Sidewalks shall be installed along all existing and proposed
public and private streets, common driveways, and common parking areas.
1. General.
A. Sidewalks and border areas shall be required on both sides of the
street within the ultimate right-of-way.
B. The Municipal Council may waive the sidewalk requirements if an alternative
pedestrian circulation concept can be shown to be more desirable,
especially when using open space areas, provided that appropriate
connections are provided between the open space walkways and the surrounding
pedestrian origins and destinations.
C. If for any reason an interim waiver of these requirements is made,
a sufficient guaranty shall be posted for the eventual installation
of sidewalks, subject to approval by the Municipal Council upon recommendation
of the Municipal Engineer and Solicitor, in accordance with § 282-414.2
of this chapter.
2. Design and layout.
A. Sidewalks and border areas shall be provided in appropriate locations
to provide safe and efficient pedestrian access between parking areas,
buildings, and other pedestrian destinations.
B. Sidewalk and border area widths are to follow the guidelines set
forth in Figure 4.2. Figure 4.3 illustrates levels of service offered
by varying widths of sidewalks.
C. The border area shall exist between the curbline or edge of cartway
and the sidewalk.
1)
Border areas between sidewalks and the curb may contain streetlights,
trees, benches, trash cans, mailboxes, or newspaper boxes. No obstacle
in the border area may reduce the required sidewalk width for use
by pedestrian traffic as described in the guidelines in Figure 4.2.
2)
Border areas shall be maintained as a grass strip between the
sidewalk and the curb. If grass is impractical at the site, brick
pavers or similar surface may be used at the discretion of the Municipal
Council upon recommendation of the Norristown Planning Commission
and Engineer. In this case, a wider sidewalk may be necessary in place
of a border area to create a safer pedestrian environment.
3)
Where a border area is proposed as a grass strip, in no case
shall its width be less than three feet.
D. The Municipal Council may require additional width in areas where
higher volumes of pedestrian traffic are anticipated. In no case shall
sidewalk width be less than five feet.
E. All sidewalk widths are exclusive of any obstacle. Sidewalk areas
containing streetlights, trees, benches, doors, trash cans, mailboxes,
newspaper boxes, or similar feature are required to have additional
width.
F. Additional sidewalks or paved trails shall be required where deemed
necessary by the Municipal Council to provide access to schools, religious
institutions, parks, community facilities, trails, and commercial
or employment centers, and to provide necessary pedestrian circulation
within land developments and/or subdivisions where otherwise required
sidewalks would not be sufficient for public safety and convenience.
G. Sidewalks shall be designed to facilitate access and use by persons
that are physically disabled, in compliance with the American with
Disabilities Act and to the satisfaction of the Norristown Engineer.
H. The grade and paving of the sidewalk shall be continuous across driveways,
except in certain cases where heavy traffic volume dictates special
treatment. The grade and alignment of all sidewalks shall be approved
by the Norristown Engineer.
I. If the provision of sidewalks requires the destruction or removal
of valuable trees, consideration shall be given to the retention of
such valuable trees.
J. Conflicts arising from the placement of street trees, utilities,
and border areas should be discussed with the Norristown Shade Tree
Commission, Norristown Planning Commission, and Municipal Engineer
to determine appropriate placement and alignment.
K. Proposed sidewalks shall maintain the width, pattern, and style of
the Municipality's sidewalk network. Where proposed sidewalks
meet existing sidewalks which have a different width, a tapered transition
shall be constructed.
3. Sidewalk construction and driveway crossing engineering standards.
Sidewalks shall be four inches thick 4,000 psi compression strength
concrete, placed upon a minimum four-inch layer of AASHTO No. 57 stone
bedding. The sidewalk shall be built as to discharge drainage to the
street, the grade of which shall be 1/4 inch per foot. The finished
grade between the outside of the sidewalk to the curbline (edge of
the cartway) shall never exceed a total vertical elevation change
of one foot. Expansion joints shall be placed every 30 feet, with
contraction joints every five feet a minimum of one inch in depth.
Additional expansion materials shall be placed between any curb and
driveway apron and in the sidewalk at driveway limits. A contraction
joint shall be cut between the sidewalk and apron. All sidewalks shall
receive a broom finish unless otherwise approved by Norristown. An
access ramp for physically disabled persons shall be placed at all
sidewalk intersections with roads.