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PRACTICES FOR UTILITY COORDINATION IN TRANSIT PROJECTS Transit projects frequently affect utility facilities (both above and below ground) that exist along project corridors. Relatively little has been documented on the topic of utility issues or the use of successful practices to facilitate utility coordination in transit projects. This synthesis provides a summary of utility coordination practices at transit agencies around the United States. The report includes a literature review, a survey of selected transit agencies, documentation of lessons learned, and identification of information gaps and research needs. The literature review included references that discuss utility practices at transit agencies and, for completeness, references that discuss relevant highway-related reports, guidelines, and research. Most utility relocations at transit agencies are associated with rail and streetcar projects. Bus projects rarely involve utility relocations. Statistics showing capital expendi- tures spent on utility relocations are not easily available. Having access to these statistics could facilitate a number of applications, including project planning and scoping, project cost monitoring, and risk management. Some FTA guidelines include information related to utilities. For example, the Project and Construction Management Guidelines assist with the development of transit capital projects in areas related to project scope, function, schedule, cost, and quality. Regardless of project delivery method, the guidelines highlight the importance of identifying utility conflicts during project development. The guidelines also stress the importance of executing master agreements with utility owners to outline each partyâs responsibilities during design and construction. FTA also published a series of lessons learned based on feedback received from FTA Project Man- agement Oversight Program contractors, transit agencies, and FTA regional managers. How- ever, utility issues were mentioned only incidentally in some of the lessons learned. A survey of transit agencies was conducted to better understand utility coordination practices. A two-tier approach was followed in which a preselection survey was distributed to transit agencies nationwide, and based on the results of this preselection survey, a targeted round of phone interviews was conducted with selected transit agencies. In total, ten transit agencies were selected based on the results of the preselection survey and invited to participate in phone interviews. Of this total, eight agencies responded (80% response rate), and phone interviews were scheduled with each of them. Lessons learned from the preselection survey and the follow-on telephone interviews include the following: ⢠Utility conflicts result in significant impacts to transit projects, particularly during design and construction. ⢠Transit agencies strive to involve utility owners early in the project development process. ⢠Successful utility coordination requires experience, partnerships, diligence, and accurate and complete utility data. ⢠Existing records research, survey of visible utility appurtenances, utility location services, and test holes are standard utility data collection techniques. SUMMARY
2 ⢠Transit agencies rarely collect quality level B (QLB) or quality level A (QLA) utility data in accordance with ASCE 38-02 standard for the collection and depiction of underground utility facilities. ⢠Using three-dimensional technologies for project development and delivery is still uncommon. ⢠Utility conflict matrices are useful for managing utility conflicts during project develop- ment and delivery, but their use is inconsistent. ⢠Some utility conflicts require unique engineering solutions. ⢠Transit agencies apply risk assessment and risk management principles, but there is little information on specific risk assessment techniques for handling utility issues. ⢠There is a wide range in cost-sharing agreements for utility relocations. ⢠Compliance with Buy America provisions is a significant issue affecting transit agencies and utility companies. ⢠There is a need for guidance documents at transit agencies to help utility stakeholders during the project development and delivery process. Based on the information gathered for this synthesis, the following research needs have been identified: ⢠Effective utility investigation protocols for transit projects. ⢠Improved methodology for identifying and managing utility conflicts. ⢠Templates and model master utility agreements. ⢠Framework and architecture for database of utility coordination and relocation costs in relation to total project costs. ⢠Effective practices for compliance with Buy America provisions. ⢠Guidelines for utility relocation practices in transit projects. ⢠Utility coordination effective practices for different delivery methods. ⢠Feasibility of a strategic transit research program to address urgent transit issues.
