For as many State highways as there are in the Houston District of Texas DOT, I thought for sure that the right-of-way maps would be scanned and available on the Texas DOT website. As it turned out, I thought wrong, even after finding a machine running IE8 that apparently is required to retrieve anything from their GIS.
Does anyone know of an ftp site that the Houston District has to serve up scanned right-of-way maps? Failing that, who is the commissar in charge of this information for that district? Thanks.
Houston District Contact:
Michael W. Alford, P.E., District Engineer (713) 802-5000
Public Information Office (713) 802-5076
General Information (713) 802-5000
> Houston District Contact:
>
> Michael W. Alford, P.E., District Engineer (713) 802-5000
> Public Information Office (713) 802-5076
> General Information (713) 802-5000
Thanks, Cyril, but as a general rule I've found that the District Engineers know nothing about old right-of-way maps. I mean, that was fifty years ago, right?
Typically, there is one guy or gal whose kingdom those fall within in the organizational chart. Outside of Houston District, many right-of-way maps are available on line. The fact that Houston isn't participating tells me that there is a secret code necessary to unlock the filing cabinet. I'm just wondering who at the District Office has it. I admit that it's lazy to ask this exact question on this forum, but you never know until you ask.
> Typically, there is one guy or gal whose kingdom those fall within in the organizational chart. Outside of Houston District, many right-of-way maps are available on line. The fact that Houston isn't participating tells me that there is a secret code necessary to unlock the filing cabinet. I'm just wondering who at the District Office has it. I admit that it's lazy to ask this exact question on this forum, but you never know until you ask.
Kent,
I had the same issue in Amarillo before they put their right-of-way maps online. Even now I run into some Farm-to-Market road that doesn't have a map online. Most of the time I have had decent luck calling the district engineer. If they don't know at least they can lead me to the person who does (hopefully!)
Cy
Kent,
The Dallas district doesn't have them available online either. It's a crap-shoot even if you go to the district office. I once asked for the paving plans & R.O.W. map for a segment of State Highway that I personally know was improved/widened in the late 1990s. They could not find anything on that particular segment at the District office.
> The Dallas district doesn't have them available online either. It's a crap-shoot even if you go to the district office. I once asked for the paving plans & R.O.W. map for a segment of State Highway that I personally know was improved/widened in the late 1990s. They could not find anything on that particular segment at the District office.
Believe it or not, that is the answer I got at the Houston District office: that they don't have the right-of-way map on file for a state highway that is in the district. Something has slipped off the tracks at TxDOT.
> > Houston District Contact:
> >
> > Michael W. Alford, P.E., District Engineer (713) 802-5000
> > Public Information Office (713) 802-5076
> > General Information (713) 802-5000
>
>
> Thanks, Cyril, but as a general rule I've found that the District Engineers know nothing about old right-of-way maps. I mean, that was fifty years ago, right?
>
> Typically, there is one guy or gal whose kingdom those fall within in the organizational chart. Outside of Houston District, many right-of-way maps are available on line. The fact that Houston isn't participating tells me that there is a secret code necessary to unlock the filing cabinet. I'm just wondering who at the District Office has it. I admit that it's lazy to ask this exact question on this forum, but you never know until you ask.
Kent,
I've had to go to an office off of I-10 to get a copy of a roll that was of interest to me. The whole act of acquiring the copy was about 45 minutes once I got on site. They were quite accommodating. I eventually got the whole FM from a title company when I requested a title commitment.
That blows my mind. Our little podunk county has "most" of them online. Those that aren't online, are no where to be found either. Makes surveying them when their creation is simply by Commissioner Court minutes (and not by deeds) VERY fun. There is one in my county that no one has a clue and we treat it like a county road and call the right-of-way an occupied margin. I'm sure they exist somewhere, but the local repositories do not have them.
Hope ya find them!
heck, ever since marty coston retired it seems like pulling teeth to get them for around here. luckily i have friends with files...
I'm not sure exactly how it works but not every TxDOT ROW was created by the state and it's creation and history can be found in county and city records. Somehow these old roads become the property of TxDOT as-is, and if they're never improved..
FM 865 is a TxDOT eighty ft. ROW, before that it was Cullen Blvd. (still kinda' is), and before that Old Chocolate rd. (sixty ft. county ROW). The twenty ft. taking is recorded with the Harris County Clerk.
