The street right-of-way is a vital and uniquely complex infrastructure system with densely packed and intertwined assets. Building and maintaining these assets often involves manipulating one type of infrastructure around another, and sometimes means removing and replacing pipes, cables, and conduits that are in the way. It also means that the shared limited space of the right-of-way is a highly sought-after and contested space.
Every year, the City of New York (the City), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and private utilities such as Con Edison, National Grid, Verizon, and Spectrum invest an estimated $7 billion in capital projects to repair, upgrade, design, and install infrastructure within New York City’s street right-of-way. Both the amount and pace of investment will need to increase substantially in coming years if the city is to meet the needs of its residents and businesses in an age of climate change and technological transformation. Accelerating the delivery of both City and non-City projects in the right-of-way will require substantial reforms to the current process for delivering all types of capital projects, as well as improved tools and coordination.