Rail‐Related Acronyms ABO = New York State Authority Budget Office (also abbreviated as NYS ABO) ACIDA = Allegany County Industrial Development Agency B&P = Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad Line, a class 3 rail operator and a subsidiary of Genesee and Wyoming Industries. The B&P operates a north –south short line railroad line running through the region through Salamanca and Ellicottville, with a spur at Ashford Junction connecting to West Valley, and connecting to the Buffalo Line at Machias Junction and the Southern Tier Extension in Carrollton CCASSTERA or STERA = Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Steuben Southern Tier Extension Railroad Authority. See www.ccasstera.org. CCIDA = either Chautauqua or Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency, depending on context. The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency is the owner of the real estate on which the New York and Lake Erie railroad (NY&LE) operates. CEO = Chief Executive Officer. STERA’s CEO also is known as its Executive Director, or ED. STERAS’s CEO is a corporate officer, in contrast with a Board officer. CFO = Chief Financial Officer. STERA’s CFO also is known as its Treasurer. STERAS’s CFO is a corporate officer, in contrast with a Board officer. CN = Canadian National railroad line, a class 1 railroad operator CONRAIL = Consolidated Rail Corporation, the former owner of the Southern Tier Extension Railroad line, prior to its acquisition by NSC in 1998 CP = Canadian Pacific railroad line, a class 1 railroad operator CSX = CSX railroad line, a class 1 railroad operator EAF = Environmental Assessment Form, a New York State form in which a proponent provides information, including environmental impact information, on a proposed action, and a lead agency for environmental review indicates its evaluation of the environmental significance of that proposed action ED = Executive Director. STERA’s ED also is known as its Chief Executive Officer, or CEO. STERAS’s ED is a corporate officer, in contrast with a Board officer. EIS = Environmental Impact Statement, a comprehensive analytical document required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for certain actions likely to have a significant effect on the quality of the environment, used as a tool for decision‐making, in which the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action are identified, and which also usually lists one or more alternative actions that may be chosen instead of the proposed action FOIA = Freedom of Information Act, a New York State law providing that public records of public bodies in New York State, such as STERA, are subject to availability to all members of the public. See also FOIL. FOIL = Freedom of Information Law, also seen as FOIA. See FOIA. FOIL also is used as a verb, as in “Mr. Jones FOILed STERA for public records.” FRA = Federal Railroad Administration, a division of the United State Department of Transportation (USDOT), that oversees federal railroad policy. FY = fiscal year, as in “FY2011 funds,” meaning funds available from an appropriation in the 2011 fiscal year, normally in reference to either the State or federal fiscal year. FYE = “for the year ending,” as in “STERA’s Annual REPORT FYE December 31, 2011.” G&W = Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, corporate parent of the B&P railroad IDA = Industrial Development Agency, a type of public sector economic development organization existing nationwide, but whose powers are proscribed by their state legislatures, and whose powers include the ability to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRB’s) as a financing vehicle for qualifying private and public sector projects. IRB’s are regulated by the federal tax code. See IRB’s. IDA’s most often are organized at the county level, although there are instances of municipal IDA’s (e.g., the City of Hornell IDA in Steuben County and the City of Salamanca IDA in Cattaraugus County). IRB = Industrial Revenue Bonds, a specific type of economic development finance vehicle used by Industrial Development Agencies (IDA’s). IDA’s may issue IRB’s as financing vehicles for qualifying private and public sector projects. The IRB is a debt financing vehicle, in which a bond is issued by the IDA on behalf of the beneficiary, and the bond is purchased by a private sector or institutional investor, providing the capital that is used by the beneficiary. The beneficiary provides debt service to the investor over the term of the bond. IRB’s qualifying as tax exempt bonds can offer interest rates significantly below the traditional borrowing rate of the beneficiary, and are thus seen as incentive financing for the development project to be financed by the IRB. I86 = Interstate Route 86, a limited access east‐west four‐lane highway route traversing Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben Counties in New York State. I90 = Interstate Route 90, a limited access toll‐access east‐west four‐lane highway route traversing Chautauqua County in New York State, part of the New York State Thruway System, and part of the interstate highway system connecting Buffalo, New York and Cleveland, Ohio. LAL (also LA&L) = Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad, corporate parent of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP). See http://www.lalrr.com/. MOU = Memorandum of Understanding, also sometimes called a Memorandum of Agreement, as in the 1998 MOU between Norfolk Southern, NYS DOT, Pennsylvania Lines LLC, and STW, which is the agreement underlying the relationship between STERA and Norfolk Southern on the Southern Tier Extension and Buffalo railroad lines. The 1998 MOU also provides for certain maintenance and operating obligations, real estate tax abatement and PILOT payments, rights to acquire title, and other provisions. MOW = maintenance of way, as in WNYP’s MOW department is responsible for maintenance of the railroad line and right of way. MP = milepost, a location‐standard for locating positions on a given railroad line. Given as a milepost number, which is the number of miles from the start of the rail line to the desired location. NS or NSC = Norfolk Southern Corporation, often seen as just Norfolk Southern. A class 1 railroad operator. See http://www.nscorp.com/. Norfolk Southern has transferred title to the real estate assets of the Southern Tier Extension and Buffalo railroad lines per the 1998 MOU for a period of years, after which title reverts back to Norfolk Southern. NY or NYS = New York State NY&LE = New York and Lake Erie Railroad, a class 3 rail operator company. NY&LE also refers to a railroad line (i.e., real estate assets) that is owned by the Cattaraugus County IDA, and which is operated by this private sector company. The NY&LE is a north –south short line railroad line running through the region through Conewango and Gowanda, with a spur to Cherry Creek and Cattaraugus. The line connects with the Southern Tier Extension railroad line at Waterboro, a switch east of Falconer in Chautauqua County, and to the north with the Buffalo Southern Line, a class 3 railroad line providing connections into Buffalo NY. A portion of this line between Conewango and Waterboro is out of service as of spring 2011, and a portion of the spur to Cattaraugus also is out of service due to a washout as of spring 2011. NYS ABO or ABO = New York State Authority Budget Office, a New York State agency created by the PAAA and PARA to oversee the operations of authorities, IDA’s and municipal local development corporations in New York State. See http://www.abo.state.ny.us/. NYS ABO operates out of its Albany office. NYS DEC or DEC = New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, a state agency whose mission is to protect New York's environment and to prevent, abate, and control pollution. STERA operates in both Region 8 (Steuben County) and Region 9 (Allegany, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus Counties). DEC's offices within Region 8 include a main office located in the Avon and a sub‐office in Bath. DEC's offices within Region 9 include a main office located in the City of Buffalo and a sub‐office in Allegany. DEC implements NY SEQRA and other regulations and does permitting. NYS DOS = New York State Department of State (http://www.dos.state.ny.us/), a department of the New York State Government. One of the divisions of the NYS DOS is the Local Government Division, which provides services to local governments and organizations such as STERA and also interaction between the State and local governments and organizations such as STERA. There also is interaction between the NYS DOS and the New York State Archives, which is a division of the New York State Department of Education. The New York State Archives provides information and regulations relating to State requirements for records retention and disposal, for local governments and organizations such as STERA (see http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_pub_mi1_part1.shtml). The NYS DOS also includes the NYS Committee on Open Government, which amongst other things is responsible for overseeing and advising with regard to the Freedom of Information, Open Meetings, and Personal Privacy Protection Laws. STERA is subject to the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Laws. DOS operates out of its headquarters in Albany. NYS DOT = New York State Department of Transportation. See https://www.nysdot.gov/. For the NYS DOT Freight Rail Division, see https://www.nysdot.gov/modal/rail. For the NYS DOT Freight and Passenger Rail Division, see https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger‐rail. DOT's Region 5 office (covering Chautauqua and Allegany County) is in the City of Buffalo, and DOT’s region 6 office (Covering Allegany and Steuben County) is in the City of Hornell. NYS ESD = New York State Empire State Development, New York’s primary economic development department within the State government. See http://www.empire.state.ny.us/. ESD’s regional office (covering Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany County) is in the City of Buffalo; ESD’s regional offices (covering Steuben County) are in Elmira and Binghamton. NYS Route = a New York State highway route, e.g., NYS Route 417. OCTL = Oil Creek and Titusville Line, a short line railroad line, connecting off the WNYP mainline at Meadville and running through Rouseville PA and thence to Titusville PA. The OCTL currently is operated by WNYP. PA = Pennsylvania PAAA = Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005, a New York State law passed in 2005 regulating the operations of authorities, IDA’s and municipal local development corporations. See the STERA web site (www.ccasstera.org) on the “About STERA” > “NYS Laws Applicable to STERA” page. PAL = Public Authorities Law, a New York State law regulating the operations of authorities. Certain portions of the PAL have been amended by the PAAA and PARA. See the STERA web site (www.ccasstera.org) on the “About STERA” > “NYS Laws Applicable to STERA” page. PARA = Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009, a New York State law passed in 2009 providing additional regulation (i.e., beyond that of the PAAA) of the operations of authorities, IDA’s and municipal local development corporations. See the STERA web site (www.ccasstera.org) on the “About STERA” > “NYS Laws Applicable to STERA” page. PARIS = Public Authorities Reporting Information System, an electronic reporting system operated by NYS ABO under which STERA provides reports to NYS ABO PENNDOT = Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. See http://www.dot.state.pa.us/. For the PENNDOT Railroad Freight Division, see http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBRF.nsf/RailFreightHomepage?OpenFram
eset. PennDOT’s central office is in Harrisburg, and the District 1 office is located in Venango County. PILOT = Payment In Lieu Of Taxes. Per the 1998 MOU, STERA provides a 100% real estate property tax abatement to Norfolk Southern for the real estate property taxes that otherwise would be owed by Norfolk Southern on the railroad real estate on the Southern Tier Extension railroad line and the Buffalo railroad line to the various New York State taxing jurisdictions (i.e., counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts), for the length of time during which STERA is in title to the real estate, provided that in the last three years of STERA being in title to these railroad real estate assets, Norfolk Southern will pay a payment in lieu of these taxes to STERA, which will then distribute the PILOT payments received to the affected taxing jurisdictions. RMO = Records Management Officer, the STERA corporate officer responsible for overseeing the implementation of and compliance with the STERA Records Management Policy. SCIDA = Steuben County Industrial Development Agency SEQR or SEQRA or NY SEQRA = the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. The NY SEQRA provides that most projects or activities in New York State that are proposed by a state agency or unit of local government, and all discretionary approvals (permits) from a NYS agency or unit of local government, require an environmental impact assessment. NY SEDQRA requires the sponsoring or approving governmental body to identify and mitigate the significant environmental impacts of the activity it is proposing or permitting. See http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/357.html and http://www.dec.ny.gov/regs/4490.html. SNI = Seneca Nation of Indians. The Southern Tier Extension line passes through the Allegany Territory (formerly the Allegany Reservation) of the SNI in portions of Cattaraugus County. Per STERA’s enabling legislation, the SNI also has the authority to appoint one non‐voting member to the STERA Board of Directors. The STERA Bylaws provide that the SNI also has a non‐voting member on the STERA Executive Committee. STB = Surface Transportation Board, a federal Board operating out of Washington, D.C. that is the successor to the Interstate Commerce Commission. The STB has broad economic regulatory oversight of railroads, including rates, service, the construction/acquisition/abandonment of rail lines, carrier mergers, and interchange of traffic among carriers. The STB explicitly wrote the 1998 MOU into its formal record of decision on the NS/CSX acquisition of CONRAIL’s assets in 1998. STE = Southern Tier Extension railroad line, the 145 mile‐long former Erie Lackawanna mainline running between Corry PA and Hornell NY, passing through 2 PA counties and 4 NYS counties. STERA is currently in title to the real estate assets on this line for a period of years, after which the assets revert back to NS. In the interim, STERA leases the STE to NS. STERA or CCASSTERA = the Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Steuben Southern Tier Extension Railroad Authority. See www.ccasstera.org. STW or STWRPDB = Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board, a regional planning board (i.e., unit of local government) operating in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties in NYS, with headquarters in Salamanca NY. STERA contracts with STW for staffing, administrative services, and meeting space, meets in STW’s offices, and uses STW’s address as its mailing address. See www.southerntierwest.org. TIGER = Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, a grant program operated by US DOT. A subsequent round of funding of this program was known as TIGER II. STERA applied unsuccessfully for TIGER Funding because of the extreme competitiveness of funding process, and decided not to apply for TIGER II funding because of the expected level of competition for funding. US DOT = United States Department of Transportation (see http://www.dot.gov/). The FRA is a division of the US DOT. US Route = a federal highway route, e.g., US Route 219 or I86. WNYP or WNYPRR or WNY&P = Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad, a class 3 railroad operator and the operator of the Southern Tier Extension railroad line and the Buffalo line, as well as rail line that it owns outright between Corry PA and Meadville PA (interchanging with the Southern Tier Extension in Corry PA and Norfolk Southern in Meadville PA) and rail line that it leases in PA directly from Norfolk Southern (connecting with the Buffalo Line at the NYS/PA border at Portville and with Norfolk Southern at Driftwood PA). See http://www.wnyprr.com/. WNYP sub‐leases operating rights on the Southern Tier Extension railroad line and the Buffalo line from Norfolk Southern. WNYP is a subsidiary of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad (LAL or LA&L).