As I slowly make the transition from being a "road enthusiast" to a certified traffic engineer, I am finding myself using more words from the civil engineering trade to describe scenarios here on the website. Therefore, I've decided to include a glossary for the casual reader.
The following definition of words and phrases appears on Section 200.6(b) of the NYS MUTCD.
- Advisory Speed. Recommended speed rounded to the nearest multiple of five miles per hour.
- Approach Speed. The speed at which vehicles approach a location (intersection, curve, crossing, etc.) before being affected by conditions at the location.
- Area speed limit. A speed limit that applies to all highways within a specified area, except those specifically excluded.
- Arterial. A highway primarily for through traffic.
- Artery. The highway at an intersection normally carrying the major volume of vehicular traffic.
- Auxiliary Lane. A lane provided in addition to the normal through travel lanes to facilitate turning movements, acceleration and/or deceleration, or slow moving vehicle operation.
- Barrier marking. A regulatory double-line pavement marking which (if yellow) prohibits driving to the left of the marking, or which (if white) prohibits crossing the marking.
- Bicycle route. A route along highways, bicycle paths, or trails which is recommended for use by bicyclists traveling to a particular destination, or through a particular area.
- Center line. A pavement marking line separating opposing flows of traffic.
- Coincident crossing. A railroad-highway grade crossing within an intersection.
- Commercial vehicle. Every bus, omnibus, taxicab, tractor or truck.
- Control city. A well-known place or major destination which is used to provide guidance and orientation for diners on, or entering, a highway.
- Conventional highway. A highway which is not controlled-access and which has at-grade intersections.
- Cul-de-sac. A circular pavement area at the end of a dead-end roadway to facilitate turning around of vehicles.
- Curb line. The general alignment of curb, including connections between gaps in the curb at driveways or other locations.
- Dead end. A roadway which ends at a body of water or other location where drivers are required to turn around and proceed in the opposite direction.
- Detour. An alternate path of travel used while a regular path of travel is temporarily closed.
- Diverging. A single traffic stream separating into two streams essentially in the same direction.
- Divided highway. A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions.
- Eighty-five percentile speed. The speed at or below which eighty-five percent of vehicles travel.
- Emergency vehicle approach. A traffic control signal approach for which provisions in signal operation are made to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles.
- Exclusive emergency vehicle approach. An approach to a traffic control signal used primarily, or exclusively, by emergency vehicles.
- Expressway. A controlled-access divided highway with at-grade intersections.
- Farm vehicle. A vehicle designed to be used in the production of crops or raising of livestock, and not intended for general highway transportation purposes.
- Federal-aid highway. A highway which is eligible for construction, reconstructions or improvement with Federal monies.
- Freeway. A controlled-access divided highway having grade-separated interchange connections with intersecting highways.
- Frontage road. A conventional highway paralleling, and connected to, a controlled- access highway, providing a means of access between the controlled-access highway and abutting lands.
- Gore. The area immediately beyond the point at which a single roadway divided to form two separate roadways.
- Independent Crossing. A railroad-highway grade crossing more than two hundred feet from any intersection.
- Interchange. A system of interconnecting roadways providing for traffic movement between two or more highways which do not intersect at grade.
- Intersection approach. The portion of a roadway intended for use by vehicular traffic approaching an intersection, excluding auxiliary lanes.
- Interstate highway. A highway which is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways.
- Island. An area between roadways to separate, organize, guide or control vehicular movements, or to provide pedestrian refuge.
- Lane. A portion of a roadway intended or marked to accomodate a single line of vehicles.
- Legend. All words, symbols and arrows used in signs and signals to convey information.
- Linear speed limit. A speed limit that applies along a particular highway, or along a portion of a particular highway.
- Local street. A conventional highway used primarily for access to residences, businesses or other abutting property.
- Logo. A distinctive emblem, symbol or trademark that identifies a product or service.
- Major street. A conventional highway designed and operated to expedite movement of through traffic.
- Median. The portion of a divided highway separating the roadways for the two traffic directions.
- Merging. Two traffic streams essentially in the same direction blending into one.
- Numbered route. A travel path, involving one or more highways, which is numbered for motorist identification and guidance.
- Parking lane. A lane primarily for the parking of vehicles.
- Parkway. A freeway or expressway for noncommercial traffic usually located within, or providing access to, a park.
- Part-time signs. Signs which are in effect only part of the time.
- Passenger car. A vehicle designed primarily to carry people, and having a capacity of not more than eight people.
- Pavement markings. Lines, words and symbols applied to the pavement surface or curb to regulate, warn or guide traffic.
- Pedestrian signal face. An assembly of pedestrian signal indications controlling pedestrians crossing a roadway.
- Prevailing speed. The speed at, or below which, vehicles generally travel at a particular location under optimum pavement, weather, visibility and traffic volume conditions.
- Proximate crossing. A railroad-highway grade crossing not within an intersection, but within 200 feet of an intersection.
- Railroad crossing gate. An arm marked with red and white reflectorized stripes and equipped with red lights that is lowered across the highway at a railroad-highway grade crossing upon approach of a train.
- Railroad flashing signal. An assembly of two horizontally arranged red indications, installed at a railroad-highway grade crossing, which flash alternately upon approach of a train.
- Railroad-highway grade crossing. The area where railroad tracks and a roadway intersect.
- Ramp. A roadway providing access to, and egress from, a freeway; or connecting tow highways which do not intersect at grade.
- Recommended speed. The maximum speed, under optimum conditions, which the authority having jurisdiction considers appropriate for a particular location.
- Roadside. The area adjoining the roadway or shoulder.
- Rotary traffic circle. A one-way counterclockwise roadway at the confluence of two or more roadways which all traffic must merge into and diverge from.
- Rural district. Any area not considered an urban district.
- School crossing. A crosswalk at which school crossing signs are used.
- School speed limit. A linear speed limit, established along a section of highway passing a school building, which is effective only during times specified in the Vehicle and Traffic law.
- School speed zone. The portion of a highway passing a school building, within distance limits prescribed by the Vehicle and Traffic Law, on which a school speed limit is established.
- Side road. Any highway at an intersection other than the artery.
- Sight distance. The distance along a highway for which a vehicle, or other object, is continuously visible in daylight under normal atmospheric conditions.
- Signal. An active device which controls traffic by display of internally illuminated color-coded shapes, words or symbols.
- Signal cycle. The sequencing of a traffic control signal once through its phases.
- Signal face. An assembly of signal indications controlling traffic from a single direction.
- Signal head. An assembly of one or more signal faces.
- Signal indication. A lighted shape, word or symbol used to control traffic.
- Signal interval. A time period during which display of traffic control signal indications does not change.
- Signal phase. A time period during which a particular movement, or combination of movements, at a traffic control signal is allowed to proceed.
- Speed-change lane. An auxiliary lane for vehicles accelerating or decelerating to enter or leave a highway.
- State-wide speed limit. The maximum speed limit established by the Vehicle and Traffic Law applicable on all highways where other maximum speed limits have not been established.
- "T" intersection. An intersection in the general form of a "T."
- Ten mile-per-hour pace speed. The ten mile-per-hour speed interval that includes the greatest number of vehicles.
- Total approach. The combination of an intersection approach and any auxiliary lanes for traffic approaching the intersection.
- Traffic sign. A sign erected for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
- Urban district. An area where industries, businesses or residences occupy the roadside more or less continuously for a distance of at least one-quarter mile.
- Vehicular signal face. An assembly of signal indications controlling vehicular traffic from a single direction.
- Weaving. The crossing of two traffic streams moving in essentially the same direction by successive merging and diverging.
- Weaving section. A section of roadway in which weaving occurs.
- "Y" intersection. An intersection in the general form of a "Y".
- Crosswalk markings. Pavement markings which identify the part of the roadway intended for pedestrian crossing.
