Purpose:

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recognizes and values the importance of integrating Context Sensitive components into the design and operation of its transportation facilities. While NCDOT’s first priority is to provide safe and efficient transportation facilities, the department understands that this can be accomplished by ensuring environmental sensitivity while providing transportation infrastructure that are integrated into the natural and human environment in a manner to reflect the local community’s aesthetic values and intrinsic qualities. Transportation facilities enhanced by public art elements provide aesthetic and cultural benefits to a community. These benefits can potentially result in positive economic development and increase tourism both locally and throughout North Carolina. In order to ensure successful integration of art within NCDOT project designs and along rights of way, it is critical to maintain collaborative and cooperative partnerships with local governments, state agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities.

This policy was developed within legal, practical and resource parameters and adopted by the North Carolina Board of Transportation to establish procedures for the department to evaluate and permit the placement of Public Art within its right of way. Furthermore, the department has coordinated this policy development with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as the Code of Federal Regulations, 23 CFR 1.23, which requires all real property, including air space, within the right of way of federally-aided highway projects to be devoted exclusively to public highway purposes. However, the FHWA Administrator may approve a non-highway use based on a determination that it is in the public interest and will not impair or interfere with the free and safe flow of traffic on the highway.

The Board of Transportation recognizes that a more comprehensive policy is needed in order to provide adequate guidance for department activities pertaining to landscape and aesthetic policies, guidelines, practices, procedures, and standards. The department shall develop a Landscape and Aesthetics manual for future Board approval.

External Links:

More Information: www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/altern/value/manuals/artpolicy.pdf

Further Reading:

artpolicy.pdf