Right of Way Management

Basics and Beyond

PresenterMonty Zimmerman

Developed byMonty Zimmerman

Right of Way Manager, City of LenexaMurv Morehead

Right of Way Coordinator, City of Overland Park

What is “Right of Way Management”?

ROW Management is best defined as “the ability of a municipality to

govern, regulate and/or control the activities occurring within its

property (ROW)”.

Learning Objectives• Understanding BMP’s of ROW

Management• ROW management challenges• Functions of a ROW management

program• How to accomplish utility coordination• The importance of One Call • New construction techniques • Emerging Issues

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BMP’s for a ROW Management Program

ROW Management Ordinance Agency ROW Permit Requirements Permit Review Process Inspections Restoration of permitted project

Row Management Ordinance• This is your enforcement mechanism• Sets forth regulations for access to the

right of way

• Outlines obligations of the city• Outlines obligations of ROW users• Outlines obligations to the public

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ROW Permit Requirements

• Current Franchise Agreement for service providers

• Completed permit application form including bonds & insurance

• Proposed work plan showing existing utilities• Traffic control plan (if needed)• Payment of all applicable permit fees

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Permit Review Application should have:• Applicant’s name, address and phone

number• Start and completion dates • Project location and scope of project• One call ticket number• Facility owner information, contractor

information• Excavation information • Area in ROW where work will take place• Construction method (open cut, tunneling

or boring)8

Inspection Process• Inspect project periodically• Keep records of each visit • Monitor job site erosion/sediment

protection• Monitor compaction during backfill

operations• Monitor street/sidewalk repairs (if

applicable)• Monitor traffic control/work zone (if

applicable) 9

Restoration • Restoration must be “as good or better”

than original condition • Pavement/sidewalk restoration should be

done as soon as possible• Green restoration should be done as

planting season allows• Make sure all restoration is in accordance

with your technical specs

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ROW Management Challenges• Lack of resources• Resistance to comply with city ordinances• Time management• Coordinate additional utility installations

in existing ROW • Staying informed on the latest

construction trends in trenchless technology, (equipment, chemicals, fluids, tooling, locating technology and trends)

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Potential Responsibilities of ROW Programs

• After hours emergency response• Liaison between agency, utility operators,

contractors and locators• Represent agency in regional/national ROW

related issues and become a damage prevention advocate

• Assist project managers with CIP design as it relates to utility and ROW issues

• Manage utility relocations for CIP projects12

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Duties and Responsibilities City of Overland Park City of Leawood City of Shawnee Johnson County City of LenexaManage ROW permit system yes yes yes yesField inspection yes yes yes yesInvestigate violations of ROW requirements yes yes yes yesCoordinate w/ building inspectors regarding ROW issues yesEnsure reqs for traffic control are meet for ROW permits yes yesCoordinate and educate Utility Co. with city policies yes yesMaintain city ROW ordinance yes yesServe as City rep in regional/national ROW activities yes yes yesAdhere to saftey rules develop and follow safe work habits yes yes yesReview construction plans for CIP projects yesManage utility relocations for CIP projects yes yesServe as damage prevention rep for city yesLiase between City and Utilites yesOther duties as required by supervisor yes yes yes yesEnsure compliance with conditions in franchise agreementsInform emergency services, of street closures yesInvestigate & respond to complaints from residents & businesses yes yesPrepare and maintaing invoices for ROW work yes yes yesResearch ROW and easement information yes yesSurvey ROW boundries for utilities, contractors & homeowners yesStreet light & traffic signal operation yesAssist on street light petitions yesProvide locates for city owned streetlights and signals yesIssue and inspect driveway, sidewalk and irrigation installs yes yesSupervise other ROW employees yes yesRespond to after hours Utility emergencies yes yesManage ROW and easement acquisitions for road projects yesWrite legal discriptions for land acquisitions yesProvide data to appraisers to determine compensation for projects yesNegotiate for property being conveyed yesCoordinate field check meetings yesAdminister payments for reimbursable utility relocates yesOrginize, plan & direct fence relocations yes

Utility Coordination• “Brownfield” is the most challenging, due

to already congested ROW

• Highly congested ROW’s require plans showing SUE “level A” locations of existing utilities

• Foster cooperation among all utilities/service providers

• Develop utility relocation schedule • Mediate/resolve conflicts

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Utility Coordination• “Greenfield” presents a different set of

challenges in that it requires extensive planning for utility placement

• Implementing use of utility corridors • Implementing use of shared trenches• Implementing use of joint trench concepts• Construction of duct banks

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Importance of One Call• Contacting One Call is required by state

law and agency ordinance• Contacting One Call is the first step

toward preventing damages to existing utilities

• Notifies utility owners/operators of impending excavation

• Reduces or eliminates excavator liability in the event of a utility damage

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New Construction Techniques

• Trenchless technology• Inneream, Arrowbore , Pipe Bursting,

Slip Lining, Cured In Place Pipe……• SUE (subsurface utility engineering)• Vacuum Excavation• Keyhole method

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Emerging Issues

• Sustainability• SUE (subsurface utility engineering)• One Call issues• Crossbores• Private utilities in the ROW• Web based ROW management tools

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Sustainability

“Because of the finite nature of our ROW’s, we must embrace sustainable construction methods and techniques that will allow the needs of today to be met while at the same

time assuring that our most precious resource, our ROW, is available for

generations to come”.

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Sustainability• Use of construction methods that reduce

open trenching thereby reducing restoration requirements

• Use of construction methods that reduce the overall carbon footprint of a project

• Use of construction methods that reduce impacts to traffic patterns

• How to get the message to engineers and project managers

• Costs?20

SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering)

• SUE is “an engineering process that utilizes new and existing technologies to accurately identify, characterize and map underground utilities early in the development of a project or in certain cases during construction”.

• How to put this discipline into use• How to get the message to engineers and

project managers• When should SUE be used and at what level• Costs 21

One Call Issues• Should everyone participate• Should everyone participate equally• Should members pay more to incorporate

new technology statewide• Should penalties for non compliance with

One Call laws be strictly enforced/increased• Should a utility owner be required to locate

their service lines

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CrossboresDefined as the “intersection of an existing underground utility or underground structure by a second utility resulting in direct contact between the transactions of the utilities that compromises the integrity of either utility or underground structure”.

• The most dangerous scenario is when a natural gas line intersects with a sanitary sewer lateral

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Private Utilities in the ROW

• Do these utilities need to be a member of one call

• Should private facilities be allowed in public ROW

• What are the costs of not requiring private facilities to be members of one call

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Web Based ROW Management Tools

Web based programs are designed to create streamlined solutions for planning, coordinating, permitting, analyzing, and communicating work in an agencies' right of way. It is designed to save time and money, and enable proactive management of utility projects, public works projects, permitting incidents, traffic and events.

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Web Based ROW Management Tools

• Many providers – Envista, ROWAY, ROW Manager….

• Provides real time mapping using Google Maps

• 24/7 access from anywhere an internet connection is available

• Most providers use a hosted site platform• Cost is based on the number of permits and

agency generates per year• Programs have the ability to communicate

with other organizations that use the same product 26

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Questions?

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