Due to the many uses and the resulting lack of space within a municipally owned right-of-way, utility companies are often required to accommodate requests to relocate their assets. These requests come from external agencies such as the City of Toronto, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Metrolinx, as well as private developers, to name a few. Relocation requests can be difficult to coordinate and cause frequent project delays and cost overruns.
While it is important for the requesting agencies to clearly define the requirements of the relocation that is required, it is also important for utility companies to have a process that sufficiently meets the needs of the requesting agency. This report aims to identify best practices for processing relocation requests among utility companies from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by interviewing representatives from utility companies who are responsible for coordinating relocation projects.
Data collected from these interviews determined that the process that each company uses is generally a combination of common implementation methods, depending on the overall structure of the utility company. Despite these differences, successful utility companies ensure that they are able to determine the horizontal alignments to where they are relocating early in the coordination, and maintain a project timeline within one year. Utility companies that do not already incorporate these steps should strive to meet these goals. Requesting agencies must also take into consideration that coordinating relocation projects is not the primary line of business for utility companies, and that there are due processes that must be followed to execute a relocation project. As such, it is recommended that utility companies work with external agencies that frequently request relocation work, to devise a process that is mutually beneficial and agreeable.
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