Right-of-way Research Articles

Sustainable Urban Street Design: Evaluation of El-Moaz Street in Cairo, Egypt

Streets deserve respect, they shape the form of the city and how we move through it. They accommodate buildings, people, vehicles, utilities, vegetation, signage, street furniture and lighting. Streets make up the majority of the public realm in our towns and cities. There is a strong relationship between urban design and sustainability, which led to the development in the compact city and street. Sustainable streets can defined as multimodal rights of way designed and operated to create benefits relating to movement, ecology and community that together support a broad sustainability agenda embracing the three E's: environment, equity and economy, and implementing sustainable urban streets can create more livable communities.The aim of this paper is to identify an approach for applying sustainable design criteria for urban streets. By defining sustainability in a broader context a case will be made for enhancing the sustainability of urban streets. Considering and assessing sustainable principles will enable urban streets to function in a manner that is more beneficial to people, communities, the economy and the environment. Through these sustainable street design criteria, analyzing the development of El-Moaz Ldin Allah Elfatimy street in Cairo, Egypt. Hence, a comprehensive improvement of the streets is certainly needed to ensure a successful sustainable street design. The paper concludes some recommendations to develop the main components of sustainable streets that are derived from the theoretical study in order to well design a sustainable street for a liveable communities

Discovering the space–time dimensions of schedule padding and delay from GTFS and real-time transit data

Schedule padding is the extra time added to transit schedules to reduce the risk of delay. Where there is more random delay, there should be more schedule padding. While schedule padding is a product of transit planners, a method for detecting when and where it exists could provide valuable feedback as transit agencies continually develop their networks. By analyzing transit schedules and real-time vehicle location data at the level of stop-to-stop segments, we can locate padding in space and time and identify the places that may be most effected by stochastic delay. Such information could be used to target delay-reduction interventions such as fare prepayment or transit-only rights of way. The Toronto Transit Commission is used as a case study, and initial results suggest that highly delayed segments appear mostly in the expected, but some surprising, places.

Leverage Technology: Maximizing Value in the Bulk Power Industry [In My View

Technological advances are paramount for the bulk power system of the future. The integrated grid blurs the lines between transmission and distribution functions with increased renewable penetration, microgrid deployments, advances in power electronics and controls, and improvements in telecommunications and computing capabilities. New measurement techniques and instrumentation make it possible to capture power system parameters in real time, something that was not even considered 25 years ago. The increasing volume and complexity of this data will require creative and innovative approaches to address the challenges in planning and operating the future grid. This grid will need to leverage existing assets, most notably existing rights of way in key corridors, must be self-healing, and enable markets to ensure affordability.

Bicycling crashes on streetcar (tram) or train tracks: mixed methods to identify prevention measures.

BackgroundStreetcar or train tracks in urban areas are difficult for bicyclists to negotiate and are a cause of crashes and injuries. This study used mixed methods to identify measures to prevent such crashes, by examining track-related crashes that resulted in injuries to cyclists, and obtaining information from the local transit agency and bike shops.MethodsWe compared personal, trip, and route infrastructure characteristics of 87 crashes directly involving streetcar or train tracks to 189 crashes in other circumstances in Toronto, Canada. We complemented this with engineering information about the rail systems, interviews of personnel at seven bike shops about advice they provide to customers, and width measurements of tires on commonly sold bikes.ResultsIn our study, 32 % of injured cyclists had crashes that directly involved tracks. The vast majority resulted from the bike tire being caught in the rail flangeway (gap in the road surface alongside rails), often when cyclists made unplanned maneuvers to avoid a collision. Track crashes were more common on major city streets with parked cars and no bike infrastructure, with left turns at intersections, with hybrid, racing and city bikes, among less experienced and less frequent bicyclists, and among women. Commonly sold bikes typically had tire widths narrower than the smallest track flangeways. There were no track crashes in route sections where streetcars and trains had dedicated rights of way.ConclusionsGiven our results, prevention efforts might be directed at individual knowledge, bicycle tires, or route design, but their potential for success is likely to differ. Although it may be possible to reach a broader audience with continued advice about how to avoid track crashes, the persistence and frequency of these crashes and their unpredictable circumstances indicates that other solutions are needed. Using tires wider than streetcar or train flangeways could prevent some crashes, though there are other considerations that lead many cyclists to have narrower tires. To prevent the majority of track-involved injuries, route design measures including dedicated rail rights of way, cycle tracks (physically separated bike lanes), and protected intersections would be the best strategy.

Seeing Portland’s Urban Forest for Its History

Portland, Oregon’s urban forest is rooted in the city’s social and environmental history. Portland visitors today are likely to encounter the city’s popular nickname of “Stumptown.” The name harkens back to the mid-nineteenth century, when settlers cleared the land of trees, leaving streets of mud and stumps. (See figure 1 .) Yet, the image of Stumptown neglects to acknowledge the trees that were not cut down as well as the subsequent 150 years of reforestation in the city. Advocacy for the protection of trees and the process of reforestation are a rich part of the city’s history. As early as 1855, at the height of Portland’s Stumptown days, the city established its first tree code to promote and care for trees planted in public rights of way. 1 With a long history as a port of trade, Portland received waves of immigrants from different parts of the world. In addition to their own distinct cultural traditions, these travelers brought diverse tree species to Portland. Portland remembers Stumptown, but the hidden history of Portland’s reforestation remains largely out of the public eye. 2

Urban rights-of-way as extensive butterfly habitats: A case study from Winnipeg, Canada

Urban rights-of-way (ROWs) offer large underused tracts of land that could be managed for plants and butterflies of threatened ecosystems like tall-grass prairies. However, built-up unvegetated urban lands might serve as barriers preventing butterflies and resource plants from settling along ROWs. Further, negative edge effects from surrounding urban lands or frequent mowing and spraying associated with urbanization may prevent butterflies from benefiting from urban ROWs as habitats. However, because ROWs often run for kilometres, they might facilitate movement from other, similar habitats by which they run close. To determine if surrounding built-up lands had a greater effect on butterflies than did the abundance of resource plants along ROWs, we surveyed butterflies and resource plants along transects in 48 transmission lines in or near Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2007–2009. In general, butterfly richness and abundance were better predicted by available resources than by built-up urban lands surrounding ROWs. Butterfly species richness per visit increased by 85% with increases from 10 plant species per site to 80 species of plants per site, while abundance per species per visit increased by 100% with increases from negligible forb cover to 5% forb cover, and by 112% with increases in vegetation height-density from 5cm to 40cm high. If appropriate resource plants are reintroduced and managed for along urban ROWs, densities of most butterfly species will increase along these lines despite surrounding built-up urban lands. Thus, urban ROWs present an opportunity for restoring habitats for prairie butterflies.

Understanding Electronic Registration: Rights of Way and Property Rights Generally

Electronic registration has been a remarkable Ontario achievement. For it, Ontario converted millions of properties from registry to land titles. The Ontario 40-year rule governed this, but Ontario, wisely used a streamlined process. Sadly, the conversions led to a political interpretation of that rule. Ramsay is an outstanding example of the Ontario Court of Appeal's judicial interpretation. Rights of way have become a lightning rod for fundamental questions about the Ontario land registration systems. This original 2014 article shows fully how the conversions affected rights of way.

Nesting Behaviour and Reproductive Success of Sprague’s Pipit (<i>Anthus spragueii</i>) and Vesper Sparrow (<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>) during Pipeline Construction

Industrial activity occurs in the breeding habitat of several species at risk, including the federally threatened Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii). To evaluate whether oil pipeline construction reduces the productivity of this species, we examined (a) noise levels in relation to distance from the pipeline right-of-way (ROW), (b) the extent to which noise and song frequencies overlapped, (c) the distribution of Sprague’s Pipit nests relative to the ROW, and (d) Sprague’s Pipit reproductive success during exposure to pipeline construction and clean-up activity. We also examined the songs, nest locations, and reproductive success of the Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) for comparison. Study plots (400 × 400 m, n = 30) were established in grassland adjacent to the pipeline ROW or 600 m away from the ROW in similar habitat. Mean maximum noise levels during pipeline activity included frequencies that overlapped the song range of both species and were louder than the recommended 49 dB threshold up to 250 m from the ROW. Sprague’s Pipit nests were evenly distributed across close and distant plots, whereas Vesper Sparrow nests were more abundant within 50 m of the ROW. Sprague’s Pipit daily nest survival rate and the number of young surviving to day 8 both increased with increasing distance from the ROW; and Vesper Sparrow daily nest survival decreased slightly with exposure to pipeline activities. Our findings validate the restricted activity period and indicate that the recommended setback distance of 350 m is a reasonable guideline for pipeline projects.

Revenue-Generating Projects on Highway Rights-of-Way: State of the Practice

AbstractThis paper presents in detail the results of the first phase of a Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) funded research project on the alternative uses of highway rights-of-way (ROWs) to generate revenue and establishes the state-of-the-practice of the subject matter in the United States. Two major data collection modes were used to achieve the objectives of this paper including a comprehensive literature review and a national survey of state DOTs, which collectively provide valuable up-to-date information on the experience and practices of the state DOTs that have implemented or investigated projects designed for highway ROWs. The results suggest that state DOTs are very receptive to some newly emerging renewable-energy-related and sustainability-related projects in highway ROWs, specifically solar arrays, EV charging infrastructure, and LED lighting retrofits. The application of wind-energy, biomass-conversion, and carbon-sequestration projects in highway ROWs seem to be emerging relatively...

Opportunities for Value Extraction Projects in Highway Rights-of-Way and Development of Feasibility Assessment Tool

State departments of transportation (DOTs) have been trying to identify alternative and innovative sources of revenue and cost savings. One potential solution to funding issues that has gained recent attention is value extraction from highway rights-of-way (ROW). In this paper, first, the state-of-the-practice of value extraction projects in highway ROWs is established. Next, detailed analysis is conducted regarding three high-priority value extraction projects chosen by the Florida DOT including solar photovoltaic, light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and agricultural uses. The feasibility screening tools introduced in this paper integrate all of the research findings from the literature review, survey of state DOTs, and case studies of select projects and programs. The screening tools provide in a tabular form a thorough list of various technical and financial criteria that play an important role in choosing and implementing the related value extraction projects. The information provided for the individual value extraction project types can be used as a platform to successfully design and manage those projects in the highway ROW.

Monitoring of Oil and Gas Pipelines by Use of VTOL-Type Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Summary The vast and diverse spread of the oil and gas pipeline infrastructure makes real-time monitoring of the entire network a very costly task. This topology has provided vandals and crude-oil thieves with the opportunity of tapping the pipelines and successfully stealing crude oil from them unhindered. Nigeria lost more than USD 11 billion to crude-oil theft and pipeline vandalization over a 4-year period (2007 to 2011). The increase in vandalization has led to the divestment of assets by some of these oil companies because it is no longer economical to continue operating the assets. Strategies used by the government and oil companies to tackle these challenges include the deployment of military personnel to these assets and also along their pipeline right of way (ROW). In spite of these attempts, the results show that the deployment of these personnel and the attendant cost have not reduced the quantity and frequency of oil theft because the deployment time to some of these locations also contributes to delay in the response of the security personnel. The deployment of dynamic pipeline-pressure profiles enables the determination of the onset of a leak or a loss of crude oil. This paper presents the deployment plan and communication architecture of the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) type of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for pipeline monitoring. The pipeline network of the company is divided into wide area cells, and each cell is controlled from a facility. Low-power UAVs with directional antennas and long-range zoom cameras are deployed to provide real-time visual monitoring of the pipeline section whenever a pressure drip or any significant third-party activity is detected on a section of the pipeline. Security personnel can then be deployed to the pipeline section if vandal activity is detected. This solution has the capability of reducing crude-oil theft by providing accurate location data in a timely manner to the company with respect to the bunkering activity along its pipeline ROW and also enabling the timely deployment of personnel to contain the situation.

Greening the roadway: an assimilated planning approach and techniques based on spatiality

The special attribute of environmental parameters having no spatial or temporal boundary is what caters to the inter-relationship between various kinds and patterns of adjoining land uses. Understanding of the magnitude and directional flow of impact has given rise to an interlinked conceptual base to plan for a greener roadway in an Indian perspective. The inter-linkages as established in this study are between road runoff and liquid waste from adjacent settlements; vehicular emission of greenhouse gas, air pollutants and noise and exposure of road side dwellers to the same due to lack of adequate sink or abatement measures; huge amount of ground water extraction for road construction at a time and conflicts with local users, etc. These parallel moving issues have been addressed through simultaneous multi-approach (SMA) solution. It involves meticulous spatial arrangement of paved and unpaved surface within the right of way (RoW) and use of integrated management system for tapping road runoff and creating emission sink; utilisation of special material combination for reduction in air pollutants; innovative techniques and simultaneous approaches to manage liquid and solid waste generated in the vicinity; devise reparation activities to compensate for usage of natural resources, etc.

The Relationship between Soil Chemistry and the Occurrence ofEchinacea laevigatain Northeast Georgia

ABSTRACT Echinacea laevigata, or smooth coneflower, is a federally listed endangered species found in open woods and human maintained clearings, including roadsides and utility rights of way. The species is disjunctly distributed in the eastern United States, with populations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, where they are associated with calcium and magnesium rich soils. This research was designed to determine if there is a nonrandom relationship between soil chemistry and the occurrence of E. laevigata along roadsides in northeast Georgia. Soil samples were collected from sites along roadsides with known populations and from arbitrarily selected sites without E. laevigata along the same roadsides. Multiple response permutation procedure (MRPP) found a nonrandom relationship between soil chemistry and occurrence. Sites with E. laevigata had a wider range of pH values but had lower iron values than the set of arbitrarily selected sites, suggesting that the species may be excluded ...

Magnetic Field Measurement from 132 kV and 275 kV Overhead Transmission Lines Within Residential Area

Overhead transmission line (OTL) has been around for so many years as one of the most important elements of electric power systems. Conductors, as being a part of the medium to transfer electricity through the OTL, produces electromagnetic field to its surrounding that have been a public concern for ages. OTL were meant to be built as far away from a population. Though from time to time, the OTL rights-of-way (ROW) were violated due to lack of space and rapid urbanization. This paper addresses the challenges faced during magnetic field level measurement within a residential area that was still under construction. EMDEX II Meter, Linear Data Acquisition System (LINDA) Wheel and Gauss Meter were used during the magnetic field measurements. Maximum magnetic field level data collected from measurement were presented.

The impact of road construction on market and street trading in Lagos

In 2009, the Lagos state government in Nigeria commenced the construction of a ten-lane highway incorporating a light rail track along the existing Lagos–Badagry expressway. With the assistance of the World Bank and at a cost of about (220 billion Naira) US$1.5 billion, when complete, the project will link Lagos with the Republic of Benin and other West African countries as part of the ECOWAS transit Corridor. While the proposed development is intended to potentially improve the business and international status of the city of Lagos, the expansion of the road has had implications for a variety of non-transport activities adjoining locations around the proposed highway. To fulfil the conditions for expanding the road, the government has had to acquire rights of way to adjoining areas of the existing expressway. Through this process, places of worship, residential buildings, motor parks, schools, markets, mechanic workshops, to mention a few activities, have been displaced in order to fulfil the project. This study explores the impact of such displacement arising from road construction activities on the livelihood of market and street traders at two markets located along the expressway; the Agboju market and New Alayabiagba market. A qualitative study with traders in the two markets in 2010 and 2012 is used to explore the often ignored implications that large-scale transport development initiatives, albeit well intentioned, can have on the livelihoods of urban residents who may attach varying meanings to a road.

Transmission expansion planning model considering conductor thermal dynamics and high temperature low sag conductors

The means for transporting more power through an existing transmission corridor have been given considerable attention in recent studies. Reconductoring a path with a conductor that has a higher thermal capacity, such as a high temperature low sag (HTLS) conductor, is one possible option with minimal structural modification and out-of-service time. Parallel line additions or HTLS parallel line additions are other options that can increase transfer capabilities and reduce operating costs. Thermal constraint relaxation is another option, which is an operational based method that allows the line flow to exceed the steady-state line rating for a certain penalty price. Since such operation may deteriorate the expected service time of the conductor, the penalty price should be determined properly. In this study, the above options are captured to create the proposed transmission expansion planning model. In addition, a conductor degradation model is introduced to capture the associated degradation costs due to operating conductors at elevated temperatures. Numerical simulations conducted on the IEEE-24 and IEEE-118 bus system indicate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to increase system capacity while preserving current right-of-ways (ROWs).

Energy Consumption and Emission Rates of Highway Mowing Activities

Mowing the highway right-of-way (ROW) is important for the safety of roadway users and for maintaining highway infrastructure. This paper reports fuel usage and exhaust emission rates from on-board measurements of 12 diesel tractors operated in real-world mowing conditions by the New York State Department of Transportation. The operating conditions and the mower type were the dominant variables determining area-based fuel consumption requirements. Fuel consumption rates were consistent across the different conventional tractor mowing equipment (sickle bar, flail, and rotary mowers), with an average fuel-consumption ± standard deviation of 5.1 ± 2.3 kg-fuel/ha roadside area mowed. Mowing over the guiderails, using a large tractor and a small cutting head, demanded an average fuel-consumption ± standard deviation of 44 ± 15 kg-fuel/ha, which is almost ten times as much fuel per unit area than other conventional mowing activities. Fuel-based emission factors (g-emission/kg-fuel) better reflect the difference across tractor technologies in terms of emission rates of criteria pollutants [e.g., carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), nitrogen oxide (NO), and particulate matter (PM)]. Fuel-based emission factors measured from the in-use tractors compared quite well with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) NONROAD emission factors and confirmed the effectiveness of the U.S. EPA nonroad standards to lower emissions from agricultural tractors. The analysis presents methods for estimating fuel usage and emissions from mowing activities and makes observations about mitigating the environmental impact of mowing activities. Study results can assist in better procurement of appropriate size tractors to yield both fuel savings and emissions benefits.

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND PARAMETRIC STUDY OF CURVED CONCRETE BOX GIRDER USING ABAQUS SOFTWARE

The horizontally curved bridges are becoming the norm of highway interchanges and urban expressways as a result of complicated geometrics, limited rights of way, and traffic mitigation. This type of superstructure has gained popularity because it addresses the needs of transportation engineering. A study of box girder curved in plan with rectangular cross-section has been carried out in the present investigation. The finite element software ABAQUS is used to carryout analysis of these box girders. The analysis is carried out for the dead load, super imposed dead load and live load of IRC Class A loading. The paper presents a parametric study of curved box girders by varying span and radius of curvature and by keeping the span to depth ratio constant. The parametric investigations performed on curved box girders helps to evaluate the effects of different parameters on the behavior of the girder. This study would enable bridge engineers to better understand the behavior of curved concrete box girders.

Area Sensitivity of Grassland Sparrows Overwintering in a South Carolina Forested Landscape

Abstract We assessed area sensitivity of overwintering Peucaea aestivalis (Bachman's Sparrow), Ammodramus savannarum (Grasshopper Sparrow), and A. henslowii (Henslow's Sparrow) within utility rights-of-way (ROWs) at the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. We compared sparrow abundance among 4 ROW-width classes (25–44.9 m, 45–64.9 m, 65–84.9 m, and >85 m) and used landform index (LFI; a measure of topography and environmental exposure) as a covariate in our analyses to assess potential effects of abiotic characteristics. Total number of sparrows flushed/ha. Grasshopper Sparrows flushed/ha, and Henslow's Sparrows flushed/ha were positively related to ROW-width class. Total number of sparrows flushed/ha and Bachman's Sparrows flushed/ha were negatively related to LFI, indicating a positive relationship with site exposure. Utility ROWs in the Southeast provide wintering habitat for grassland sparrows, especially on exposed elevated plateaus within wide ROWs.

Eminent Domain and the International Market: An Examination of Whether Midstream Companies Can Justifiably Show Public Use

The energy industry in Pennsylvania has seen rapid expansion over the past several years. Advancements in technology allow natural gas producers to tap previously unreachable shale gas reserves, bringing an unprecedented supply of fossil fuel energy to market. However, this increased supply is bottlenecked by a lack of midstream capacity. Midstream companies, whose business model revolves around the transport of fossil fuels, have launched pipeline projects that will extend across the landscape of Pennsylvania with hopes of alleviating this bottleneck. These projects will transport growing energy resources to a number of destinations. Some of these resources will be destined for regional energy markets, while others will serve as exports to the international market by way of large gas tanker ships.Construction of these pipelines will require midstream companies to obtain hundreds, if not thousands, of rights of way agreements from Pennsylvania landowners. These rights of way will allow for the construction, operation, and maintenance of pipelines across those private properties. However, not all landowners support the expansion and construction of pipelines. Opponents of this new infrastructure will likely refuse to grant midstream companies a right of way across their land. In response, a midstream company may attempt to exercise its power of eminent domain, claiming the right to do so as a utility. The effectiveness of these eminent domain proceedings will likely rest on one question: whether the of eminent domain for the construction of pipelines satisfies the use requirement when the purpose of this pipeline construction is for the transportation of natural gas products to international markets, rather than to the markets within Pennsylvania. More specifically, is public met when natural gas (NG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) are transported to coastal ports that will serve as export stations?To resolve this question, this paper first examines the expansion of Pennsylvania's energy production and the planned expansion of pipeline infrastructure. Next, it turns to eminent domain. To fully understand the applicability of eminent domain, this paper examines the power held by the party initiating these proceedings and the requirement that a taking by eminent domain confers a public benefit. This paper then examines the issue of whether the construction of a pipeline intended to transport natural gas and natural gas products destined for international markets satisfies the public benefit requirement for eminent domain. Lastly, it concludes whether eminent domain is a valid tool by which to acquire the right to cross private lands with these pipelines.