English Only

No, I’m not talking about the illogical idea that interacting with and helping people who speak other languages should be stopped (yes, I know that’s not what Rep. Nelson’s bill says). People who speak English can make themselves hard to understand to others born and raised in English-speaking countries, by speaking in an Alphabet Soup of acronyms. I watched the City Council on Cable Channel 30 yesterday morning, and was dismayed at the level of jargon used. Almost every sentence had some undefined acronym. Talking in Alphabet makes people who don’t speak it feel left out, stupid, not part of the In Crowd. And even those who understand it become dulled to the real words the letters stand for. An RTP isn’t a formality, it’s a Request For Proposals – it should be a sign of open government asking for suggestions on how to do a project better, at lower cost. “RTP” doesn’t convey that hope. “PDC” is the Portland Development Commission…. Our city… our built environment… our volunteer committee members. And so on. Using letters only is lazy, doesn’t save much time (what is more important than being understood by all listeners, anyway?), and at worst can be used deliberately by insiders to keep others outside the Inner Circle.

I strive to make this site free of both rank verbal abuse, and undefined acronyms. Occasionally, I slip on both counts. I think we would have a better community, more inclusive and welcoming to newcomers especially at City functions, if we all worked harder to speak real languages. French, Spanish, Vietnamese and suchlike should all be welcome as well as English, but there’s no language called Alphabet, and there should be no place for Alphabet Soup in civic discussions – especially without translations.

Some of the most common acronyms, for reference, after the break.

TSP – Transportation System Plan
PDOT – Portland Office of Transportation (for obvious reasons, they keep the old acronym from when the bureau included “Department” in its name)
ODOT – Oregon Department of Transportation
VMT – Vehicle Miles Traveled
SOV – Single Occupant Vehicle

CCTMP – Central City Transportation Management Plan (aka parking caps, etc.,)
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement (a review often federally required before major transportation improvements are approved)
FTA – Federal Transportation Administration
JPACT – Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (at Metro – which isn’t an acronym, it’s the name of our regional government)
LID – Local Improvement District (usually for street improvements paid by adjacent property owners)
LOS – Level of Service
LRT – Light Rail Transit (MAX – Metro Area eXpress)
IGA – Intergovernment Agreement
PMSA – Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area
RTP – Regional Transportation Plan
ROW – Right of Way
TDM – Transportation Demand Management
TOD – Transit-oriented Development/Design
TEA-21 Transportation Efficiency Act – 21st Century (federal)

There are many more. Make yourself a bingo card listing as many as you like, and play along at home next time you watch Channel 30.