Real Estate Information
Overview
FTA is committed to ensuring that FTA grant recipients comply with all laws, regulations, and agency policy related to the acquisition of real property for use on federally -assisted transit projects. FTA recipients must ensure all private property owners and displaced persons are treated fairly, consistently, and equitably throughout the real property acquisition and relocation assistance process. Below provides FTA project sponsors with the resources necessary to comply with federal real property acquisition requirements.
Legislation, Regulation, and Guidance
Below are references to legislation, regulations and FTA policy guidance related to federally assisted real property acquisition.
- 49 CFR Part 24 (effective June 3rd 2024)
- FTA Dear Colleague Letter on Changes to the Uniform Act Regulations
- 49 CFR Part 24 (2005 Rule)
- Uniform Act Frequently Asked Questions – Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- FTA Circular 5010.1E – Revised July, 16, 2018
- Real Property Acquisition and Management Plan (RAMP) Outline
- Real Property Acquisition and NEPA FAQ’s
- Early Real Property Acquisition and National Environmental Policy Act
Brochures
General acquisition and relocation assistance brochures for FTA project sponsors, to use, when meeting with property owners and displaced persons or to supplement notices required by the Uniform Act.
Checklists and Tools
FTA is committed to providing its recipients and project sponsors with the tools necessary to comply with federal real property acquisition requirements and FTA policy. These voluntary tools and checklists are provided to aid FTA recipients with a better understanding of requirements as well as compliance and documentation requirements.
- Real Property Acquisition Milestone Checklist
- Personal Property Inventory (relocation assistance)
- Realty and Personalty Inventory Report (relocation assistance)
- Request for FTA Real Estate Concurrence Transmittal Checklist
- Acquisition File Documentation Checklist
- Residential Relocation File Documentation Checklist
- Non-Residential Relocation File Documentation Checklist
- Guide for Preparing an Appraisal Scope of Work
Forms
These forms have been developed for the sole use of FTA and its contractors. FTA will use these standard file evaluation forms when performing audits, process reviews or spot checks of a project sponsor's acquisition and relocation files. These forms are provided to aid FTA project sponsors with an understanding of Uniform Act documentation requirements. The content of these forms may assist project sponsors with a more complete understanding of documentation requirements to ensure its acquisition and relocation files contain adequate documentation to demonstrate compliance with Uniform Act (49 CFR part 24) requirements.
- Acquisition File Evaluation Form
- Residential Relocation File Evaluation Form
- Non-Residential Relocation File Evaluation Form
Guide Form Templates
FTA provides the following general guide form templates for project sponsor use when drafting various notices required by the Uniform Act. The templates provided are not a required format. They should be revised to reflect specific project details and circumstances.
Training Resources
Below are training resources related to federally -assisted real property acquisition programs.
- Introduction to Right-of-Way Requirements and the Uniform Act
- National Transit Institute
- National Highway Institute
- International Right of Way Association
FRA/FTA Multimodal-Funded Projects
The below Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is applicable to all joint rail and transit projects funded in part by both the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) federal assistance programs (Multimodal-Funded Projects) and FAQs that supplement the SOP. This SOP incorporates provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and relies on the most current regulations and guidance regarding federal railroad and federal public transportation program oversight.