NTD report not submitted by the due date.

S&S Introduction

Life Safety Event

A situation, such as a fire, the presence of smoke, fuel leak, or electrical hazard that constitutes an imminent danger to passengers, employees, contractors, or other persons.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Light Rail (LR)

A transit mode that typically is an electric railway with a light volume traffic capacity compared to heavy rail (HR). It is characterized by:

  • Passenger rail cars operating singly (or in short, usually two-car, trains) on fixed rails in shared or exclusive right-of-way (ROW)
  • Low or high platform loading, and
  • Vehicle power drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley or a pantograph.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Light Rail Vehicles (LR)

Vehicle Type: Rail cars with:

  • Motive capability
  • Usually driven by electric power taken from overhead lines
  • Configured for passenger traffic, and
  • Usually operating on exclusive rights-of-way (ROW).

S&S-40

LR

Light Rail

  

LR

Vehicle Type: Light Rail Vehicles

  

Mainline

Primary rail over which rail transit vehicles travel between stations; it excludes:

  • Yard, and
  • Siding track.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Major Incident

Existence of one or more of the following:

  • A fatality other than a suicide
  • Injuries requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene for two or more persons
  • Property damage equal to or exceeding $25,000
  • An evacuation due to life safety reasons
  • A collision at a grade crossing resulting in at least one injury requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene or property damage equal to or exceeding $7,500.
  • A mainline derailment
  • A collision with person(s) on a rail right-of-way (ROW) resulting in injuries that require immediate medical attention away from the scene for one or more persons
  • A collision between a rail transit vehicle and another rail transit vehicle or a transit non-revenue vehicle resulting in injuries that require immediate medical attention away from the scene for one or more persons.
  • Forcible rape
  • Confirmed terrorist / security events:
    • Bombing
    • Chemical / Biological / Other
    • Cyber
    • Hijacking
    • Sabotage.

S&S Introduction
S&S-30
S&S-40

MB

Bus

  

MO

Monorail

  

MO

Vehicle Type: Monorail Vehicles

  

Mode

A system for carrying transit passengers described by specific right-of-way (ROW), technology and operational features.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10
S&S-30
S&S-40

Monorail (MO)

A transit mode that is an electric railway of guided transit vehicles operating singly or in multi-car trains. The vehicles are suspended from or straddle a guideway formed by a single beam, rail or tube.

S&S Introduction
S&S-10

Monorail Vehicles (MO)

Vehicle type: Guided passenger vehicles operating on or suspended from a single rail, beam or tube.

S&S-40

Motor Vehicle Theft

The theft of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is a self-propelled vehicle that runs on the surface of land and not on rails.

S&S-50

NFG

Non-Fixed Guideway

  

Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver

Relief from filing a complete NTD report if the transit agency operates nine or fewer vehicles in annual maximum service across all modes and types of service (TOS), and all service operates on non-fixed guideway (NFG) (mixed traffic right-of-way (ROW)).

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

NOC

Not Otherwise Classified

  

Non-Fixed Guideway (NFG)

Mixed traffic right-of-way (ROW). For Federal funding purposes, excludes trolleybus (TB) and ferryboat (FB) modes, which are considered fixed guideway (FG).

S&S Introduction

Non-Major Incident

Incidents not already reported on the Major Incident Reporting form (S&S-40). Existence of one or more of the following conditions:

  • Injuries requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene for one person
  • Property damage equal to or exceeding $7,500 (less than $25,000)·
  • All non-arson fires not qualifying as major incidents.

S&S Introduction
S&S-50

Non-Rail Modes

Transit modes whose vehicles typically operate on roadways  — streets, highways or expressways, but may also operate on waterways (ferryboat (FB)) or via aerial cable (aerial tramways (TR)). Vehicles are typically powered by motors on-board the vehicle, with one exception, aerial tramway (TR) vehicles which are electrically powered by a motor not on-board the vehicle in order to pull the vehicle via an overhead cable. NTD recognizes eight non-rail modes:

  1. Bus (MB)
  2. Demand response (DR)
  3. Ferryboat (FB)
  4. Jitney (JT)
  5. Publico (PB)
  6. Trolleybus (TB)
  7. Aerial tramway (TR), and
  8. Vanpool (VP).

S&S Introduction
S&S-40

Non-Revenue Facility

A facility or an area that is not used to enable individuals to board or alight transit vehicles, and that is primarily staffed by transit employees.

S&S Introduction
S&S-40
S&S-50

Non-Violent Civil Disturbance

Incidents such as strikes and blockages that result in the disruption of transit service.

S&S-50

Not Otherwise Classified (NOC)

Incidents other than:

  • Collisions
  • Derailments
  • Vehicles leaving roadway
  • Evacuations
  • Fires, or
  • Security incidents that involve:
    1. Injuries or fatalities to passengers, transit facility occupants, other workers, trespassers, or others or
    2. Property damage in excess of $7,500 but less than $25,000.

S&S-40
S&S-50

NTD

National Transit Database

  

NTD ID

NTD Identification Number

  

NTD Identification Number (NTD ID)

A unique FTA-assigned number (NTD ID) that each transit agency must have before filing a report.

S&S Introduction

Occurrences

The number of offenses known by the transit agency to have taken place.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Operators

The personnel (other than security agents) scheduled to be aboard vehicles in revenue operations, including:

  • Vehicle operators
  • Conductors
  • Ticket collectors.

Operators may also include: Attendants who are transit agency employees that are aboard vehicles to assist riders in boarding and alighting, securing wheelchairs, etc., typically the elderly and persons with disabilities.

S&S Introduction

Other Assault

An unlawful attack or attempt by one person upon another where no weapon was used or which did not result in serious or aggravated injury to the victim. This includes:

  • Simple assault
  • Minor assault
  • Assault and battery
  • Injury by culpable negligence
  • Intimidation
  • Coercion
  • Hazing, and
  • All attempts to commit these offenses.

S&S-40
S&S-50

Other Worker

An individual who is neither an employee of a transit agency or a purchased transportation (PT) provider and who is providing specific services at a transit agency.

S&S Introduction
S&S-40
S&S-50

Others

An individual who is neither a:

  • Transit passenger
  • Transit facility occupant
  • Employee/other worker at the transit agency, nor
  • Trespasser.

S&S Introduction
S&S-40
S&S-50

Part Time Employees

Employees of the transit agency who work less than the local definition of full time. Normally, these persons are not provided the full benefits package (e.g., sick leave, vacation and insurance benefits) associated with full time employment. Full time employees working part of their time in a function or mode are not part time employees.

S&S-30

PB

Publico

  

Personal Passenger Vehicle

Vehicle Type: Encompasses multiple types of non-commercial, non-transit passenger vehicles such as automobiles, minivans, and pickup trucks.

S&S-40

Private For Profit Provider

A non-public entity that provides public transportation services. For-profit entities exist primarily to generate a profit, (i.e., a surplus of revenues over expenditures).

S&S Introduction

Private Non-Profit Provider

A non-public entity with a tax-free status that provides public transportation services. Nonprofit entities exist to provide a particular service (e.g., public transportation) to the community. Nonprofit refers to a type of business — one which is organized under rules that forbid the distribution of profits to owners. Profit refers to a surplus of revenues over expenditures.

S&S Introduction

Property Damage

The dollar amount required to repair or replace all vehicles (transit and non-transit) and all property/facilities (track, signals, and buildings) damaged during an incident to a state equivalent to that which existed prior to the incident.

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PT

Purchased Transportation

  

Public Agency or Transit System

A public entity that provides public transportation services. It may be a state or local government, or any department, special purpose district (e.g. transit or transportation district), authority or other instrumentality of one or more state or local governments (e.g., joint powers agency).

S&S Introduction

Public Entity

Any of the following three categories (49CFR37):

  1. Any state or local government
  2. Any department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of one or more state or local governments
  3. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and any commuter authority.

S&S Introduction

Public Transportation

As defined in the Federal Transit Act, "transportation by a conveyance that provides regular and continuing general or special transportation to the public, but does not include school bus, charter, or intercity bus transportation or intercity passenger rail transportation provided by the entity described in chapter 243 (or a successor to such entity)."
Notes: (1) Passenger rail transportation refers to Amtrak. (2) This definition does not affect the eligibility of intercity bus service under the Section 5311 Nonurbanized Area (Rural) Formula Program. (3) The intercity bus and intercity rail (Amtrak) portion of Intermodal terminals is however an eligible capital cost.

S&S Introduction

Publico (PB)

A transit mode comprised of passenger vans or small buses operating with fixed routes but no fixed-schedules. Publicos (PB) are a privately owned and operated mass transit service which is market oriented and unsubsidized, but regulated through a public service commission, state or local government. Publicos are operated under franchise agreements, fares are regulated by route and there are special insurance requirements. Vehicle capacity varies from eight to 24, and the vehicles may be owned or leased by the operator.

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Purchased Transportation (PT)

Transportation service provided to a public transit agency or governmental unit from a public or private transportation provider based on a written contract. The provider is obligated in advance to operate public transportation services for a public transit agency or governmental unit for a specific monetary consideration, using its own employees to operate revenue vehicles. Purchased transportation (PT) does not include:

  • Franchising
  • Licensing operations
  • Management services
  • Cooperative agreements, or
  • Private conventional bus service.

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Rail Collision with Person

An incident in which a rail transit vehicle strikes an individual. Incidents involving suicides and attempted suicides are excluded from this category.

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Rail Collision with Transit Vehicle

An incident in which a rail transit vehicle strikes or is struck by another transit vehicle (either a revenue vehicle or a non-revenue vehicle).

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Rail Modes

Transit modes whose vehicles travel along fixed rails — bars of rolled steel — forming a track. The vehicles are usually electrically propelled typically through motors on-board the vehicles, but motors may also be at a central location not on-board the vehicles to pull the vehicles by cables (cable car (CC), inclined plane (IP)). For commuter rail (CR), vehicles may be self-propelled or may be drawn by a locomotive. NTD recognizes eight rail modes:

  1. Alaska railroad (AR)
  2. Automated guideway (AG) transit
  3. Cable car (CC)
  4. Commuter rail (CR)
  5. Heavy rail (HR)
  6. Inclined plane (IP)
  7. Light rail (LR), and
  8. Monorail (MO).

S&S Introduction

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Report Waiver

Relief from filing an NTD report.

S&S Introduction

Revenue Facility

A location or an area within a location that is used to enable individuals to board or alight transit vehicles and that is controlled by the transit system.

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Revenue Vehicles

The floating and rolling stock used to provide revenue service for passengers.

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RL

Vehicle Type: Commuter Rail (CR) Locomotives

  

Robbery

The taking, or attempting to take, anything of value under confrontational circumstances from the

  • Control
  • Custody, or
  • Care of another person by force or threat of force or violence and/or
  • By putting the victim in fear of immediate harm.

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RP

Vehicle Type: Commuter Rail (CR) Passenger Coaches

  

RS

Vehicle Type: Commuter Rail (CR) Self-Propelled Passenger Car

  

Sabotage

The deliberate destruction of transit property or the slowing down of public transit operations by employees with the intention of damaging business or the economic condition of the transit agency.

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Safety and Security Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification

A letter signed by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the agency certifying the accuracy of the safety and security data submitted to the NTD for the past calendar year.

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

SB

Vehicle Type: School Buses

  

School Bus Service

The exclusive use of buses to carry children and school personnel to and from their schools or school-related activities. It includes county school buses, private school buses, and buses chartered from private companies for the express purposes of carrying students to or from school and/or school-related activities.

S&S Introduction

School Buses (SB)

Vehicle Type: Passenger vehicles which are:

  • Designed or used to carry more than ten passengers in addition to the driver
  • Used primarily for the purpose of transporting pre-primary, primary or secondary school students either to such schools from home or from such schools to home.

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Security Incident

One or more offenses committed by:

  • The same offender, or
  • Group of offenders acting in concert, at the same time and place.

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Seller

The public agency or private company providing transit services under a purchase transportation agreement with the NTD reporter buying the transit services. The seller uses its employees to operate the service (vehicle operators).

S&S Introduction

Sightseeing Service

A service whose purpose is to carry passengers on tours and excursions or to visit and see objects and places of interest. Sightseeing may or may not involve a tour guide.

S&S Introduction

STIC

FTA Small Transit Intensive Cities Formula

  

Switch

Track device to diverge cars/trains to another track.

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Tangent Track

Straight track.

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Taxicabs

Vehicle Type: Three categories of vehicles based upon size: sedan (TS), van (TV), and station wagon (TW).

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TB

Trolleybus

  

TB

Vehicle Type: Trolleybus

  

TOS

Type of Service

  

TR

Aerial Tramway

  

TR

Vehicle Type: Aerial Tramways

  

Transit Employee

An individual who is compensated by the transit agency as follows:

  • For directly operated (DO) services, the labor expense for the individual is reported in object class 501 labor.
  • For purchased transportation (PT) service, the labor expense for the individual meets the same criteria as object class 501 labor.

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Transit Facility Occupant

A person who is inside the public passenger area of a transit revenue facility. Employees, other workers, or trespassers are not transit facility occupants.

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Transit Passenger

A person who is:

  • On board
  • Boarding or Aligning from a transit vehicle for the purpose of travel without participating in its operation.

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Trespass

The unauthorized entry of transit owned land, structure, or other real property not intended for public use.

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Trespasser

A person in an area of transit property not intended for public use (i.e., an unauthorized area).

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Trolleybus (TB)

A transit mode comprised of electric rubber-tired passenger vehicles, manually steered and operating singly on city streets. Vehicles are propelled by a motor drawing current through overhead wires via trolleys, from a central power source not on board the vehicle.

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Trolleybuses (TB)

Vehicle Type: Rubber-tired, electrically powered passenger vehicles operated on city streets drawing power from overhead lines with trolleys.

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Type of Service (TOS)

Describes how public transportation services are provided by the transit agency: directly operated (DO) or purchased transportation (PT) services.

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Urbanized Area (UZA)

An area defined by the U. S. Census Bureau that includes:

  • One or more incorporated cities
  • Villages, and
  • Towns (central place), and
  • The adjacent densely settled surrounding territory (urban fringe) that together have a minimum of 50,000 persons.

The urban fringe generally consists of contiguous territory having a density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile. Urbanized areas (UZAs) do not conform to congressional districts or any other political boundaries.

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UZA

Urbanized Area

  

Vandalism

The willful or malicious destruction or defacement of transit property or vehicles.

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Vanpool (VP)

A transit mode comprised of vans, small buses and other vehicles operating as a ride sharing arrangement, providing transportation to a group of individuals traveling directly between their homes and a regular destination within the same geographical area. The vehicles shall have a minimum seating capacity of seven persons, including the driver. For inclusion in the NTD, it is considered mass transit service if it:

  • Is operated by a public entity, or
  • Is one in which a public entity owns, purchases, or leases the vehicle(s).

Vanpool(s) must also be in compliance with mass transit rules including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provisions, and be open to the public and that availability must be made known. Other forms of public participation to encourage ridesharing arrangements, such as:

  • The provision of parking spaces
  • Use of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes
  • Coordination or clearing house service, do not qualify as public vanpools.

S&S Introduction
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Vans (VN)

Vehicle Type: Vehicles having a typical seating capacity of 5 to 15 passengers and classified as a van by vehicle manufacturers. A modified van is a standard van that has undergone some structural changes, usually made to increase its size and particularly its height. The seating capacity of modified vans is approximately 9 to 18 passengers.

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Vehicle Leaving Roadway

A non-collision incident in which a transit vehicle leaves the road on which it travels.

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Vehicles Operated in Annual Maximum Service (VOMS)

The number of revenue vehicles operated to meet the annual maximum service requirement. This is the revenue vehicle count during the peak season of the year, on the week and day that maximum service is provided. Vehicles operated in maximum service (VOMS) exclude:

  • Atypical days or
  • One-time special events.

S&S Introduction
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VN

Vehicle Type: Vans

  

Voluntary NTD Reporter

Transit agency, public or private, which is not a recipient or beneficiary of Urbanized Area Formula Program funds.

S&S Introduction
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VOMS

Vehicles Operated in Annual Maximum Service

  

VP

Vanpool

  

Waiver

Relief from a specific reporting requirement based on either a threshold value or good cause. There are three categories of waivers:

  1. Nine or fewer vehicles
  2. Data
  3. Report.

S&S Introduction
S&S Declarations

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