[Adopted 7-24-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-6]
This article shall be known as the "Washington
Township Motor Vehicle Weight and Load Limitations Ordinance."
This article is enacted pursuant to Section
4902(a) of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, Act of 1976, June 17, P.L.
162, No. 81 Section 1, effective July 1, 1977 (75 Pa. C.S.A. § 101
et seq.), as amended.
The following words, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in
those instances where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
A Fire Department vehicle, police vehicle, ambulance, blood-delivery
vehicle, armed forces emergency vehicle, one private vehicle of a
Fire or Police Chief or Assistance Chief or Ambulance Corps Commander
or Assistant Commander or of a River Rescue Commander used for answering
emergency calls or other vehicle designated by the state police under
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 6106 (relating to designation of emergency
vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police).
Any vehicle or combination which is defined and/or governed
by the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et
seq., as amended.
A motor vehicle designed for carrying more than 10 passengers,
exclusive of the driver, and used for the transcription of school
children.
The Board of Supervisors has determined and
hereby determines that the following roads and bridges under the jurisdiction
of the Township may be damaged or destroyed unless the permissible
weight of motor vehicles or combinations is reduced to the weights
listed below and hazardous traffic conditions and/or safety factors
require the permissible weight of motor vehicles or combinations be
reduced to the weights listed below:
|
Road
|
Between
|
Weight Limit
(pounds)
|
|---|---|---|
|
Barto Road (T-858)
|
Old Route 100 to Route 100
|
20,000
|
|
Dairy Lane (T-859)
|
Old Route 100 to Route 100
|
20,000
|
|
Stauffer Road (T-845)
|
Old Route 100 to Route 100
|
20,000
|
A.
The Township Roadmaster may issue permits for the movement of motor vehicles or combinations of weight in excess of the restrictions imposed under § 125-40, supra, and require such undertaking or security as the Board of Supervisors, upon advice of the Township Roadmaster and Township Engineer, deems necessary to cover the cost of anticipated or probable repairs and/or restoration necessitated by the permitted movement of overweight vehicles.
B.
All actions taken under the authority of this section
shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted from
time to time by the Board of Supervisors and, in the absence thereof,
in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation, as set forth in Title 67 of the Pennsylvania
Code.
The Township shall erect or cause to be erected
and maintained restriction signs designating the restrictions at each
end of a bridge or portion of road restricted as provided in this
article. In the case of a restriction on a bridge or on a road which
does not begin or end at an intersection with an unrestricted road,
the Township shall also place an advance informational sign at the
intersection nearest each end of the restricted bridge or portion
of road which would allow drivers to avoid the restricted bridge or
portion of road. No person shall be convicted of violating any section
of this article unless the restriction sign designating the restricted
bridge or portion of road to traffic moving in the direction the person
was driving was posted as required in this section. However, failure
to post the restriction sign designating the restricted bridge or
portion of road to traffic moving in the opposite direction or failure
to post any advance informational sign shall not constitute a defense
to a violation of this section.
Pursuant to 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 4902(a) and (g)(1), any person operating a motor vehicle or combination upon a road or bridge in violation of a prohibition or restriction imposed under § 125-40 of this article shall be prosecuted for a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $75, except that any person convicted of operating a vehicle with a gross weight in excess of a posted weight shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $150, plus $150 for each 500 pounds, or part thereof, in excess of 3,000 pounds over the maximum allowable weight.
In addition to any police officer that may have
jurisdiction within Washington Township, the Township Roadmaster shall
also have the authority to enforce the provisions of this article.
