Public Right-of-Way & Management
The public right-of-way (ROW) is the land that the City owns on behalf of public benefits. This land includes streets, sidewalks, land for utilities, walkways, etc. The ROW is our largest property and one of its most valuable and commonly used public assets.
The public ROW plays a critical role as it surrounds and connects our city. While our community uses the public ROW every day, private and public utilities also use the ROW.
Electric, natural gas, water, telephone utilities, and cable and telecommunications providers use the public ROW when they place and install their equipment, such as utility poles, power lines, sewer lines, and fiber optic cables, above or under public roads and sidewalks.
The City of Lake Oswego retains control of right-of-way areas within the City’s boundaries. Non-City utilities that wish to construct and operate infrastructure within the right-of-way (ROW) must have a ROW License or an effective franchise agreement with the City.
