Review of South Dakota Non-State Trunk Road Inventory and Cultural Inventory. Executive Summary

摘要

The Government Research Bureau (GRB) at the University of South Dakota provided an assessment of South Dakota's Non-State Trunk Road Inventory (NSTRI) and Cultural Inventory (CI) databases. The first stage of the project involved a review of South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL), Federal Code, and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines to determine how public roads are defined in the state and how the purposes of public roads in South Dakota are defined. The second stage of the research assessed the value of the NSTRI and CI, both of which are maintained by the South Dakota Department of Transportation's Office of Transportation Inventory Management (TIM). This final report details the GRB's findings, which can be discussed in three parts. First, the legal review of Federal Code and SDCI, finds that South Dakota defines public roads in a manner consistent with federal reporting requirements as outlined in the Federal Code. Of particular note is that South Dakota regards section line roads as highways. This addition of section line roads as highways helps define two additional purposes for public roads in South Dakota: 'documenting road mileage and changes' and 'HPMS reporting.' Both purposes are related to populating the NSTRI. Second, interviews and surveys with stakeholders found that many stakeholders are unfamiliar with the purpose and importance of the NSTRI and CI. Stakeholders define a public road and follow SDDOT procedures in an inconsistent manner. Third, the legal review and stakeholder interviews and surveys suggest that a few significant changes should be considered by SDDOT in relation to the NISTRI and CI.