Financial Benefits of Early Acquisition of Transportation Right-of-Way

Abstract

This report addresses the question of whether there are financial benefits to acquiring transportation right of way far in advance of when the improvement will be done. The first part of the analysis is very general, comparing rates of price increase for different types of properties to the opportunity costs of holding land, over a long historical period. The second part of the analysis focuses on Minnesota and examines property price increases by county over shorter, more recent, time periods.

Risk management for infrastructure corridors vulnerable to adjacent land development

“…This refers to the acquisition of some or all property rights to preserve ROW for new construction or road widenings (Stokes, Russell, and Vellanki 1994). Properties or property rights may be acquired in three ways: police powers, government inducements, and financial acquisition (Barnes and Watters 2005;Heiner and Kockelman 2005;Kleinburd 1996;Kockelman 2004;Maiorana 1996;Mandelker and Blaesser 1996;Saito et al 1999;Stokes, Russell, and Vellanki 1994). Although corridor protection and its underlying activities are well documented in the literature, corridor selection methodologies are sparse.…”