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CONTRACT NO. K-1415-29: A RIGHT-OF-WAY, PUBLIC UTILITY, AND ENCROACHMENT AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR FEDERAL-AID PROJECT STP-214D(033)AG, STATE JOB NO. 30190(04) FOR THE MCGEE DRIVE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. R-1415-17.
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BACKGROUND: The 2012 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) federal transportation funding bill allocates approximately $21 Million in Federal funds per year for the implementation of eligible transportation improvements in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. New sidewalks along federal functionally classified roads are eligible for 80% federal funding.
On November 13, 2012, City Council adopted resolution R-1213-69 requesting federal funds for the construction of sidewalks along McGee Drive, between State Highway 9 and Lindsey Street. The project was submitted to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) with a request to include it in the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). This request was approved in June of 2013 by both the Intermodal Technical and Policy Committees of ACOG. Transportation federal safety funds ($160,000) to pay for 80% of the construction costs have been secured in Federal Fiscal Year 2014.
The proposed project is one of the high priority projects identified in the Norman Sidewalk Completion Plan that was adopted with the City’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan on May 13, 2014. It fills critical gaps along one of the City’s more important multi-modal transportation corridors, linking Monroe Elementary and Whittier Middle Schools to nearby residential and commercial areas. An aerial photo of the project area is included in Attachment No. 1 and the Norman Sidewalk Completion Map included in the Comprehensive Transportation Plan in Attachment No. 2.
DISCUSSION: One of the conditions outlined in the programming resolution describes the City’s willingness to undertake the process for acquisition of right-of-way, relocation of public utilities, and removal of encroachments, when and if applicable. For this purpose, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has prepared a Right-of-Way, Public Utility, and Encroachment agreement. We have been asked to approve it with the adoption of a resolution. The agreement addresses the responsibilities of both the City and ODOT for the acquisition of the eleven temporary right-of-way easements needed for the construction of the project, the relocation of public utilities and the removal of encroachments. The City Attorney has reviewed and approved its content.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Contract No. K-1415-29 and Resolution No. R-1415-17 with ODOT for the acquisition of right-of-way, relocation of utilities and removal of encroachments associated with the McGee Drive sidewalk improvement project.