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The opportunity cost of conveyance corridors; highways, hydro lines and pipelines is the monetary value of resource uses foregone; the lost value of physical production resulting from the allocation of land to right-of-way use. Theoretical models were developed for calculating the resource uses foregone and under the criteria of measurability and availability of data, practical equations for conveyance corridors traversing agricultural and forested areas were formulated. Use of practical equations was illustrated by creating hypothetical corridors through the Municipalities of Elton and North Cypress (agricultural application) and through Township 61, Ranges 27 and 28 (forestry application). Conflict between rights-of-way and recreational areas was difficult to quantify and strict economic analysis of opportunity costs was not possible. An alternative technique of reclamation, reparation and mitigation (RRM) was therefore proposed for evaluating opportunity costs. Difficulty in defining wildlife prices and determining the effects of corridors on wildlife prevented the use of the developed economic equation. Thus the alternative technique of RRM was suggested to quantify wildlife opportunity costs. Application of the model produced a comparison of corridor opportunity costs. For a hypothetical corridor, 120 feet wide and 42 miles long traversing agricultural land the highway had a loss of $1, 087,000 and the hydro line with wooden towers a loss of $4000 with steel towers, $13,000. The pipeline had a range of opportunity costs from a benefit of $11,000 to a loss of $127,000. All values were calculated for 50 years, undiscounted. One equation was derived for all corridors in forested areas. Application of this model to a hypothetical corridor, 120 feet wide and 12.6 miles long produced for all corridors, and opportunity cost of $151,000 (calculated for 50 years undiscounted). A questionnaire inquiring about the effects of pipelines on soil productivity was sent (summer 1973) to farmers having a pipeline traversing their property. Nine percent of the respondents indicated an increase in yield due to the pipeline, 25 percent reported no change and 66 percent indicated a decrease in crop yield. However, general lack of data of effects of pipelines on soil productivity suggest the need for further study. Numerous ways are available for reducing opportunity costs of corridors; of which multiple use is one of the best. All land has potential for wildlife utilization and a review of literature suggests that corridors are suitable for wildlife production. Thus where active primary production is not possible or too costly it is recommended that steps be taken to use idle right-of-way lands for wildlife enhancement and production.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Freiburg (Schweiz).

The value and feasibility of implementing the Corridor concept has been debated for over twenty years. A corridor provides land for the coordinated placement of future linear facilities such as highways, railways, pipelines, powerlines and municipal services. Few corridors have been established, although there has been obvious interest in the concept. A number of studies into the feasibility of establishing corridors have been completed in the United States, Alberta and British Columbia. This thesis examines the benefits, disadvantages and implementation problems associated with the corridor concept. Through a literature review, the factors influencing linear facility right-of-way location and width are examined. Also, from the literature, the benefits and disadvantages associated with corridor implementation and the key factors which have inhibited corridor implementation are identified. The Alberta corridor program is studied and the corridor origins, design, institutional framework and implementation mechanism identified. The case study indicated that a set of unusual circumstances allowed for the establishment of the Alberta corridors. This thesis concludes that corridors do provide net benefits for the community in the long term but that they are difficult to implement. The major planning implication of corridors is that they bring right-of-way planning into the sphere of land use planning and reduce the emphasis on economics and engineering. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Runoff during the revegetation of roadsides can transport sediment and nutrients offsite, leading to surface water quality reductions. Two field experiments were conducted near Starkville, MS in 2011 and 2012 to evaluate the influence of N and P sources and rates, fertilization timing, and mulch type on vegetative establishment and nutrient and sediment runoff losses. Stainless steel runoff frames (0.75 x 2.0 m) were installed on 10% and 15% slopes for Experiment I and Experiment II, respectively. A bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge), tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons.], sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don], and common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] mixture was seeded within each frame during Experiment I. Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) was added for Experiment II. Experiment I treatments consisted of 73.5 or 147 kg N ha-1 as 13-13-13, poultry litter, ammonium nitrate, stabilized urea, polymer coated urea, or diammonium phosphate. Experiment II treatments consisted of wheat straw and six hydromulches; paper fiber, wood fiber, wood/paper fiber blend, flexible growth medium (FGM), extended term-FGM (ET-FGM), bonded fiber matrix (BFM). Runoff from natural and simulated rainfall was analyzed for PO43--P, total P (TP), NH4+-N, NO3- -N, total N (TN), and total solids (TS). Experiment I results suggest the greatest N and P runoff losses occurred during the first runoff event following fertilization. Splitting 147 kg N ha-1 into two equal applications increased nutrient losses compared to one application. Application of organic plus inorganic P increased PO43--P in runoff compared to inorganic P alone. Experiment II results indicate straw was the most effective mulch for increasing vegetative establishment and limiting solids and nutrients in runoff. However, lack of fertilizer prill dissolution may have influenced nutrient runoff losses during dry conditions. The FGM, ET-FGM, and BFM mulch treatments were more effective than the paper, wood, and paper/wood fiber treatments in reducing solids and nutrients in runoff. It was apparent during both experiments that timing, intensity, and duration of rainfall events following fertilization have an influence on runoff losses. However, further research is needed to quantify the influence of those rainfall parameters.

For the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), accurately predicting durations for right-of-way (R/W) acquisition and utility adjustment on highway projects has been deemed as one of the most important capabilities that regional districts should possess. Because this need is so pressing, TxDOT has sought to establish an effective methodology for predicting the durations of these two pre-construction processes. The “Right-of-Way Acquisition and Utility Adjustment Process Duration Information (RUDI) tool” was developed, which is an Excel-based tool that takes into consideration user inputs regarding project circumstances such as schedule urgency and levels of uncertainty. In this study, the accuracy of RUDI and the key drivers that affect the durations of R/W acquisition and utility adjustment have been examined in order to assess RUDI’s effectiveness in implementation on projects, to identify critical needs for enhancing RUDI, and to understand how practitioners can better predict durations needed for R/W acquisition and utility adjustment. RUDI proved useful in predicting durations with better accuracy in spite of limited data availability. Specifically, RUDI provided practitioners with reasonable duration ranges that can be used in better forecasting the durations of utility adjustment. Moreover, the study revealed that practitioners with more than 13 years of experience and R/W acquisition specialization showed better performance in estimating durations for R/W acquisition. Accurately estimated durations for utility adjustment were mostly provided by practitioners working at districts located in urban or metropolitan areas in Texas. The drivers identified significantly influential in predicting durations for R/W acquisition by the practitioners include “TxDOT Project Type,” “District R/W Annual Budget,” “Dedication of Funds to the Project,” “Funding Limitations for the Project,” “Level of Political Pressure,” “Need for Residential Relocation,” “Level of Local Availability of Replacement Housing Facilities,” and “Likelihood of Title Curative Actions,” “Status of Environmental Clearance,” “Status of Right-of-Way Map,” “Frequency of Eminent Domain,” “Right-of-Way and Utility Scope,” and “Number of Parcels for Acquisition.” Likewise, for estimating utility adjustment durations, the drivers deemed highly influential and important by the practitioners include “Dedication of Funds to the Project (R/W and Construction),” “Funding Limitations for the Project,” “Have Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Investigations been Performed,” “Adjustment is Reimbursable Utility or Non-Reimbursable Utility,” “Status of Environmental Clearance,” “Status of Right-of-Way Map,” “Right-of-Way and Utility Scope,” “Number of Utilities Located in Private Easement,” and “Responsiveness of Utility Companies to TxDOT Needs.” These drivers should be considered key data points in RUDI because they can provide users with more duration ranges that can be useful in forecasting actual durations of R/W acquisition and utility adjustment on highway projects. The study also revealed that further research is needed to maximize the benefits of the RUDI tool, although validating the study’s findings was restricted due to a lack of data. Additional studies for improving the RUDI tool should focus both on collecting more recent data and reconstructing the tool in terms of function and structure. / text

This thesis explores the nature of public access rights for outdoor recreation in New Zealand. It aims to improve understanding of these rights by examining the New Zealand public policy framework for public access, the social constructions of access rights and the interaction of these dimensions via analysis of two contemporary New Zealand access issues: the foreshore access debate and the state-sponsored Land Access Review. An institutional arrangements framework forms the study�s conceptual basis and is critiqued for its value in the examination of rights of public access. Multiple qualitative methods were employed to collect data, including interviews with access actors, submission analysis, examination of public policy documents and critical interpretation of the access discourse within the mass media. Key themes from the international access literature are identified and the disparate nature of much of this research is highlighted. Within New Zealand, public access represents an area of research neglect. This thesis provides the first comprehensive study of rights of public access for outdoor recreation in New Zealand. A threshold has been reached in the evolution of access rights in New Zealand. Societal changes are perceived to be reducing the public�s traditional rights to access land for outdoor recreation. Owing to the importance of these rights within conceptions of New Zealand national identity, the Government is codifying access rights in a bid to protect them. Thus a shift in access arrangements is occurring, from reliance upon social customs to increasing use of public policy instruments. Access rights are being renegotiated within a highly contested environment. The debate is being staged within the political arena and via the national news media; access has become a significant national issue. As a result, the level of engagement has shifted from localised access transactions between landholders and recreationists, to a national discussion regarding competing rights to land. Access actors have reacted in different ways to the reforms of access arrangements, driven by the manner in which the proposals affect their property rights, social values and norms. Some reactions have been strident and confrontational. Inadequate public policy arrangements for access have created the 'space' for these multiple social constructions of access to develop. Convergence of a disparate and poorly enforced access public policy framework with varying social representations of access rights is influencing the access outcomes. The 'place' of public access within New Zealand society occurs at the intersection of several strongly-held cultural traditions, including private property rights, Maori customary rights, and a belief that it is a birthright to freely access the outdoors. The tension between these values underpins New Zealand�s unique (and changing) manifestation of the rights of the public to access land for recreation.

Escalation of right-of-way (ROW) costs have been shown to be a prime contributor to project cost escalation in the highway industry. Two problems contribute to ROW cost escalation: 1) the ROW cost estimation and cost estimate management process generally lacks structure and definition as compared to other areas of cost estimation; and 2) there is a lack of integration and communication between those responsible for ROW cost estimating and those responsible for general project cost estimating. The research for this thesis was preceded by a literature review to establish the basis for the study. Data collection was completed through interviews of seven state highway agencies (SHAs) and two local public agencies (LPAs). The findings of the research are presented in a set of ROW flowcharts which document the steps, inputs, and outputs of the ROW cost estimation and cost estimate management process. Three ROW cost estimates and a cost management process take place throughout project development. An effort was made from the onset of the research to relate the ROW cost estimating and cost estimate management process to the first four project development phases (planning, programming. preliminary design, and final design). There are five flowcharts produced as a result of this research: 1) an agency-level flowchart showing all cost estimates and the interaction of ROW with the project development process; 2) a conceptual ROW cost estimating flowchart which depicts the required steps during planning; 3) a baseline ROW cost estimating flowchart which depicts the required steps during programming; 4) an update ROW cost estimating flowchart which depicts the required steps during preliminary design to include a cost estimate management loop; and 5) a ROW cost management flowchart which depicts the required steps during final design. Although selected SHA contacts provided input following the development of the flowcharts, the flowcharts were only validated to a limited extent due to time and budget constraints. These flowcharts attempt to address the two contributing problems to ROW cost escalation by providing structure to the ROW cost estimation process and by developing the ROW process flowcharts linked to the project development process. Based on the input provided by SHA contacts, the flowcharts appear to have the potential to provide guidance to SHAs in improving the accuracy of ROW cost estimates through addressing these two problems.

The costs of acquiring parcels by condemnation are usually significantly higher than those for property acquired by negotiation, suggesting that Right-of-Way (R/W) acquisition costs may best be described by two different regression equations. This paper develops a switching regression model of acquisition cost to simultaneously predict the probability of whether a parcel will go to condemnation rather than be acquired via negotiation and the corresponding acquisition costs under these two regimes. The error terms of the selection equation and the two cost equations follow a trivariate normal distribution to reflect correlations across unobserved factors (such as a land owner's tenacity or a site's view value). When this model is calibrated using data on properties acquired across the state of Texas for transportation projects between 2008 and 2011, results suggest that R/W appraisers and staff should pay special attention to commercially used parcels in urban areas involving a partial taking with a relatively small remainder. Comparison of cost estimates between the two regimes (condemnation vs. negotiation) suggests that condemned parcels will have, on average, 78% higher acquisition costs across the 1,710 acquired properties and 51% greater price variation. These results suggest that it is much more costly to acquire a property and more difficult to accurately predict its costs if it cannot be acquired via negotiation. The application of model estimates to an example corridor highlights the value of simulation to capture all modeling uncertainties. This two-regime model is further extended to a three-category multinomial endogenous switching, allowing for differential cost estimates across negotiation-deed, administrative settlement, and condemnation contexts. A model of acquisition time -- from the agency's initial-offer date to its final possession date is also developed, to examine the effects of condemnation on acquisition duration. The results suggest that condemnation proceedings add approximately 7 to 8 months, on average, to parcel acquisitions by the Texas Department of Transportation. Taken together, such switching models for condemnation versus negotiated settlement highlight the benefits of avoiding condemnation proceedings in R/W acquisition. Estimation results illuminate the relative importance of various parcel and owner attributes, impacting the nature and cost of acquisition, and enhancing opportunities for R/W staff to identify more contentious properties and establish more reliable budget estimates. / text

Right-of-Way (R/W) acquisition is a critical function in the project development process (PDP). Improving this acquisition process requires both a good collaboration among the functions of the PDP and a good understanding of the factors affecting R/W acquisition. This research has two phases. Phase I aims at developing a systematic method for risk and scope management using scope elements that cover the work of all functions of the entire PDP. Phase II aims at studying the inherent factors that might have significant impact on the R/W acquisition schedule. As a result, the Advance Planning Risk Analysis (APRA) was successfully developed. It contains 59 scope elements with descriptions and a mechanism to assess the project’s level of definition. The APRA can provide a platform for project participants to cooperate and coordinate project activities and responsibilities. The method provides a high level approach to improving the effective of the PDP and its functions, including R/W acquisition. In studying the R/W acquisition inherent factors in phase II, the research was able to draw conclusions on the impact of the identified inherent factors on R/W acquisition durations based on statistical analyses. The research was also successful in developing a statistically significant model for predicting the total R/W acquisition duration, from R/W Release to Possession, using inherent factors. This research provides a number of significant contributions toward the better understanding and improvement of the PDP process in general and the R/W acquisition process in particular. Further research in this area and direction was recommended and believed to be promising, productive, and highly valuable. / text