National Academies Press: OpenBook

Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas (2011)

Chapter: Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses

« Previous: Appendix A - Survey Questionnaire
Page 54
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 54
Page 55
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 55
Page 56
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 56
Page 57
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 57
Page 58
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 58
Page 59
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 59
Page 60
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 60
Page 61
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 61
Page 62
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 62
Page 63
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 63
Page 64
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 64
Page 65
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 65
Page 66
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 66
Page 67
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 67
Page 68
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 68
Page 69
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 69
Page 70
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 70
Page 71
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 71
Page 72
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 72
Page 73
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 73
Page 74
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 74
Page 75
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 75
Page 76
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 76
Page 77
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Narrative Survey Responses." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14485.
×
Page 77

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

54 APPENDIX B Narrative Survey Responses Section 1—Background Information Section 2—Capital Program Characteristics 9. What is the size of your agency’s annual capital improvement program? a. Less than $100 million b. $101 million–$200 million c. $201 million–$500 million d. $501 million–$1 billion e. More than $1 billion Comments: 5 Based on 08-11 STIP program; Includes only $13.2 million for Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project (Joint project by ODOT and WSDOT). Oregon 5 INDOT within current historic level of capital program investment between FY 2010–2012. Indiana 5 Includes Planning/Environment, ROW, Preliminary Engineering, Construction, and Maintenance. Tennessee 10. Construction work in congested urban corridors can take many forms. Please identify the kind of work your agency does on your urban corridors. (Check all that apply.) a. Improvements on urban arterial streets with minimal access control b. Improvements on urban arterial streets with aggressive access control c. Improvements on controlled access highways d. All of the above e. None of the above Comments: 11. If you had to identify a trend in the project size most often constructed on the urban corridors by your agency which of the following would be the most prevalent? a. Less than $100 million b. $101 million–$200 million c. $201 million–$500 million d. $501 million–$1 billion e. More than $1 billion Comments: 4 State and federal funded projects generally under $100M, but developing several public private partnerships over $500M. Texas 1 Many of the smaller projects are around $1 million. Louisiana 1 Typical is less than $100M. However we have several in excess of the threshold. Utah 1 WSDOT is engaging in several multi-million dollar mega projects. Washington 1 State and federal funded projects generally under $100M but developing several public private partnerships over $500M New York

55 12. Has your agency taken any special measures to address the issues associated with constructing projects in congested urban corridors? a. Yes b. No Comments: 1 The Seattle area has an aggressive Traffic Control Management plan which controls all projects Washington 1 Multiple projects at once, expedited schedule, night work, freeway closures for entire project or for a few days at a time. Michigan 1 Using Traffic Management Plans, the maintenance and protection of traffic as shown on the plans are placed directly in the contract as a pay item, so that the contractor knows upfront the responsibilities. Roadwork Restriction Permitting: notification to the traffic unit of proposed lane closures, so they can be coordinated with other projects and events in the area. Project Design is changed so that closures are not as long. Contra flow lanes have two lanes during peak hours, shut one down during work, splitting directional lanes over structures or have lane rentals to shorten closures. Work with local municipalities and developers on Highway Occupancy Permits. Pennsylvania 1 Addressed in ADOT’s Work Zone Safety and Mobility Policy. Arizona 1 Independent project reviews with numerous stakeholders and experts. New York If the answer to Question 12 is "Yes" then please answer the following. If Question 12 is "No," then proceed to Question 15. 13. Are these special measures taken as individual project measures or are they programmatic? (e.g., are you using acceleration programmatically or on a project by project basis?) a. Individual projects b. Programmatic c. Both Describe any programmatic measures taken. 3 OTIA 3 Bridge Program has been delivered based on the programmatic basis by bundling or on an individual project basis. Oregon 3 Alternate Contracting, P+T (A+B) bidding on all projects, Accelerated Construction Methodologies, and Community Council Public Incentives. Utah 3 Context Sensitive Design Guide, policy encouraging alternatives in design and construction. Mass 2 Some outlying areas are controlled at the project level. Washington 3 R/W cost incentives. Indiana 3 All major projects in Ohio are approved as part of a system/programmatic basis but with special considerations. Ohio 3 Consideration of combining and coordination of planned projects. Tennessee 3 The programmatic measures of Smart Transportation, Context Sensitive Design, Context Sensitive Solutions, and FHWA environmental agreements are used during design. Every project starts with a general Traffic Management Plan that is then adjusted using a tool box of items such as road users liquidated damages, lane rentals, and night or off-peak work hours. Pennsylvania 3 Night time closures, liquidated damages for failure to open roadways in a timely manner, communication and public involvement. Arizona 3 Required traffic management plans, coordination of closures by using a transportation management center. California 3 Context sensitive design, sustainability policy San Francisco 14. What types of actions has your agency taken to address the issues associated with construction of projects in congested urban corridors? (Check all that apply.) a. No actions b. Organizational or structural changes in your agency c. Changes in staffing (e.g., additional staff, staff reductions, hiring individuals with different skill sets, etc.)

56 d. New or different equipment e. Different contracting methods (e.g., design-build, job order contracting, CMGC, A+B, etc.) f. Work hour modifications g. Coordination with local communities h. New or specialized training for employees i. More use of consultants j. Context Sensitive Design or Context Sensitive Solutions k. Pay differentials for employees working on these projects l. Other—please specify: Lane rental, milestones, incentives and disincentives for completion. Texas Full partnering on projects with local agencies. Washington Special coordination and use of two step Design Build recently used. Ohio Night-time construction New York Implemented design exceptions to achieve designs more appropriate for urban settings. San Francisco m. Other—please specify: Comments: These actions are not specific to congested urban corridors Louisiana Most work in congested urban areas is done as night or off-peak business hours. Metropolitan Planning Organizations attend meetings with community stakeholders. Less complex projects have used design-build. Some projects have used the traffic sensors in the area Intelligent traffic systems to inform the community of construction delays. Pennsylvania Standard is Design-Bid-Build. Alternative contracting methods is relatively new to us. Nevada Section 3—Project Delivery Strategies 15. Which is the most commonly used project delivery method (by number of projects) on your urban corridors? (Check one.) a. Design-bid-build b. Design-bid-build with A + B c. Design-build d. Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) e. Construction Manager at Risk (CM at R) f. Other—please specify: Prime contractor Michigan Comments: Most common by #. However, by contract amount, D/B, and CM/GC significantly outweigh the numbers. Utah We are also starting to use Design-Build and are looking at A+B. Massachusetts Have done some A+B as well. Tennessee DOT The Department has done some Design-build, A+B, and Construction Managers, but are not the most common. Pennsylvania Design-Bid-Build has been our standard. We have done A+B in past but rarely. We are working on our 2nd Design-Build and have plans for a third. We are also very interested in CMGC but need legislation. Nevada New York does not have enabling legislation for design-build for the agency. New York

57 16. What are the reasons for choosing the method identified in Question 15? (Check all that apply.) a. Shorter construction schedule b. Price certainty (knowing what the final cost will be) c. Opportunities for innovation on the part of designers d. Opportunities for innovation on the part of contractors e. Ease of contract administration on the part of your agency f. Improved management of traffic during construction g. Improved management of stakeholder issues during construction h. Pressure or input from industry groups or associations i. Required by rule or law j. Pressure or input from elected officials k. Pay differentials for employees working on these projects l. Other—please specify: Design-bid-build is our standard practice; we use design-build on a limited basis. Louisiana Traditional method for bulk of contracts. Alternatives being tested and considered. Massachusetts Design-Bid-Build is the traditional project delivery method used at CDOT. Colorado The reality is that the majority of work in our urban areas is approached through traditional methods. Washington It is our standard contracting method, thus it is used on most projects. Oregon Standard procedure. Michigan Our standard method used for many years. Nevada Low bid. Arizona m. Other—please specify: Comments: We utilize DB and CMGC on all “major” urban projects as well as many small Low-Bid D/B projects in the urban area for the reasons identified. Utah State law limited the amount of projects GDOT could build using design-build. The law was changed this year so some restrictions will be lifted this summer. Georgia Main reason for use of DBB is that it is required by law. FDOT is permitted by law to use other innovative contracting types and does so often. There is a limitation within the statutes on how much of the work program can be delivered with innovative or alternative contracting methods. Florida 17. Do you use financial incentives for accelerating construction in your congested urban corridors? a. Yes b. No If the answer to Question 17 is "Yes" then please answer the following. If Question 17 is "No," then proceed to Question 19. 18. What are the reason(s) for using incentives on your urban corridor projects? (Check all that apply.) a. Shorten the construction schedule b. Improve the overall quality of the project c. Finish the project and open it by a certain date d. Promises to the public or elected officials e. Reduce the impact of construction on the traveling public f. Other—please specify: g. other—Please specify:

58 Comments: Material Incentives are used on all projects regardless of location. Time incentives are also used to accomplish the outcomes identified. Utah We use financial incentives occasionally. NOT on all projects. Michigan Only used on a case by case basis. Most projects do not have incentives. Nevada Prior to budgeting issues, FDOT used Incentives/Disincentives on many of its urban, higher profile projects. Have had to scale this back presently due to funding. Florida 19. Do you use financial disincentives for construction in your urban corridors? a. Yes b. No If the answer to Question 19 is "Yes" then please answer the following. If Question 19 is "No," then proceed to Question 21. 20. What are the reason(s) for using disincentives on your urban corridor projects? (Check all that apply.) a. Shorten the construction schedule b. Improve the overall quality of the project c. Finish the project and open it by a certain date d. Promises to the public or elected officials e. Reduce the impact of construction on the traveling public f. Other—please specify: Reduce the number of bidders with limited resources. Colorado Reduce bad press of an ongoing project. Pennsylvania g. Other—please specify: Maintain contract work schedule to avoid special community events Pennsylvania Comments: Liquidated damages are considered as disincentives. Oregon See comments for question 18. Utah Disincentives are in the construction contract as road users liquidated damages. Pennsylvania FDOT matches its incentives with equal disincentives. Florida 21. Does your agency use both financial incentives and disincentives on the same urban corridor projects? a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: Sometimes I-5/Kruseway was the only project in Portland metro area, where this was utilized. Oregon Always Incentive and disincentives apply on all projects. Utah Always FDOT matches its incentives with equal disincentives. Florida

59 Very Often Incentive—material quality; disincentive—reduce construction impact. Arizona Very Often I/D clauses, A+B, lane rental. New York 22. Describe a project delivery technique that your agency uses to more effectively construct projects in urban corridors which would be of value to other agencies. Comment: Lane Rental. Colorado Design build is used to accelerate the pre-construction process. Louisiana Discussed at various subsections of the survey. Oregon Design Build, CMGC and Low-Bid Design Build. Utah N/A. Massachusetts Increased usage of alternative contracting such as Design-Build. Colorado Traffic Management Strategies—engaging how to construct early on in a project. Washington We have used weekend closures to allow contractors to work without dealing with traffic. Oregon Lane or ramp rental. Contractor is “charged” for the length of time the lane or ramp is closed. Michigan Two-step design-build. Ohio Interstate road closure. Missouri Included utility relocations as part of the contract. Tennessee Usual mode of project delivery is Design-Bid-Build; however, the Department is beginning to rely on Design-Build projects for minor projects. The contractor submits plans to the district for review. All of the required engineers review the plans at the same time. The first review has 10 days then subsequent reviews have 5 days. For an extra fee, the contractor can have a faster review. The contractor can also request that a consultant review the plans. Pennsylvania A+B with I/D has been used often with success. Also, DB with me /D or bonus. Florida We always utilize design-bid-build. Chicago Combination Design-Build, A+B and workmanship incentives. Arizona Design, bid, build with A + B. This allows a contractor to shorten the duration by using efficiencies. This method is used when there are lower risks due to utilities, etc. California We always utilize design-bid-build Chicago Project specific work-zone constructability reviews (bidability, buildability, M&PT) with construction industry, engineering industry, state police, FHWA, in-house experts and outside experts. New York Public private partnerships (P3) San Francisco Section 4—Utilities 23. How often do utilities have a significant impact on the reconstruction efforts of urban corridors? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: Sometimes Depends on the scope of the project. Ohio Sometimes FDOT works closely with utility agencies to try to have facilities out of the way for construction. Florida If the answer to Question 23 is "Never," then proceed to Question 27.

60 24. What is the nature of the impacts utilities have on the construction efforts in urban corridors? (Check all that apply.) a. Financial b. Schedule c. Quality of the work d. Stakeholder relations e. Contract administration activities on the part of the agency f. Number of bidders on a projects g. Other—please specify: Coordination with other infrastructure projects can be impacted. Colorado h. Other—please specify: none Comments: none 25. What strategies has your agency used to mitigate the impacts of utilities on the urban corridor construction projects administered by your agency? (Check all that apply.) a. Early coordination with impacted utility companies b. Payment of some relocation expenses even if not required by law c. Payment of all relocation expenses even if not required by law d. Litigation e. Modifying state law to require more effective coordination between your agency and the utility companies f. Ongoing project specific coordination meetings with utility companies even before construction is started g. Other—please specify: Contracted project specific utility location staff to represent a local public utility owner during construction. Oregon h. Other—please specifies: With prior approval utility has been incorporated into the construction contract, when the work was completed, the utility has reimbursed the state for the cost. Pennsylvania Subsurface Engineering (potholes) to identify conflicts. Nevada Separate and advance utility relocation contracts San Francisco Comments: Payment for utility relocation is precluded by constitution in Washington State. Washington Communication with the utilities is proactive. The utilities are notified annually of upcoming construction projects in their area. Utilities are invited to state quarterly meetings and regionally bimonthly meetings to discuss upcoming highway projects. To coordinate work schedules for specific projects the utilities are invited to scoping and design field views and then during construction they are invited to the bi-weekly construction meetings. Pennsylvania 26. Which of the following has your agency found to be most effective in dealing with the impacts of utilities in congested urban corridors? (Check 2.) a. Early coordination with impacted utility companies b. Payment of some relocation expenses even if not required by law c. Payment of all relocation expenses even if not required by law d. Litigation

61 e. Modifying state law to require more effective coordination between your agency and the utility companies f. Ongoing coordination meetings with utility companies even before a specific project is started g. Other—Please supply: We have not found an effective method. Colorado Including utility costs in contractor bid price for Lump Sum D/B projects to incentivize minimization of utility relocations. Utah On DB—WSDOT has transferred our legal rights to the contractors. Washington None of the above. Illinois Include relocation as part of the contract so the prime contractor is responsible. Tennessee Separate construction contract for early relocation of utilities. Arizona Separate and advance utility relocation contracts San Francisco h. Other—Please supply: Comments: 27. Describe a technique your agency has used to mitigate the impact that utilities have had on your urban corridor projects which you would like to share with other agencies? Comment: Adding utility work to the contract. Oregon Including utility relocation costs and relocation work in contractor scope on DB projects. Any unused “budget” is shared by contractor and Department. Any overrun is likewise shared. Utah Each District has an employee assigned to do early utility coordination during design. Massachusetts # 25 E. Colorado N DB—WSDOT has transferred our legal rights to the contractors. Washington Have INDOT contractor construct utility relocation as part of contract, have INDOT contractor oversee and verify locations of utility relocations, purchase utility easements as part of right-of- way purchasing. Indiana Subsurface utility engineering and including the utility work into the highway contract thereby eliminating the “third party” work on construction. Georgia Early coordination is the key. Ohio To reduce impact on both agencies, the Department has employed utility location services during design to perform subsurface investigations to identify where underground facilities are located, so that they can be avoided if possible. Part of the coordination efforts between the Department and utilities is to match up resources for projects. Utility companies are downsizing, so scheduling work for projects with the Department has become more critical. The Department has used the technique Substitute Right-of-Way, where the Department will acquire the right-of-way for the utility during the design process and for some projects the Department will contract the work with the utility reimbursing the costs. The Department has participated on websites that share utility information. Pennsylvania (See question 26 g.) Arizona Communication, communication, communication and collaboration, and coordination! California Separate and advance utility relocation contracts San Francisco Section 5—Right of Way 28. In what way does right of way acquisition and related activities impact urban corridor construction in your agency? (Check all that apply.) a. Construction schedule (delays) b. Project schedule (delays before construction or letting) c. Project costs (increases)

62 d. Increased project administration effort on the part of your agency e. Decreased interest from potential bidders f. Issues or problems with local communities g. Issues or problems relating to property owners who are not acquired h. Other—please specify: Dealing with commercial properties that have leases or franchises in another state. Pennsylvania I. Other—please specify: Comments: WSDOT avoids acquisition of ROW during construction. May be used on upcoming DB project(s). Washington The biggest issues are the lack of lead time given to projects which require R/W and the lack of R/W plan detail. Pennsylvania 29. What is most difficult about the right of way acquisition process in your state as it relates to constructing projects in urban corridors? (Check up to 3.) a. Statutory restrictions on the process b. Too little time to complete acquisitions c. Inadequate funding d. Property owner expectations for compensation e. Legal processes f. Relocation of residential property owners g. Relocation of commercial property owners h. Staffing shortages i. Real estate market conditions j. Inability to hire outside staff to augment agency resources k. Other—please specify: Dealing with tribal lands. Arizona l. Other—please specify: Comments: 30. What is the average time to acquire a residential property that doesn’t require condemnation? a. Less than one month b. Two to three months c. Four to six months d. Six months to a year e. More than a year Comments: This is acquisition time after the appraisal has been completed and reviewed. Michigan For questions 30–35 the responses are for a whole property take. If the property has material and equipment to be sold off of it, the time will be more than a year. Pennsylvania

63 31. What is the average time to acquire a residential property when condemnation is required? a. Less than one month b. Two to three months c. Four to six months d. Six months to a year e. More than a year Comments: 18–24 Months. Condemnation of residential is rare. Nevada No Experience San Francisco 32. What percentage of residential properties required condemnation on your urban corridor projects? a. None b. Less than 5% c. 5–10% d. 10–25% e. 25–50% f. More than 50% Comments: We do not keep "urban corridor" records. Colorado 33. What is the average time to acquire a commercial property that doesn’t require condemnation? a. Less than one month b. Two to three months c. Four to six months d. Six months to a year e. More than a year Comments: This is the acquisition time after the appraisal has been completed and reviewed. Michigan 34. What is the average time to acquire a commercial property where condemnation is required? a. Less than one month b. Two to three months c. Four to six months d. Six months to a year e. More than a year Comments: We do not keep “urban corridor” records. Colorado 18–24 months. Nevada No experience San Francisco 35. What percentage of commercial properties requires condemnation on your urban corridor projects? a. None b. Less than 5%

64 c. 5–10% d. 10–25% e. 25–50% f. More than 50% Comments: We do not keep “urban corridor” records. Colorado New state (PISTOL) laws may affect this. Nevada 36. Which of the following strategies does your agency employ to deal with right of way issues relating to construction projects in urban corridors? (Check all that apply.) a. Add additional staff to accelerate the acquisition process b. Pay incentives to property owners that agree to sell early in the process c. Use private sector resources to fill critical roles and augment agency staff (e.g., appraisers, relocation specialists, etc.) d. Pay incentives to private sector companies performing acquisition services for your agency e. Advertise projects before all parcels have been acquired or right of entry secured f. Award projects before all parcels have been acquired or rights of entry secured g. Use of the construction contractor to acquire rights of entry after awarding the construction contract h. Use of the construction contractor to acquire property after awarding the construction contract i. Other—please specify: Right of Occupancy. Utah Early involvement of R/W staff at planning and base plans. Michigan Advertise and award with tract availability dates in the contract. Tennessee Additional time added into design schedule based on how many properties. Pennsylvania j. Other—please specify: Advanced acquisition funding (before F.E.I.S. and R.O.D.) for critical parcels. Michigan Have local realtors help property owners with relocation. Pennsylvania Comments: Holdout with due dates are written into bidding documents. Bid lets will be delayed If for some reason hold out dates are not met Oregon However ADOT is in the process of reducing # of consultants and increasing agency staff. Arizona No special strategies San Francisco 37. Of the options listed in Question 36, which do you find to be the most effective in dealing with the impacts of right of way acquisition on the urban corridor projects constructed by your agency? (Check up to 3.) a. Add additional staff to accelerate the acquisition process b. Pay incentives to property owners that agree to sell early in the process c. Use private sector resources to fill critical roles and augment agency staff (e.g., appraisers, relocation specialists, etc.) d. Pay incentives to private sector companies performing acquisition services for your agency e. Advertise projects before all parcels have been acquired or right of entry secured f. Award projects before all parcels have been acquired or rights of entry secured g. Use of the construction contractor to acquire rights of entry after awarding the construction contract h. Use of the construction contractor to acquire property after awarding the construction contract i. Other—please specify: Early involvement of R/W staff to change some partial acquisitions to total acquisitions and vice versa. Michigan Advertise and award with tract availability dates in the contract. Tennessee

65 j. Other—please specify: Comments: Haven't found anything great yet. Washington 38. Of the options listed in Question 37, which do you find to be the least effective in dealing with the impacts of right of way acquisition on the urban corridor projects constructed by your agency? (Check up to 3.) a. Add additional staff to accelerate the acquisition process b. Pay incentives to property owners that agree to sell early in the process c. Use private sector resources to fill critical roles and augment agency staff (e.g., appraisers, relocation specialists, etc.) d. Pay incentives to private sector companies performing acquisition services for your agency e. Advertise projects before all parcels have been acquired or right of entry secured f. Award projects before all parcels have been acquired or rights of entry secured g. Use of the construction contractor to acquire rights of entry after awarding the construction contract h. Use of the construction contractor to acquire property after awarding the construction contract i. Other—please specify: j. Other—please specify: Comments: High risk business strategy. Indiana We would only consider using the 3 identified in question 37, A, B & C Georgia N/A —the only option listed above used by ADOT is (c), which is being reduced. Arizona 39. Describe right of way acquisition techniques that your agency uses that make the process more effective which you believe would be of value to other agencies. Agency’s—yet to be implemented. Right-of-way tracking system should streamline the process by making tracking the process much easier and more efficient. Oregon Use of Right of Occupancy, Incentive Payments and Negotiated Settlements, Mediation and Arbitration. Utah # 36 A. Colorado Use consultants for large urban projects. Illinois Full turnkey of all development (PE and RW) within same consultant team. Indiana Early involvement of R/W staff in the planning and design process to suggest changes/revisions and to protect the R/W budget. Michigan 1) GDOT utilizes an Agency Appeal process if negotiations are unsuccessful at District Level prior to condemnation. 2) Creation of a graduated scale of approval levels for condemnation at various levels of supervision/authority leading up the ROW Administrator having highest level of approval/authority. 3) Tracking of critical events throughout acquisition of ROW. Georgia Flexibility in R/W clearance certifications. Missouri The Department has set statewide policy and procedures for our Districts to use for right-of-way acquisition. Right-of-way acquisition takes time; make sure the project design schedule has enough of it. Use in house staff, but during busier months hire consultant acquisition firms that are competent and qualified with the correct licenses. Pennsylvania Resource driven activity—takes time and people; when work load increases dramatically it becomes difficult to maintain level of service. New York Section 6—Stakeholder/Public Involvement 40. Does your agency assign a project specific individual to its urban corridor projects for the purpose of managing stakeholder issues or public/community involvement activities? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes

66 c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: None If the answer to Question 40 is “Never,” then proceed to Question 43. 41. Is this person an agency employee? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always f. N/A Comments: None 42. Is this person a private contractor? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always f. N/A Comments: The private contractor will work with a Department person, who will then talk to the public. Pennsylvania Private consultants are used to perform task specific items, however, ADOT manages process. Arizona 43. Are individual projects “branded” (giving the project a unique identity, logo, name or reference) for communications or other purposes? a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: Department projects generally start out with an internal name, sometimes this carries throughout the life of the project with just the Department logo and any project contractor’s logos. Larger projects are usually “branded” for the purpose of public identification and have had a logo developed or a community logo contest. Pennsylvania This is relatively new for us. Nevada

67 44. What activities does your agency use to involve and inform stakeholder groups on your urban corridor projects? (Check all that apply.) a. Town hall meetings b. Public notices in the newspaper c. Project specific website d. Project specific web information found on your agency’s general website e. Phone calls f. Flyers distributed to residences or building occupants g. Door to door visits by project personnel h. Other newspaper advertising or stories i. Mail distribution j. Radio coverage k. Television coverage l. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) m. Blog n. Other—please specify: Public Hearings. Illinois Have news conferences for individual projects. Pennsylvania Transportation System Management (TSM) meetings. Arizona o. Other—please specify: Public Announcements. Illinois Mass text message notification. Pennsylvania Comments: Metropolitan Planning Organizations have email distribution about projects. Pennsylvania TSM meetings include ADOT, local governments, contractors, media, DPS, and other interested /agencies or groups. Arizona 45. Which activities does your agency find to be most effective for involving and informing stakeholder groups on your urban corridor projects? (Check 3.) a. Town hall meetings b. Public notices in the newspaper c. Project specific website d. Project specific web information found on your agency’s general website e. Phone calls f. Flyers distributed to residences or building occupants g. Door to door visits by project personnel h. Other newspaper advertising or stories i. Mail distribution j. Radio coverage k. Television coverage l. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) m. Blog n. Other—please specify: Focus groups, mass media. Utah TSM meetings. Arizona

68 o. Other—please specify: Public Announcements. Illinois Comments: Agency is currently looking into social media as an outreach strategy. Oregon 46. Has your agency targeted specific stakeholder groups such as businesses with mitigation efforts? a. Yes b. No Comments: No All affected or potentially affected are considered. Tennessee If the answer to Question 46 is "No," then proceed to Question 49. 47. Please check those groups which your agency has targeted mitigation strategies/plans for dealing with their concerns: (Check all that apply.) a. Businesses b. Residents c. Travelers d. Business deliveries e. Truckers f. Commuters g. Elected officials h. Recreationalists i. Sports fans j. Other—please specify: Schools. Colorado All. Tennessee See comments. Pennsylvania j. Other—please specify: Comments: Various interest (such as bike/pedestrian, etc.) and environmental justice groups. Oregon Other groups taken into account are Emergency Management, School Districts, Hunting groups, Airports, Vacation Bureaus, and Live Entertainment. Pennsylvania

69 48. Of these groups which are most important to deal with on your urban projects? (Check 3.) a. Businesses b. Residents c. Travelers d. Business deliveries e. Truckers f. Commuters g. Elected officials h. Recreationalists i. Sports fans j. Other—please specify: j. other—Please specify: Comments: None 49. What techniques are your agency using to effectively deal with stakeholder groups that you believe would be of value to other agencies? Comment: Alignment and coordination with local government agencies. Oregon Know Where Know Why—Advertising Campaigns and Programs. Utah # 45 A and C. Colorado Effective outreach/communication via media, print, radio. Michigan Citizen Advisory Committees and other stakeholder meetings. Georgia Virtual Public Meetings. Missouri Public meetings and discussions. Tennessee Techniques that have been effective are early communication with the stakeholder groups and local elected officials. The Department can learn the stakeholder’s needs and explain how the project schedule will be managed daily and overall. Establish a community advisory committee for the project and continue meeting with this group as the project progresses. The Department has mass communication through state, local and project specific websites, emails, and travel alert subscriptions. We send out project newsletters, emails, and text messages. Also, we use the permanent overhead Intelligent Transportation Systems to relay messages. Parkway Permitting; The contractor has to submit approval application 3 days before they want to shut down a route. The traffic unit reviews for project specifics, conflict with other projects and special events in the area. Pennsylvania We bring stakeholders in very early in the process. In the case of elected officials, we send them email notifications including them in our design phase submittals. Florida Achieve consensus on major project issues before project approval. San Francisco Section 7—Media Relations For the purpose of this survey media relations are those activities focused communicating with the media (e.g. television, radio, newspaper, etc.) 50. Does your agency assign a project-specific individual to its urban corridor projects for the purpose of managing media relations? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes

70 c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: Depends on Project Magnitude. Utah Usually the Project Manager, Community Relations Coordinator or District Press Officer. Pennsylvania If the answer to Question 50 is "Never," then proceed to Question 53. 51. Is this person an agency employee? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always f. N/A Comments: None 52. Is this person a private contractor? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always f. N/A Comments: Sometimes They do not do direct media interviews but they have helped. Michigan 53. Which of the following best describes your agency's view and relationship with the media? (Check one.) a. The media is suspect and we don't interact with them any more than we have to b. The media isn't looking for good news so they never write or say positive things about our agency or projects c. The media has been neutral about our projects and largely ignore us d. The media has responded in a generally positive way to our efforts to work with them e. The media has been a strong partner in getting critical information to the public during construction f. Other—please specify: Comments: B The Community Relations Coordinator and District Press Officer work on these relationships. The media has 24/7 access to the press office. The Department is proactive, in keeping them informed so we get fair coverage. Overall, we have a good relationship. Pennsylvania

71 respected in community. 54. Which of the following strategies does your agency use to communicate information to stakeholder groups? (Check all that apply.) a. Free "tags" on radio announcements such as traffic reports b. Paid "tags" on radio announcements such as traffic reports c. We rely on the radio to cover our projects when they have time and interest d. We rely on television stations to cover our projects when they have time and interest e. We purchase commercial time with radio stations f. We purchase commercial time with television stations g. Editorial board meetings h. We rely on the relationships we have with key media people to access their audiences and get our word out i. Other—please specify: Paid news ads to announce public meetings. Oregon Distribute news releases on major projects. Massachusetts Aggressive press releases, media tours. Washington Community meetings. Illinois PSA when available, Social Media activities, pitching feature. Michigan Website. Tennessee Public press releases. Pennsylvania Press Releases. Nevada j. Other—please specify: Cable TV within the project area(s), community. Michigan Additional signs in the project work zone with website information. Pennsylvania Provide free access to traffic video cameras. New York Comments: Reached out to minority groups thru Spanish language ads, minority news publications including bidding opportunities. Oregon Very heavy use of media relations to keep our topics on construction projects in the news. Georgia Traffic information is supplied to the radio and TV from the Traffic Management Center. Pennsylvania 55. Which of the strategies listed in Question 54 are most effective for your agency in getting information to your stakeholders? (Check no more than three.) a. Free "tags" on radio announcements such as traffic reports b. Paid "tags" on radio announcements such as traffic reports c. We rely on the radio to cover our projects when they have time and interest d. We rely on television stations to cover our projects when they have time and interest e. We purchase commercial time with radio stations f. We purchase commercial time with television stations g. Editorial board meetings h. We rely on the relationships we have with key media people to access their audiences and get our word out i. Other—please specify: Unknown. Illinois Social Media techniques, project managers broadcast/print interviews. Michigan B Overall I think they are positive. Some outlets sensationalize but I don’t think they are well Nevada

72 Video cameras New York j. Other—please specify: Comments: Not sure. Louisiana Not sure. Nevada 56. How did you know which ones to check in Question 55? (Check all that apply.) a. Surveys of stakeholders b. Experience c. Informal statistics we keep based on calls to the agency d. Feedback from the media e. Public feedback at meetings f. Neighborhood groups g. Focus groups h. Recreationalists i. Sports fans j. Other—please supply: Event Managers. Pennsylvania j. Other—please supply: Comments: None 57. What techniques are your agency using to effectively deal with media relations that you believe would be of value to other agencies? Comment: Strong public outreach strategies, public awareness/educational media events. Oregon # 55 H Colorado Agency media integrity with key reporters (one to one) ; Identifying Social Media techniques which will focus on the key objective to get the message to your customers; Developing an informative up-to-date website; Consistently on time with information that is correct and informative; Pitching projects with a predetermined goal and outcome desired....safety improvements, graffiti issues....etc.; Using “Old School Media” techniques for those that are not connected to the Internet...i.e.; local papers; supermarket free community papers/flyers with information and the theater pre-movie advertising. Michigan Building relationships, providing timely & reliable information, being accessible. Georgia Virtual Public Meetings. Missouri Have proactive interaction with the media; establish a good working relationship with them. Address issues immediately. Keep the media informed with daily email to press, radio, and TV. Have publicity visits or news conferences when appropriate. One district has developed a strong Pennsylvania Website. Tennessee

73 talk radio show about the upcoming construction projects. When we have a large project or event, we will go to the media outlets and visit with them, explaining in detail our projects. We offer to take them on tours of our projects. Also, after sending press releases or media alerts, we also follow up with phone calls. We ultimately make ourselves available to the media, traveling to their stations to interview on various news programs, etc. In the Tampa Bay area, we have very good relationships with all the reporters and they know they can call us for story ideas and in turn, we can call them and pitch ideas which usually get covered. We are respectful of their deadlines and they appreciate it. Florida Create a division within ADOT that deals specifically with communication and community partnerships—media relations is a big part of this. Arizona We have used lots of corridor-specific websites which have been very effective. California Section 8—Intermodal Issues 58. How often are other modes (e.g., transit, bicycle, pedestrian) present in your congested urban corridor projects? (Check one.) a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: D We determine impacts to all modes including bike/pedestrian and detours and mitigate as appropriate. Oregon If the answer to Question 58 is "Never," then proceed to Question 60. 59. If other modes are present in your urban corridor projects what measures do you take to address their operations before construction? (Check all that apply.) a. Coordination with other modes during the planning process b. Coordination with the other modes during the engineering design process c. Permanent ongoing meetings/committees with transit agencies d. Permanent ongoing meetings/committees with bicycle and pedestrian groups e. Project specific meetings/committees with transit agencies f. Project specific meetings/committees with bicycle and pedestrian groups g. No meaningful coordination h. No coordination is necessary i. Our agency uses in-house staff who knows about the other modes so no external coordination is necessary j. Other—please specify: US Coast Guard. Oregon Work with local Municipal Planning Organization. Pennsylvania k. Other—please specify: Comments: relationship with media at the beginning of the construction season by guest speaking on a local

74 2 Close coordination with transit on longer duration projects or dealing with special events. Washington 2 Project specific. Rare and infrequent. Indiana 60. Do you rely on the other modes to assist with throughput in the urban corridor during construction? a. Never b. Sometimes c. Often d. Very often e. Always Comments: 2 It seems heavy messaging, combined with alternate routes (signed or discovered) are the most common. Washington 61. How effective are the other modes in diverting traffic from automobiles and relieving congestion pressure during construction of your urban corridors? (Check one.) (Check one.) a. Not effective at all b. Some effectiveness c. Moderate effectiveness d. Very effective e. Not applicable Comments: Engaging key stake holders early and often in all phases of a project. Oregon Coordination between modes. Utah # 59 A to F Colorado Coordination/Changeable message signs/Public info about other modes during construction or major events. Georgia Provide additional funding to transit agency to relieve congestion during construction. Missouri Van/car pooling, bus. Tennessee Meet with the other transportation modes before, during and after a project to make sure their needs are/or have been met with the temporary and final project. The other transportation modes are invited to planning meetings. Their issues are represented by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations. MPOs are invited to meetings that cover overall and specific projects. Pennsylvania 62. What techniques are your agency using to effectively deal with other transportation modes that you believe would be of value to other agencies? Comment: None Section 9—Traffic Management Issues 63. What strategies does your agency use to manage traffic during construction of projects in urban corridors? (Check all that apply.) a. Partial closures during the day b. Partial closures during the night

75 c. Full closures during the day d. Full closures at night e. Aggressive detour routing f. Some detour routing g. Lane rental specifications h. Penalties for late opening of closures i. Milestones and/or construction phasing j. Contractor developed traffic control plan k. Agency developed traffic control plans l. Contractor provided traffic control m. Agency provided traffic control n. Use of in-place ITS resources o. Use of temporary ITS resources provided by the agency p. Use of temporary ITS resources provided by the contractor q. Other—please specify: Motorist assistance patrols. Louisiana Have utilized full or significant closures for extended periods. Heavy media push required prior. Washington Full weekend closures. Oregon Weekend work. Tennessee Contractor has a traffic control person, who is on call 24/7. Pennsylvania Contractor provides full time traffic control coordinator to monitor traffic inside the project insuring safety and mobility. Arizona TMP Working Group made up of all area agencies and stakeholders to plan and monitor traffic management San Francisco r. Other—please specify: Off-duty uniformed police at traffic signals and along detours. Pennsylvania Comments: 64. What techniques are your agency using to effectively deal with traffic management that you believe would be of value to other agencies? Comment: Utilization of traffic management plan and the web based work zone traffic analysis tool. Full closure during weekends. Oregon All of # 63 except C. Colorado Heavy outreach to communities and media prior to any significant closure. Washington Full weekend closures with coordination from Traffic Operations center. Oregon We are aggressively deploying “temporary” ITS devices, and tie them in to our permanent system, so traffic can be managed through a team effort between project staff and TMC staff. Michigan Customer satisfaction surveys. Missouri Rolling road blocks using state police approaching traffic control zones. Ramps are shut down while this is happening. Pennsylvania (see questions 63) Arizona TMP Working Group made up of all area agencies and stakeholders to plan and monitor traffic management San Francisco Communication, communication, communication. New York

76 a. Yes b. No Comments: Traffic Management and Operations Center. Oregon In Region 1. Oregon At the local level (in the city). Ohio The individual Districts have Traffic Management Centers that are operational during the work day and then switch over to a regional Traffic Management Center for the remaining portion of the day. Coverage is 24/7. Pennsylvania One in Las Vegas. Just developing one in Reno. Nevada 67. Does your agency have or use a traffic management center (TOC, TMC) to help deal with project and program travel demand management? 65. Given that traffic control and management are a substantial cost element for urban projects, how has your agency endeavored to reduce these costs? Comment: Reduce contract time. Louisiana Coordination and collaboration with other agencies, constructability review, alternative contracting, etc. Oregon Allowed contractor to produce TC plans, thus only designing the plan once. Utah VMSs, Alternate Route Advisories. Colorado See #64. Oregon Shorten duration of projects as much as possible. Minnesota Phase project to minimize temporary pavement and reduce the number of phase changes. Indiana Trying to use standardized special provisions for all work zone management approaches: “traditional” approaches, as well as “new” SPs (such as real-time work zone systems, etc.). Michigan Reducing total construction duration to the shortest time practical. Georgia Low bid specifications. Ohio Gateway Guide. Missouri Traffic Management Plans use phasing for traffic control to reduce project impact. Plans are value engineered and have constructability reviews to verify efficiency. Internal coordination with design and construction units when developing the TMPs. Traffic control phasing developed with construction input. Road Users Liquidated Damages is balanced with actual construction schedule. Pennsylvania Attempts to lower these costs have been mostly with A+B with I/D and DB with I/D or bonus. Florida Allow nighttime full closures. We realize that safety to the traveling public is very important and insure monies are available to administer and manage this. Arizona Work zone project reviews as described in question 22. New York We don't. We are much more concerned that efforts be effective. San Francisco 66. Do you have a project that would be useful to share with other agencies that we could explore in greater detail as a case study for this research project? If yes, please provide a name and contact information below so we can follow up with that individual. a. Yes b. No c. Not sure Name: Phone: Email:

77 68. What has your agency done to comply with the Federal regional mobility requirements for coordination of program within urban areas? Comment: Implementation of Highway Mobility policy and statewide freight/traffic mobility program; use Traffic Management Plans including meeting delay thresholds on corridor basis. Oregon Not sure. Utah Drafted Specifications to comply with all Federal Regulations. Colorado Developed internal policies. Illinois Rewritten design and procedural manuals. Indiana Not sure if we have done anything above and beyond are work zone mobility process; we already have pretty good coordination, using our MPO SEMCOG as the coordinating unit, with coordinating work zone mobility. Michigan Coordination with local FHWA, and others to ensure compliance with all requirements. Ohio Traffic Management Centers in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. Missouri Not sure what you are asking here. Pennsylvania Intensive planning and coordination efforts within the Department’s Transportation Planning Office. Florida Work Zone Safety and Mobility policy implemented on 10/07. Arizona Work with, and as part of the MPO. ADA plan. New York Follow state DOT guidelines San Francisco Other Comments If you have any other comments, please include them below: Comment: Project specific water quality/detention treatment within limited right-of-way, noise impacts, projects associated with railroads can further complicate the delivery of the projects. Oregon This survey is too long, and required a lot of research. It took about two hours to get all the information from all the Specialty Groups. It definitely needs re-evaluated. Colorado Please let me know when you publish your results. Thank you. Pennsylvania For case study project I would need to discuss with our regional offices for potential projects. New York

Next: Abbreviations used without definitions in TRB publications »
Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 413: Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in Congested Urban Areas explores a diverse set of techniques designed to address highway construction challenges in congested urban areas such as high-traffic volumes, utility conflicts, complex right-of-way acquisition issues, a diverse stakeholder base, and watchful news media.

The report includes four case studies designed to help illustrate effective construction practices in congested urban areas.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!