LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas- An alternative fuel; a natural gas cooled to below its boiling point of -260
degrees Fahrenheit so that it becomes a liquid; stored in a vacuum bottle-type container at very low
temperatures and under moderate pressure. LNG vapor is lighter than air.
Livable- Pleasant and convenient to inhabit, preferably without the need for a vehicle to meet daily
needs.
Load Factor- The ratio of passengers actually carried versus the total passenger capacity of a vehicle.
Local Road- A thoroughfare that primarily provides access to land with little or no through movement.
LOS - Level of Service- A report card that rates traffic flow from A (far below capacity) through F (at or
above capacity), and compares actual or projected traffic volume with the maximum capacity of the
intersection or road in question.
LRT - Light-Rail Transit- Fixed guideway transportation mode that typically operates on city streets and
draws it electric power from overhead wires; includes streetcars, trolley cars, and tramways. Differs
from heavy rail, which has a separated right of way and includes commuter and intercity rail, in that it
has lighter passenger capacity per hour and more closely spaced stops.
LRV - Light-Rail Vehicle- An alternative name for “streetcar”.
Maglev - Magnetic Levitation- This technology permits trains to move at high speed above a guideway
on a cushion of air generated by magnetic force.
Mass Transit- See "Public Transportation."
Mass Transportation- See "Public Transportation."
MBE - Minority Business Enterprise- A business owned and operated by one or more individuals who
are defined as minorities under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. See also "disadvantaged
business enterprise."
MDBF - Mean Distance Between Failures- The average distance in miles that a transit vehicle travels
before failure of a vital component forces removal of that vehicle from service.
Medium-Size Bus- See "Bus, Medium-Size."
Methanol- An alternative fuel; a liquid alcohol fuel with vapor heavier than air; primarily produced from
natural gas.
Metro- See MTA
Metrolink- The regional commuter rail system connecting Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, San
Bernardino, and San Diego counties. It was established and is operated under the authority of the
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) using contracted service providers. Currently,
Amtrak is contracted to operate the system.
Metropolitan Railway- See "Rail, Heavy."
Mitigated negative declaration- A negative declaration prepared for a project when the initial study has
identified potentially significant effects on the environment, but (1) revisions in the project plans or
proposals made by, or agreed to by, the applicant before the proposed negative declaration and initial
study are released for public review would avoid the effects or mitigate the effects to a point where
clearly no significant effect on the environment would occur; and (2) there is no substantial evidence in
light of the whole record before the public agency that the project, as revised, may have a significant
effect on the environment.
Mobility Index- Measures the ability of a region’s transportation systems (all modes) to move people.
Higher indices are reached by transportation projects and systems that move people in either fewer
vehicles or faster, or both. This index therefore is calculated by the product of aggregate average vehicle
occupancy and aggregate speed of the entire region’s transportation trips.
Modal Split- A term which compares the usage of various forms of transportation. Frequently used to
describe the percentage of people using private automobiles as opposed to the percentage using public
transportation.
Mode- A mode is a method of travel. While many more modes exist in real life, MMLOS method focuses
on only four modes of personal travel: auto driver, bus passenger, bicycle rider, and pedestrian.
Model- An analytical tool (often mathematical) used by transportation planners to assist in making
forecasts of land use, economic activity, or travel activity, and their effects on the quality of resources
such as land, air and water.
Mode Share- Indicates the share of a transportation mode utilized by people for their transportation
trips as compared to other modes and all of a region’s transportation trips as a whole.
Monorail- An electric railway in which a rail car or train of cars is suspended from or straddles a
guideway formed by a single beam or rail. Most monorails are either heavy rail or automated guideway
systems.
MPO - Metropolitan Planning Organization- A federally required transportation planning body
responsible for the RTP and the TIP in its region; the governor designates an MPO in every urbanized
area with a population of over 50,000. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is
the MPO for Pasadena.
MTA – Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority- Recently renamed to Metro.
MTS - MetropolitanTransportation System-
This is an integrated, multimodal transportation system
consisting of major highways, arterials, bikeways, and transit routes used to move people and goods
around a region.
Multimodal- Refers to the availability of multiple transportation options, especially within a system or
corridor. A multimodal approach to transportation planning focuses on the most efficient way of getting
people or goods from place to place, including trucks, trains, bicycles, automobiles, airplanes, buses,
boats, or foot.
NAAQS – National Ambient Air Quality Standards- Standards defining the highest allowable levels of
certain pollutants in the ambient air (i.e., the outdoor air to which the public has access). Because the
Environmental Protection Agency must establish the criteria for setting these standards, the regulated
pollutants are called criteria pollutants. Criteria pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and two size classes of particulate matter: less than 10 micrometers
(0.0004 inch) in diameter, and less than 2.5 micrometers (0.0001 inch) in diameter. Primary standards
are established to protect public health; secondary standards are established to protect public welfare
(e.g., visibility, crops, animals, buildings).
NARC - National Association of Regional Councils- The nationwide organization for MPO’s, COG’s and
other such entities; based in Washington, D.C.
Negative Declaration- A written statement by the Lead Agency briefly describing the reasons that a
proposed project, not exempt from CEQA, will not have a significant effect on the environment and