This Minnesota Department of Transportation-sponsored research effort examined innovative right-of-way projects nationwide, focusing on how new and innovative practices for redeveloping transportation assets can meet ambitious goals such as mitigating environmental impacts, encouraging placemaking, and enhancing economic opportunity while continuing to meet their transportation purpose. The team explored case studies from across the nation and identified best practices and lessons learned to inform future agencies and planners of new trends in transportation right-of-way projects.
This Minnesota Department of Transportation-sponsored research effort examined innovative right-of-way projects nationwide, focusing on how new and innovative practices for redeveloping transportation assets can meet ambitious goals such as mitigating environmental impacts, encouraging placemaking, and enhancing economic opportunity while continuing to meet their transportation purpose. The team explored case studies from across the nation and identified best practices and lessons learned to inform future agencies and planners of new trends in transportation right-of-way projects.
In 1973, a planned extension to Interstate 94 between I-694/494 and the St. Croix River was cancelled due to concerns raised by residents. This study is part of a restudy that was ordered by the Commissioner of Highways to find the best route for the freeway, taking in to account the resident's concerns. This report focuses on the right-of-ways.
Digital phone service, also known as Personal Communication Systems (PCS), is becoming the preferred choice in wireless phone systems. PCS requires a communications transmittal network, which involves the placement of antennae about one mile apart. This report provides information about community reaction in other states to placing a wireless infrastructure in the right-of-way. It provides a general summary of the industry, a general summary of community reaction to wireless infrastructure placed in rights-of-way, and a summary of issues and topics related to community reaction to wireless infrastructure.
The report includes a three-part bibliography that includes essential reading on the topic, items specific to the economic aspects, collocation, and aesthetics of wireless infrastructure, and other selected items that provide background information.
The report examines policy issues related to the placement of utilities beneath public rights-of-way. The principal issues discussed are: recognition of the present and future value of the space beneath public rights-of-way in space allocation decisions, methodologies for assessing the full societal costs of utility work in congested roadways, implementation of contractual practices and fee structures to mitigate
conditions involving high societal costs, and the work that would be necessary to attempt to include the impact of utility cuts on life-cycle pavement costs.
Public lands, including MnDOT rights of way, are often the site of encampments for unsheltered individuals. After encampments are abandoned, structures must be removed for safety reasons.
This process can be hazardous. Dangerous materials, such as propane cylinders, intravenous needles, chemicals and waste material, present dangers to maintenance crews. Additionally, while law enforcement attempts to verify there are no people in the encampment, a significant hazard to MnDOT staff is a person who either did not leave or returned to the site after it was presumed abandoned.
To address this need, a technological solution was sought that allows maintenance staff to determine the presence of a person inside a structure from a distance and without disturbing the individual. Thermal imaging (far infrared) cameras offer a possible solution as they can clearly show heat sources not normally visible to the naked eye.
Based on the work of an earlier Transportation Research Synthesis (“Remote Sensing in Maintenance Work”), the focus of this project was to assesses the performance of a professional-grade thermal camera in a variety of simulated encampment environments and at a “live” encampment to determine its ability to reliably reveal the presence of a person inside a tent or similar structure.
This Technical Summary pertains to the LRRB-produced Report 2016-28, “Barriers to Right-of-Way Acquisition and Recommendations for Change,” published August 2016.
This Technical Summary pertains to Report 2009-07, “Advanced Acquisition of Right of Way: Best Practices and Corridor Case Studies,” published January 2009.
