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Each year State Departments of Transportation entrust the administration of approximately eight billion dollars in Federal-aid highway program funds to Local Public Agencies (LPA) for the construction of highway infrastructure. The Office of Real Estate Services is providing State DOTs and LPAs with tools to carry out stewardship and oversight of the Right of Way Federal-Aid Program.
The Office of Real Estate Services presents a web based tool developed as a one-stop consortium of materials which provides many resources that will assist Federal, State and Local entities in increasing awareness of the laws, regulations, policies and guidance needed to implement stewardship and oversight of this program area. This web based tool provides material which is current and relevant.
The Office of Real Estate Services (HEPR) develops and implements regulations, policies, and guidance that help to ensure that right-of-way needed for transportation projects is made available in a timely fashion and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. This research project includes a review of current right of way practices, an investigation of challenges and plans for addressing those challenges, and an identification of best practices. Relevant Information was collected via a literature review, a survey of FHWA Division Offices, a series of telephone interviews, and a stakeholder peer exchange.
Literature Review Local Public Agency Programs: State of the Practice Research in the Development of LPA Program Stewardship and Oversight Strategies, April 2015 (or PDF)
The Literature Review consists of a comprehensive search of resources pertaining to LPA realty oversight, including statutory, regulatory and guidance materials, previous audits and research reports, as well as other documents and resources. It is organized as an annotated bibliography and includes comprehensive reference material, complete with a short summary abstract for each article or resource and includes links to websites, as available.
Federal Division Office Survey Summary Local Public Agency Programs: State of the Practice Research in the Development of LPA Program Stewardship and Oversight Strategies, February 2015 (or PDF)
This survey included open-ended questions designed to gather information on topics such as, size of realty components of the LPA program (e.g., number of parcels, number of projects, funding for program), how LPA qualifications are determined, approaches to LPA certification, LPA realty oversight methods used and tools provided (e.g., recurring meetings, checklists, LPA manuals with right-of-way specifications) as well as other elements. The responses were compiled into a summary which provided a high-level assessment of State DOTs and LPAs realty stewardship and oversight activities and challenges, effective approaches to mitigating those challenges, and other pertinent information included in the survey.
Toolkit Report Local Agency Programs: State of the Practice Research in the Development of LPA Program Stewardship and Oversight Strategies, April 2015 (or PDF)
As a result of the peer exchange, sponsored by the Office of Real Estate Services, a report was developed that fully details the project objectives and peer exchange out comes. The report includes information on the challenges of LPA realty program oversight, effective practices, and references for inclusion onto the FHWA website.
The Real Estate Acquisition Guide Book is a guide for LPAs which provides concise information pertaining to the real estate acquisition process on a Federal-aid right of way project. It can also be downloaded from this website.
This Project Development Guide (PDG) is designed to provide information necessary to complete a typical Federal-aid highway right-of-way (ROW) project. The text for the PDG has been developed as a reference for those responsible for completing the acquisition of realty for a transportation project. Information is arranged in a sequential order, based on the typical project development process. The format presents data in the following order: Federal laws; regulations; policies; procedures; implementation through policy interpretations, and best practices.
More and more, transportation agencies must pursue better, faster and smarter ways of doing business. Federal-aid Essentials offers a central online library of informational videos and resources, designed specifically for local public agencies. Each video addresses a single topic-condensing the complex regulations and requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program into easy-to-understand concepts and illustrated examples.
On July 9, 2013, FHWA held a national webinar on integrating ROW procedures into the project development process. Learning outcomes included (1) understanding the project development procedure for ROW projects; (2) understanding the relationship between other program areas and ROW; and (3) stating the requirements of a ROW Certification Statement. View the webinar recording.
On October 23, 2013, FHWA held a national webinar on integrating acquisition ROW procedures into the project development process. Learning outcomes included (1) understanding the Acquisition and Negotiation Phase of the ROW process ; (2) understanding other alternative means to acquire property; and (3) understanding the concept of Early Acquisition and the LPAs with additional information presented through a Case Study. View the webinar recording.
