The public right of way is defined as the distance between private property lines that contains the roadway, parkway, and sidewalk area of streets and alleys throughout the City.

West Hollywood, along with the other Westside cities, is faced with an increasing number of requests to enter, excavate and place facilities in the public right of way. Repeated cutting into streets significantly decreases the longevity and integrity of pavement surfaces. In addition, when utilities repair the trench site, often the integrity of the substructure is compromised, resulting in "dips" in the street where the substructure settles over time, and the surface therefore caves in slightly. Such incidents adversely impact the City's investment in roadway infrastructure. These facilities have the potential to adversely impact clear passageway for ADA and streetscape master plans as well as degrade the aesthetic quality of residential neighborhoods and commercial districts.

Without improved policies in place, ensuring the health and safety of the City will be made more difficult. On October 2, 2001, the City Council of the City of West Hollywood adopted Right of Way Goals and Requirements. This document addresses the impacts that have been experienced by West Hollywood and its neighboring Cities. Those impacts have been:

• Compromised vehicular and pedestrian traffic safety due to multiple construction activities, inadequate traffic controls and increased traffic congestion;
• Short term and long term adverse pavement impacts from cutting the City's streets;
• Dust and Construction noise (machinery by day and steel plate "banging" by night);
• Reduced right of way area for future City utility needs (City costs impacts);
• Increased complications of managing what is (and where it is) in the right of way.