Local Project Administration
MaineDOT’s Local Project Administration Program enables cities, towns and other local public agencies to make transportation improvements with federal and state money. A local staff member takes charge of a “locally administered project” in partnership with a MaineDOT project manager, who makes sure all federal and state requirements are met. The program provides a way to get projects done with a maximum of local control.
For more information about Local Project Administration, please e-mail the MaineDOT Local Projects Coordinator or call the Multimodal Program at (207) 624-3420.
What is a locally administered project (LAP)?
An LAP is any MaineDOT-funded project where all phases of the work – from design through construction – are administered by a municipality or other local public agency.
What is a typical LAP?
Cities, towns and other agencies typically use Local Project Administration to build sidewalks and trails, fix safety hazards, improve public access to their waterfronts, and pave roads that are eligible for federal and state transportation funding.
Who can administer an LAP?
Municipalities deliver most LAPs in Maine, but other organizations also undertake them: school systems, hospitals, colleges and universities, and a variety of non-profit groups. The people in charge of them include public works directors, engineers, planners, administrators, selectmen and non-profit facilities managers.
What is certification?
The person who will oversee a project must become certified in Local Project Administration, as follows:
- Tier I certification consists of a day-long training that covers how to deliver projects with federal and state money. Completion results in a 5-year certification.
- Tier II certification is a project-specific review before design work begins. Staffs from MaineDOT and a municipality or other local agency discuss the scope, budget, schedule and requirements for a project.
How are LAPs funded?
Projects typically are funded through competitive federal and state programs that include Transportation Alternatives, Hazard Elimination, the Small Harbor Improvement Program, and the Low Use Redundant Bridge Program. Larger cities and towns also receive funding through metropolitan planning organizations (MPO). Communities undertaking these projects, however, don’t receive cash grants up front. Instead, they are reimbursed for expenditures eligible for federal and state funding. Typical reimbursement is 80 percent.
Why administer a MaineDOT project locally?
Cities, towns and other local agencies commonly undertake LAPs for a variety of reasons:
- A community may coordinate a project funded by MaineDOT with other local efforts;
- A large community may be reimbursed for the time its staff engineers spend working on a project; and
- A community may want more control over the schedule of a project of local interest than it otherwise would have if MaineDOT delivered the project.
What are Federal Highway Administration Requirements?
If a project uses federal money, the Federal Highway Administration has many requirements, which are covered in during the Tier I LPA Certification training mentioned above. Common requirements include:
- Qualifications-based selection of consultants, based solely upon their ability to do the work, and not price.
- Compliance with environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act.
- Proper acquisition of property. The “Uniform Act” requires owners to be offered fair market value – based on professional appraisals – for any real estate or property rights.
- Adherence to federal and state design standards and specifications, as well as construction oversight, documentation and materials testing requirements.
- Compliance with civil rights requirements, such as the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This page last updated on
5/3/13
