1. General Requirements.
A. Proposed streets shall be properly related to the road and highway plans of the state, county, and the Township. Streets shall be designed to provide adequate vehicular access to all lots or parcels and with regard for topographical conditions, projected volumes of traffic, and further subdivision possibilities in the area.
B. The street system of a proposed subdivision or land development shall be designed to create a hierarchy of street functions which includes collector and local streets.
C. The street system of a proposed subdivision or land development shall be designed so as to minimize street intersections and pedestrian-vehicular conflict points.
D. Proposed local streets shall be designed so as to discourage through traffic and excessive speeds. However, the developer shall give adequate consideration to provision for the extension and continuation of arterial and collector streets into and from adjoining properties.
E. Where, in the opinion of the Township Planning Commission, it is desirable to provide for street access to adjoining property, streets shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property. Distances between access points to adjoining property shall be based on Block Length Standards set forth in § 22-402(2).
F. Where a subdivision abuts an existing street of improper width or alignment, the Township Council may require the dedication of land sufficient to widen the street or correct the alignment.
G. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial traffic street, the 'Township may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage lots, or other such treatment as will provide protection for abutting properties, reduction in the number of intersections with the arterial street, and separation of local and through traffic.
H. Private streets (streets not to be offered for dedication) may be approved by the Township only if they meet the street design and improvement standards set forth in this Chapter and if such private streets are acceptable to the Township Council.
I. If the lots in the development are large enough for resubdivision, or if a portion of the tract is not subdivided, suitable access and street openings for such future development shall be provided.
2. Street Right-of-Way and Cartway Widths.
A. Street right-of-way and cartway widths in proposed subdivisions shall conform to the general standards as follows:
STREET DESIGN STANDARDS | |||
Classification of Streets | Local | Collector | Arterial |
STREET DESIGN STANDARDS | |||
Classification of Streets | Local | Collector | Arterial |
Right-of-way width | 50' | 60' | 80' or over |
Pavement width | 30' | 36' | 24' - 52' |
Traffic lane width | 10' min. | 11' min. | 12' min. |
Parking lane width | 8' (when required) | ||
Sidewalk width (when required) | 4' | 5' | 5' |
Curbing | vertical curb or grassed drainage swale with no curbing. | ||
B. The general standards set forth in § 22-403(2)(A) may be modified by the Township Planning Commission upon the recommendation of the Township Engineer or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation when an analysis of proposed development densities, provisions for off-street parking, and projected traffic volumes indicate a need for such modification. The burden of proof shall be upon the developer to justify the adequacy of rights-of-way or cartway widths which are less than those set forth in § 22-403(2)(A).
C. The rights-of-way shall be graded to their full width as deemed necessary by the Township Council to provide suitable finished grades to the tolerances herein specified.
3. Horizontal Curves.
A. Whenever street centerlines are deflected more than 5° within 500 feet, connection shall be made by horizontal curves.
B. Horizontal curves shall be designed to produce the following minimum sight distances at the centerline:
(1) Local streets - 150 feet;
(2) Collector streets - 300 feet;
(3) Arterial streets - 600 feet.
C. A minimum tangent of 100 feet shall be required between curves on a street and between a curve and a street intersection where one of the intersecting streets is a collector or an arterial street.
4. Street Grades.
A. There shall be a minimum centerline grade on all streets of 0.75%.
B. Unless approval is obtained from the Township after recommendation from the Township Engineer, centerline grades shall not exceed the following:
(1) Local streets - 12%;
(2) Collector streets - 8%;
(3) Arterial streets - 6%;
C. Intersections shall be approached on all sides by leveling areas. Such leveling areas shall have a minimum length of 75 feet (measured from the intersection of the centerlines), within which no grade shall exceed a maximum of 4%.
D. Cul-de-sac Grade. Maximum grades within 100 feet of the outer perimeter of a cul-de-sac bulb shall not exceed 4% measured along the centerline of the street.
E. Minimum Radius, Maximum Grade. A combination of minimum radius horizontal curves and maximum grades will not be approved.
5. Vertical Curves.
A. Vertical curves shall be used in changes of grade exceeding 1%.
B. Vertical curves shall be designed to produce the following minimum sight distances:
(1) Local streets - 150 feet;
(2) Collector streets - 300 feet;
(3) Arterial streets - 600 feet.
C. The centerline profile of streets shall conform closely to the contour of the land to produce usable lots and streets consistent with reasonable grade, alignment, drainage and future Township or municipal sanitary facilities.
6. Street Intersections.
A. Streets shall intersect at right angles whenever practicable. When local streets intersect collector or arterial streets the angle of intersection at the street centerlines shall in no case be less than 75°. No two streets shall intersect with an angle of intersection at the centerlines of less than 60°.
B. Multiple intersections involving the junction of more than two streets shall be prohibited.
C. Two streets intersecting a third street from opposite sides shall either intersect with a common centerline or their centerlines shall be offset according to the following distances:
(1) The two streets shall be separated by a distance of 150 feet between centerlines measured along the centerline of the street being intersected when all three streets involved are local streets;
(2) The two streets shall be separated by a distance of 300 feet between centerlines measured along the centerline of the street being intersected when one or more of the streets involved is a collector street;
(3) The two streets shall be separated by a distance of 500 feet between centerlines measured along the centerline of the street being intersected when one or more of the streets involved is an arterial street.
D. Street curb intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a minimum radius of:
(1) Twenty feet for intersections involving only local streets;
(2) Thirty feet for all intersections involving a collector street;
(3) Forty feet for all intersections involving an arterial street.
E. Street right-of-way lines shall be parallel to (or concentric with) curb arcs at intersections.
F. Depressed Curb. Whenever curbs are to be constructed across private driveways within residential areas or driveway approaches of ingress or egress from abutting industrial or commercial properties, the curb shall be depressed to the driveway surface.
The maximum longitudinal length of depressed curb for private driveway crossings shall be 20 feet and the maximum longitudinal length for driveway crossings in commercial or industrial areas shall be 35 feet. Depressed curbs shall conform to the dimensions and details of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Form 408 Specifications and Roadway Construction Standards, as amended.
In major traffic generators where extra width is required the curb shall be eliminated, and the configuration [made] in conformance with PennDOT Standards for Commercial or Industrial Driveways.
G. Clear sight triangles shall be provided at all street intersections. Within such triangles no object greater than 2 1/2 feet in height and no other object that would obscure the vision of the motorist shall be permitted. Such triangles shall be established from a distance of:
(1) Seventy-five feet from the point of intersection of the centerlines of two streets where both are local streets;
(2) One hundred feet from the point of intersection of the centerlines of two streets where one is a collector street;
(3) One hundred fifty feet from the point of intersection of the centerlines of two streets where one is an arterial street.
H. Wherever a portion of the line of such triangles occurs within the proposed building setback line, such portion shall be shown on the Final Plan of the subdivision, and shall be considered a building setback line.
7. Cul-de-sacs.
A. Dead-end streets are prohibited unless designed as cul-de-sac streets or designed for future access to adjoining properties.
B. Any dead-end street which is constructed for future access to an adjoining property or because of authorized stage development, and which is open to traffic and exceeds 200 feet in length, shall be provided with a temporary, all-weather turning circle. The turning circle shall be completely within the boundaries of the subdivision and the use of the turnaround shall be guaranteed to the public until such time as the street is extended.
C. Cul-de-sac streets, permanently designed as such, shall not exceed 1,000 feet in length or shall not furnish access to more than 25 dwelling units. In the case of the industrial parks, a cul-de-sac shall not furnish access to more than 100 employees. Exemptions from these requirements may be granted by the Township Council upon recommendation by the Township Engineer where necessary due to unique characteristics of the site.
D. All cul-de-sac streets, whether permanently or temporarily designed as such, shall be provided at the closed end with a fully paved turning circle. The turning circle may be offset to the left but turnarounds offset to the right shall be discouraged.
(1) If parking will be prohibited on the turning circle, the minimum radius of the right-of-way line shall be 50 feet.
(2) If parking will be permitted on the turning circle, the minimum radius to the pavement edge or curb line shall be 48 feet, and the minimum radius of the right-of-way line shall be 60 feet.
8. Half Streets and Alleys.
A. The dedication of new half streets at the perimeter of a new subdivision is prohibited.
B. The subdivider shall provide the entire required right-of-way, or as much thereof as is possible, within his property, along all existing streets which traverse or abut the property.
C. Alleys are not permitted.
9. Street Names and Street Signs.
A. Proposed streets which are in alignment with others already existing and named shall bear the name of the existing streets.
B. In no case shall the name of a proposed street duplicate an existing street name in the Township and in the postal district, irrespective of the use of the suffix street, road, avenue, boulevard, driveway, place, court, lane, etc.
C. All street names shall be subject to the approval of the Township Council.
D. Street signs shall be provided at the intersection of all streets. The type, height, and design shall be approved by the Township Council.
(Ord. 52, Art. S-430, 3/8/78)