2009 Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative (STEP) Research Program
We Need Your Input and Participation
The following information is provided to you for review and comment. Please forward to other agencies within your program area that have an interest in Real Estate Services.
STEP Research Program
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is soliciting recommendations for utilization of funding that is being provided through the STEP Research Program for Fiscal year 2009. Outdoor Advertising Control (OAC) / Realty Program Management is one component of the STEP emphasis areas. We are thereby requesting input from our partners and stakeholders who have an interest in collaborating on research plans and initiatives.
Previously, the Office of Real Estate Services has developed and delivered a number of diverse products and tools to right-of-way professionals. The Office of Real Estate Services efforts included outreach and professional knowledge exchange, sponsorship of international and domestic scans, sponsorship and co-sponsorships of national meetings including the Uniform Act Symposiums ,the Public Real Estate Education Symposium (PRES), research on relocation assistance, valuation and acquisition topics, and synthesis of best practices on a number of topics.
The STEP 2008 Research Program funded several other Office of Real Estate research initiatives which included, Identification and Development of Local Public Agency Stewardship Tools and Techniques, a Peer Exchange on Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the Right-of-Way Area, Peer Exchange on the Use of Incentive Payments in Right-of-Way Acquisition and Relocation Programs, and Neutral Assessment of the National Outdoor Advertising Control Program- National Policy Dialogue.
What will STEP Fund?
As a funding source, the goal of STEP is to provide improved tools to the State Department of Transportations (DOT) and Local Public Agencies (LPA) for the performance of their responsibilities in real estate acquisition and outdoor advertising control (OAC); develop and improve methods to support the institutional capacity of State DOTs and LPAs personnel in order to perform real estate acquisitions, relocation assistance and, property management activities for public projects subject to the Uniform Relocation and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970,as amended.
Potential activity in support of achieving these goals through STEP research could include assessing and developing improved tools, techniques and procedures for real estate acquisition and OAC; developing innovative information-sharing methods among practitioners; developing and enhancing communities of practice and websites for real estate and OAC professionals; and developing training and technical assistance.
The Office of Real Estate Services will also implement its research by also incorporating the FHWA Strategic Goals into these efforts. Those Strategic Goals are National Leadership, Program Delivery, System Performance and Corporate Capacity.
Submitting Feedback – We Need Your Input
Under this new research program, we are partnering with you as stakeholders and as customers. It is crucial that we receive your input in identifying your right of way research and training needs. This is your program and as a vested partner, it is thereby vital to its success that your ideas, input and feedback be presented.
Stakeholders can submit research topics directly to the STEP website, which also contains additional information about STEP.
Actions Steps
- Step #1 Visit http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/step.nsf
- Step #2 Read the information contained within the website
- Step #3 Complete the Feedback Form
- Step #4 Submit Feedback Form
Deadline for Comments
September 22, 2008
Contact Person
Carolyn Winborne James
Realty Specialist
Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Telephone (202) 493-0353
E-mail Carolyn.James@dot.gov
