TxDOT Glossary: U

unaffected adverse possessor: Unaffected adverse possessor is an actual possessor of another's real property that is open, hostile, exclusive, continuous, adverse to the claim of the owner and who is unaffected by the condemnation of the real property.; Right of Way Manual

unbalancing: Unbalancing is the inflation of certain bid items to be billed at the very beginning of a project, allowing the bidder to collect and accumulate more funds earlier in the project than those to which he/she is entitled.; Letting Manual

unclaimed wages account: The unclaimed wages account is an account set up for deposit of funds that were undeliverable to an employee.

unclear title: An unclear title is any title to property which is clouded by liens, judgments, or proceedings, and which a reasonably prudent person, with full knowledge, would not accept. Also, a title dependent upon extraneous evidence, single-party affidavits or written guarantees against the results of litigation.; Right of Way Manual

unconsolidated, undrained compressive strength: Unconsolidated, undrained compressive strength is the value of the maximum deviator stress (principal stress difference) during the test.; Manual of Testing Procedures

undercutting: Undercutting is the removing unstable or unsuitable material and replacing it with suitable material.

underdrain: The underdrain is a subsurface drainage system which intercepts subsurface water flow.

undertaking: Under the National Historic Preservation Act, an undertaking is any federal activity that is subject to Section 106 requirements. An undertaking includes a broad range of federal activities, such as construction, rehabilitation and repair projects, demolition, licenses, permits, property transfers and many other federal actions.; Environmental Manual

undue hardship: Undue hardship is any action that causes excessive difficulty or expense for an employer, or that fundamentally alters operations of a business or agency.; Human Resources Manual

uneconomic remainder: Real Estate Acquisition Guide for Local Public Agencies

Unified Planning Work Program: UPWP; The Unified Planning Work Program is the governing planning document, prepared by an MPO on an annual basis, which identifies the transportation planning work to be undertaken within the metropolitan planning area.; Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

Unified Transportation Program: UTP; The Unified Transportation Program (UTP) is the ten-year planning document that guides and controls project development for the Texas Department of Transportation in a feasible and economical manner. It was previously called the Project Development Plan.; Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

Uniform Act: The Uniform Act is the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policy Act of 1970 (84Stat. 1894; 42USC 4601 et seq; Pub. L. 91 646), and amendments thereto; officially known as Public Law 91-646.; Right of Way Manual

Uniform Grant & Contract Management Standards: The Uniform Grant & Contract Management Standards is Chapter 783 of the Texas Government Code; Traffic Safety

Uniform Grant Management Standards (UGMS): Uniform Grant Management Standards are the standards included in Texas Administrative Code, Title 1 Administration, Chapter 5, Budget and Planning Office, Subchapter A Federal and Intergovernmental Coordination, concerning uniform grant management standards for state agencies.; Contract Management Manual

uniformity: Uniformity is the ratio of the average level of illumination to the minimum level of illumination on the roadway.; Highway Illumination Manual

uniform resource locator: URL; Uniform Resource Locator (URL), formerly, know as Universal Resource Locator, is an Internet address that tells a browser where to find an Internet resource.; Information Security Manual

unit bid price: The unit bid price is the price to be paid for each unit of work as outlined in the specifications under measurement and payment.

United States Army Corps of Engineers/United States Corp of Engineers: USACE/USCOE, respectively; United States Army Corps of Engineers/United States Corps of Engineers are the federal agencies responsible for implementing civil projects for flood control and navigation improvements, and for regulating the transport of material using and the discharge of dredged and fill material into waters of the United States which includes wetlands.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: USFWS; United States Fish and Wildlife Service is the federal agency responsible for determining which wildlife species face extinction as a result of alteration of their habitat, protecting them from further decline and providing for their survival. The USFWS administers the Endangered Species Act.

United States highway: US; A United States highway is a roadway so designated by the Texas Transportation Commission and approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.; Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System User's Manual

United States highway alternate highway: UA; A United States highway alternate highway is a highway so designated by the Texas Transportation Commission and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.; Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System User's Manual

United States highway business route (includes US alternate): See business US highway.

United States highway spur: UP; United States highway spur A roadway so designated by the Texas Transportation Commission and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.; Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System User's Manual

unit weight: Unit weight is the eight per unit of volume usually expressed in pounds per cubic feet: May be - Wet Unit Weight (Ww) or Dry Unit Weight (Wd).

universal precaution: Universal precaution is the approach to infection control that all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if know to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens.; Occupational Safety Manual

universal resource locator: URL; A universal resource locator is an address for locating a World Wide Web site.; Information Technology and Services Manual

universal vendor file: The universal vendor file contains the payee information records of vendors and contractors who perform work for TxDOT. Any vendor expecting to receive payment must have a vendor identification (VID) number set up in this file.; Contract Management Manual

UNIX: UNIX is a multi-user, multitasking operating system. There are many versions of UNIX which can be used on many different platforms. It is the most commonly used operating system for Internet nodes.; Information Security Manual

UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program: UCCP; UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program is a dial‑up method for copying files, mail and Usenet news between UNIX systems.; Information Technology and Services Manual

unlawful occupancy: A person who occupies without property right, title or payment of rent or a person legally evicted, with no legal rights to occupy a property under State law. An Agency, at its discretion, may consider such person to be in lawful occupancy.; Right of Way Manual

unobligated balance: An unobligated balance is the amount of carryover funds that have been finalized by the FHWA.; Planning, Programming and Environmental Collection

unobligated funds: Unobligated funds are the amount of funds that were available to the MPO but that were not programmed in the UPWP by the MPO to be spent. That is the allocation minus the programmed amount.; Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

unrestricted federal funds: Unrestricted federal funds are federal funds that are appropriated for programs and that are permitted to be treated as local funds for the purposes of matching shares for other federal programs.; Grants Management Manual

unwelcome conduct: Unwelcome conduct is conduct that an employee does not solicit or initiate and that the employee regards as undesirable and offensive.; Human Resources Manual

unzoned industrial area: An unzoned industrial area shall mean an area within 1,000 feet of the nearest edge of a controlled highway right of way in which the land use is not designated or zoned under authority of law but which is within a distance of 1,000 feet, measured parallel to the highway, of one or more recognized industrial activities. The area shall be located on the same side of the highway as the principal part of said activity and shall not be predominantly used for residential or commercial purposes.; Right of Way Manual

update

updated appraisal report: A reinvestigation and re-analysis of all available market data, which results in a conclusion of current market value or value made at some specified date.; Real Estate Acquisition Guide for Local Public Agencies

urban: Urban, Bureau of the Census definition for the 1990 census, is that area comprising all territory, population, and housing units in urbanized areas and places of 2,500 or more persons outside urbanized areas. More specifically, “urban” consists of territory, persons, and housing units in: a)places of 2,500 or more persons incorporated as cities, villages, boroughs (except in Alaska and New York) and towns (except in the six New England states, New York, and Wisconsin), but excluding the rural portions of “extended cities,” b)census designated places of 2,500 or more persons, or c)other territory, incorporated or unincorporated, included in urbanized area. d)Territory, population, and housing units not classified as urban constitute “rural.”; Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

urban area: Urban Area is an area defined by the Commission in cooperation with local officials, subject to approval by the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, that at a minimum includes an urban place as designated by the United States Bureau of the Census as having a population of 5,000 or more.; Right of Way Manual

urban fringe: Urban fringe generally consists of contiguous territory having a density of 1,000 persons per square mile. The urban fringe also includes outlying territory of such density if it is connected to the core of the contiguous area by road and is within 1½ road miles of that core, or within 5 road miles of the core but separated by water or other undevelopable territory. Other territory with a population density of fewer than 1,000 persons per square mile is included in the urban fringe if it eliminates an enclave or closes an indentation in the boundary of the urbanized area.; Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

Urban Mass Transportation Administration: UMTA; The Urban Mass Transportation Administration is the predecessor agency to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).; Public Transportation Collection

urban transit district: UTD; An urban transit district is a local governmental body or political subdivision of the state that provides and coordinates urban public transportation within its boundaries in accordance with the provisions of Transportation Code, Chapter 458.; Public Transportation Collection

urbanized area: UZA or UA; An urbanized area (UA or sometimes known as a UZA) comprises one or more places (“central place”) and the adjacent densely settled surrounding territory (“urban fringe”) that together have a minimum population of 50,000. (Bureau of the Census definition for the 1990 census); Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

urbanized area central (or center) place: An urbanized area central place is one or more central places that function as the dominant center of each UA. The identification of the UA central place permits the comparison of this dominant center with the remaining territory in the UA. There is no limit on the number of central places, and not all central places are necessarily included in the UA title. UA central places include: a)each place entirely (or partially, if the place is an extended city) within the UA that is a central city of an MA and b)if the UA does not contain an MA central city or is located outside of an MA, the central place(s) is determined by population size. (Bureau of the Census definition for the 1990 census); Transportation Planning and Programming Collection

usenet: Usenet is a giant public bulletin board system on the Internet for news and electronic mail.; Information Security Manual

user of an information resource: A user of an information resource is a user of an individual or automated application authorized to access an information resource in accordance with the owner-defined controls and access rules.; Information Security Manual

user ID: User ID is a unique character string used by an automated data processing system to individually identify a user.; Information Security Manual

user request: UR; User request is a request for materials, supplies, equipment or services made through the Automated Purchasing System.; Purchasing Manual

utility: Maintenance Collection

utility accommodation policy: UAP; The utility accommodation policy is the department’s policy relative to the accommodation of utility facilities on highway right of way.; Right of Way Manual

utility costs: Utility costs are expenses for electricity, gas, other heating and cooking fuels, water and sewer.; Right of Way Manual

utility force account: Utility force account are employees of the utility performing work for the utility.; ROW Utility Manual

utility strip: Utility strip is the area of land established within a control of access highway, located within the border width and longitudinal to the highway, where utility assignments may be designated . As a rule, utility strips will not be allowed within the median area of a freeway.; ROW Utility Manual