PBOT GLOSSARY OCTOBER 2019 cut-through (n. and adj.) FEMA Acronym for the Federal reference to lanes sometimes referred write alone. Otherwise, note ODOT Acronym for the Oregon PPP Internal abbreviation for the Policy, runoff (n.) speed hump NACTO term for what the Transit Mall Capitalize in reference to Style guide for writing common terms, acronyms, and programs for public communications. Emergency Management Agency. Write to as carpool lanes by the public, but capitalization in MAX Light Rail. Department of Transportation. Write out Planning & Projects group. Do not use in Portland public is most likely to see on the Portland Transit Mall whether or not DEI Increasingly common abbreviation out on first usage. which are also used by transit, vanpools, on first usage. public communications. rush hour (n.), rush-hour (adj.) local streets and call speed bumps, often the word Portland appears. for diversity, equity, and inclusion in Lowercase generally when alone. etc. Write out on first usage, note mayor indicated by signage that says “bump.” describing training, courses, and other Capitalize only in formal titles with the predesignated Safe Routes to School PBOT program. FHWA Acronym for the Federal Highway hyphen in high-occupancy. Avoid OMF Abbreviation for city’s Office of Define on first usage and use pictures to TransitTracker Written as one word, This glossary is the work of the PBOT Communications team, with guidance from the 2018 Associated Press Stylebook, consultation with opportunities to engage on these topics. person’s name. Also: mayoral, mayor’s Note capitalization. Do not use Administration. Write out on first usage. shortening to HOVs, use HOV lanes on Management & Finance. As with PBOT, “pricing” General transportation term help tell the story. note capitalization. city staff, and research into best practices across trade publications, mainstream media, and public agencies. Language evolves and Avoid acronym in public communications acronym. Be sure to use all four letters to not second usage, if needed. office, etc. write out on first usage. used to refer to a suite of strategies that changes. Please ask us about any changes or additions you want to see reflected in the PBOT Glossary moving forward. Questions on wherever possible. If needed, write out confuse with other federal agencies. use fees to more accurately reflect the stairway TriMet Written as one word, note something not covered here? Ask Stacy Brewster with PBOT Communications. 503-823-2302 [email protected] on first usage to explain. IGA Common city acronym for an metered, unmetered Use to describe online sandbag (n. and v.) capitalization. demand for our transportation system. Fixing Our Streets PBOT program. intergovernmental agreement. Write out metered parking areas, metered spaces, or DEQ Abbreviation for the Oregon Examples of “pricing” include the cost of S-curve Capital S in all uses. stakeholder Capital F, O, and S. Write out, do not use on first usage and use sparingly. metered districts where parking has a PAC Alternatively used as acronym for TRIP Acronym for trip reduction AASHTO Acronym for American Associa- standard for car-share, ride-share, things that happen in the city of Department of Environmental Quality. parking, tolls, fees based on geographic acronym and define on first usage as a cost or is time-limited. Opposite is Pedestrian Advisory Committee or (n. and adj.) (v.) incentive program, used internally for ride-hailing, etc. Portland. Also: citywide. “In Motion” Internal PBOT term for area, time of day, or specific types of SDC Acronym for system development startup start up tion of State Highway and Transporta- Write out on first usage. voter-approved 10-cent gas tax and unmetered. Do not use meter district as political action committees. Avoid city employees. Not for public various plans such as East Portland in trips, or based on VMT. Never use alone charge. Write out on first usage. Plural tion Officials. Write out on first usage. Bike to Books PBOT program with city council Lowercase, especially heavy vehicle use tax. we do not have individual meters confusion, do not use acronym. state Lowercase generally, especially communications. director Lowercase generally when Motion, Southwest in Motion, etc. Do without describing more fully. is SDCs. ADA Acronym for Americans with Multnomah County Library. No hyphens, when written alone. Capitalize only anymore, but parking kiosks, also known when written alone. Lowercase in alone. Capitalize only in formal titles not use alone in public communications PARK(ing) Day National program PBOT TripCheck Written as one word, note Disabilities Act. Write out on first usage. note capitalization. when referring to the full formal name FTA Abbreviation for the Federal Transit as pay stations. sextant An instrument for taking constructions such as the state of with the person’s name. without quotes or defining what they participates in. Note capitalization and private for-hire Use hyphen between capitalization. Note capitalization in ADA ramp, ADA Title of Portland’s government body and its Administration. Write out on first usage. altitudes in navigation, not a term to be Oregon, Washington state (when BIKETOWN One word, all caps for D/M/W/ESB/SDVBE Current acronym are. For individual plans, use the full micromobility Transportation term not punctuation. second and third word only. Capitalize II, and the difference between ADA meetings: Portland City Council. used to describe sections of the city. differentiating from D.C.). Capitalize only TSP Acronym for Transportation System Portland's bike-share program. Note for the certification of contractors and geo-fence (adj., n., and v.) Term for a plan name, not acronyms. in wide usage. Define and use sparingly. Private For-Hire in headlines and titles. compliance (n.) and ADA-compliant (adj.) Lowercase council documents, referred See: quadrant. when referring to the formal name of Plan, adopted by the city and part of capitalization in BIKETOWN for All, sub-contractors that meet criteria for virtual geographic boundary defined by parking-protected bike lane Use Do not use acronym. to city council, etc. Do not use city JPACT Acronym for Metro’s Joint Policy midblock the government body, statehouse, etc., state and regional planning arterial PBOT technical jargon for BIKETOWN for All’s Pay-It-Forward being disadvantaged, minority-owned, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or hyphen, or use protected bike lane, as side guard commission. Advisory Committee on Transportation. prorate as in Oregon State Legislature, Oregon requirements. Write out on first usage, specific type of street. Not necessarily program, etc. women-owned, emerging small radio-frequency identification (RFID) appropriate. Do not use cycletrack. Write out on first usage. MO Internal abbreviation for the Statehouse, etc. understood by the public. Define and city hall Lowercase, especially when technology. Use hyphen in all usage. PWB Abbreviation for the Portland sight lines use sparingly. bikeway Term used to refer to specific businesses, or service-disabled veterans’ Maintenance Operations group. Never use sparingly. written alone. Capitalize only when Patch-a-thon Maintenance Operations bike routes or portions of bike routes business enterprises. This acronym land use (n. and adj.) use in public communications. Water Bureau. As with PBOT, write out stormwater (n. and adj.) TSUP Internal acronym for the referring to formal name of a building Get Portland Moving PBOT program. term for concentrated focus on pothole sign-up (n. and adj.) sign up (v.) ATS Internal abbreviation for the Active that are on streets with higher traffic must be written out in full and defined on first usage Temporary Street Use Permitting group. or alternative name for our city council: Write out, do not use acronym. and sinkhole repair. Note capitalization. single-occupancy vehicle Clunky term. street furniture Clunky term without Transportation & Safety group. Never volume, such as major arterials or before using it. Use sparingly and lane mile Industry term used by PBOT MOU Common city acronym for Do not use acronym in public Portland City Hall. to measure pavement surface, equal to memorandum of understanding. Write quadrant The community and local Use more colloquial driving alone in context, instead use specific examples use in public communications. collector streets that may have addition- accurately. Do not use older versions GIF Acronym for graphic interchange Pay-by-Plate PBOT terminology for pay communications. out on first usage and use sparingly. press’s preferred, informal, technically public communications. Do not use like benches or café seating, wherever al infrastructure like marked bike lanes, citywide such as MWESB, DMWESB, etc. 1 mile of standard-width motor vehicle station technology. Note capitalization AWSC Abbreviation for all-way stop format, files that support both animated and inaccurate but charmingly easier term to acronym. possible. parking-protected bike lanes, etc. Not to travel lane. Use this more accurate term and hyphens. U-turn (n. and adj.) Capital U in all uses. control. Write out on first usage and collector PBOT technical jargon for DOT Acronym for the U.S. Department of static images. Use all caps, plural is GIFs. mph Always abbreviate for miles per hour, describe the five (soon to be six) be used interchangeably with neighbor- instead of centerline miles. avoid in public communications. Use specific type of street. Not necessarily Transportation. Write out on first usage. use lowercase. Metric analog of kilometers geographic sections of Portland. Avoid single-occupancy vehicle Clunky term. Streetcar Capitalize in reference to unmetered No hyphen, see entry for hood greenway. GIS Abbreviation for geographic-based pay station Two words. Do not use more publicly understood terms understood by the public. Define and DPT Internal acronym for the Develop- lane-splitting (n. and adj.) Define first per hour should be abbreviated kph or term sextant in all usage. Use more colloquial driving alone in Portland Streetcar whether or not the metered.