Corridor Preservation Case Studies
An ongoing challenge faced by state and local transportation agencies is keeping up with population shifts and the resulting shifts in demand for different transportation routes. Given the extensive lead time involved in transportation projects, these agencies have a special mandate to anticipate future demand and plan proactively. An increasingly valuable tool for dealing with this challenge is corridor preservation-an environmentally sound and cost-effective approach for avoiding and minimizing impacts associated with transportation projects.
Staying ahead of demand changes means grappling with difficult policy issues, including land acquisition, landowner agreements, land-use regulations, and access management. As government agencies seek ways of resolving these issues, some of the most interesting and challenging policy initiatives are taking place in the corridor preservation arena.
In an effort to better understand some of these transportation issues and the different response strategies state and local governments have pursued, as well as the various legal ramifications of these efforts, the Federal Highway Administration commissioned a comprehensive research effort to examine present-day corridor preservation practices. The resulting report includes the following components:
Survey of local government and non-government agencies.The purpose of this survey was to determine the extent to which corridor preservation is pursued and implemented at the local level. The results shed light on both the implementation strategies and the different agencies and organizations involved in corridor preservation efforts.
A state-by-state summary and analysis of corridor preservation initiatives.This section covers state-level programs and policies, highlighting the differences between states that have formal programs (e.g., enabling legislation and a separate budget) and those that pursue corridor preservation through less formal means (e.g., intergovernmental cooperation). Special emphasis is also placed on states that have creative programs and those that work with multiple levels of government.
Court cases and statutes.Central to the effectiveness of corridor preservation efforts is the legal interpretation of its policies and programs. This section describes issues and resolutions of key court cases that have considered state and local government corridor preservation activities in the past several years. The section also describes statutes employed by states that have enabling legislation for corridor preservation.
Bibliography of articles.A thorough review was conducted of corridor preservation reports and of pertinent articles published in legal and non-legal periodicals. A list and summary of articles published in the last five years-on topics ranging from takings and exactions to smart-growth strategies-is part of this section.
Research Program: Kathleen Facer (kathleen.facer@fhwa.dot.gov)
Publications: Linda Burris (linda.burris@fhwa.dot.gov)
