Township of Montgomery, PA Driveways

Driveway access to state or county highways shall be subject to the standards and permitting process of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regarding access to and occupancy of highways by driveways and local roads (Pennsylvania Code section Title 67, Chapter 441, as amended). Driveway access to Township roads shall be subject to the Township's standards set forth herein and elsewhere in the Code, as well as the Township's permitting process. All driveways shall be subject to the standards, requirements and processing of this section.

§ 92-2 Location and design.

[Amended 4-10-2006 by Ord. No. 06-2006]

Driveways shall be so located as to provide adequate sight distance at intersections with streets. The stopping area measured 20 feet behind the curbline or edge of pavement shall be provided and shall not exceed a grade of 4%.

Driveways shall be located, designed and constructed in such a manner as not to interfere or be inconsistent with design, maintenance and drainage of the highway.

Driveways should be located in such a manner that they will not cause the following:

(1)

Interference to the traveling public.

(2)

A hazard to the free movement of normal highway traffic.

(3)

Areas of undue traffic congestion on the highway.

Distance from street intersection. Driveways shall be located as far from the street intersections as is reasonably possible but not less than the following distances:

(1)

Individual residential lots: 50 feet.

(2)

Multifamily residential and nonresidential lots: 100 feet.

Number of driveways. All residential properties shall be limited to one curb cut. The following standards shall apply to nonresidential properties:

(1)

Properties with frontage of 100 feet or less shall be limited to one curb cut.

(2)

Not more than two curb cuts may be permitted for any single property, tract or lot.

(3)

More than two curb cuts per street frontage may be permitted only if anticipated traffic volumes warrant more than two and when supported by a traffic study prepared by a qualified traffic engineer.

Choice of streets. When streets of different classes are involved, the driveway shall provide access to the street of lesser classification.

Pavement widths and grade. Driveway paving widths and grades shall be as follows:

Land Use	Minimum Paving Width (feet)	Maximum Paving Width (feet)	Minimum Radius at Curb (feet)	Maximum Grade
Single-family residential	10	20	5	10%
Multifamily residential one-way	12	15	10	9%
Multifamily residential two-way	24	28	10	9%
Commercial and industrial (two-way) low volume	20	24	15	7%
Commercial and industrial (two-way) medium volume	28	28	15	7%
Commercial and industrial (two-way) high volume	PennDOT standards shall be used	PennDOT standards shall be used	PennDOT standards shall	PennDOT standards shall be used

Parking areas. Regardless of the driveway classification, all driveways shall be provided with a parking area within which the grade shall not exceed 6%.

Clear site triangles. Clear sight triangles shall be provided where driveways intersect streets. The dimensional standards shall be determined by the classification of street which the driveway intersects.

Entrance to the street shall be at a horizontal angle ranging between 75° to 105° with the intersecting street.

§ 92-3 Construction standards for residential units.

[Amended 6-4-1990 by Ord. No. 69B; 4-10-2006 by Ord. No. 06-206]

Single-family residential lots. The driveway and parking area shall have a thickness of not less than six inches, and the base of which shall consist of four inches of base course of 2A modified stone, as compacted, and a surface which shall be two inches of compacted thickness of ID-2A wearing course. The paving shall be constructed both as to materials and workmanship in accordance with specifications and standards promulgated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation now in force or hereafter revised and on an approved firm subgrade.

Multifamily residential and nonresidential lots. The driveway and parking areas shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Montgomery Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 205).

§ 92-4 Inspections.

The construction of all driveways and parking areas will be subject to the inspection and approval of the Township. The Township shall be notified a minimum of 48 hours in advance of construction.

Failure to follow these rules and regulations will prevent use and occupancy of the structure until it can be proven that the driveway was constructed properly.

§ 92-5 Applicability.

All new driveways constructed after the date of this chapter shall be constructed in accordance with the foregoing chapter. This chapter is not intended to include reconstruction of existing driveways at their present locations on the date of the enactment of this chapter.

§ 92-6 Exceptions.

[Added 6-23-1980 by Ord. No. 69A]

Where the Supervisors determine that the literal application of any of these standards in any case would cause an undue hardship or be plainly unreasonable and unnecessary, they may grant such reasonable exceptions as, in their opinion, will not be contrary to the public interest.

§ 92-7 Violations and penalties.

[Added 6-22-1992 by Ord. No. 92-1]

Any person, firm or corporation which shall violate this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600 and all costs of prosecution for every offense and, in default of payment thereof, to be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not exceeding 30 days.