Strategies to Optimize Real Property Acquisition, Relocation Assistance, and Property Management Practices. NCHRP Report 771.

摘要

Inefficiencies in the process used to acquire and manage real property have a significant impact on the ability of transportation agencies to develop and deliver transportation projects effectively. Acquisition of real property is frequently on the critical path of transportation projects. Along with environmental reviews and utility relocations, delays in acquiring real property are one of the main reasons for project delays and cost overruns. NCHRP Project 20-84 was intended to (a) develop improved, integrated real property procedures and business practices in the project development and delivery process; and (b) develop suggestions to improve property management practices. Of particular interest was comparing typical business practices against the requirements in the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 as amended by Congress (the Uniform Act, codified in the U.S. Code as 42 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.), but without regulatory encumbrances—more specifically, provisions in Title 49 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 24). The analysis was to determine which business process elements were critical to the mission of the real property function according to the requirements of federal law, identify strategies to improve or optimize those elements, and identify which business process elements were not critical and could, therefore, be improved or removed. The analysis included an evaluation of factors internal to the acquisition and management of real property (i.e., typical right-of-way factors), as well as factors related to the integration of these activities with the rest of the transportation project development and delivery process. Typical right-of-way factors included, but were not limited to, appraisal and appraisal review, acquisition and negotiations, titles and closing, condemnation proceedings, settlements, relocation eligibility determination, relocation assistance and payments, and contracting for services. Also included were utility accommodation and relocation, property management, encroachment remediation, and administrative costs (including training). Factors related to the integration between real property activities and the rest of the project development and delivery process included, but were not limited to, integration points and scheduling.