Addressing the Challenges of Encampments on State Transportation Rights-of-Way

The number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States has increased in recent years; state transportation rights-of-way (ROWs) are often some of the most accessible areas to set up temporary encampments. This growing trend of encampments on state ROWs has presented unprecedented challenges for state departments of transportation (DOTs) in the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure; there are no widely accepted guidelines to address these challenges. There is a need to develop a guide that presents rational approaches for addressing challenges for state departments of transportation (DOTs) in the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure resulting from encampments on state ROWs. This guide will serve as a resource for state DOTs in identifying and implementing practices for reducing the challenges associated with encampments. Recent work completed under NCHRP Project 20-129, “Guide for Addressing Encampments on State Transportation Rights-of-Way,” provided a review of some of the issues related to the encampments on the ROWs and proposed a preliminary research plan for developing related guidance. However, additional research is needed to further define the challenges for DOTs in the design, construction, and maintenance of highway infrastructure resulting from the growing trend of encampments on state ROWs and develop guidance for addressing these challenges and reducing their adverse impacts. The objective of this research is to develop a guide of suggested practices for addressing the challenges for state DOTs in the design, construction, and maintenance of highway infrastructure resulting from encampments on state ROWs.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5834
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $249,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-129A

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Hanna, Amir

• Start Date: 20250901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Homeless persons; Right of way (Land); State departments of transportation
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01950458
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-129A
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 1 2025 9:21AM