The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the
installation of traffic calming measures on Township-owned roadways.
Such measures shall be specifically designed to reduce the speed,
but not necessarily the volume of motor vehicle traffic in residential
areas, nor is their purpose to move traffic to adjoining roadways.
Traffic calming measures shall consist of education, awareness, and
enforcement activities.
For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have
the meaning indicated:
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (NTAC)
A committee established and appointed by the Board of Supervisors whose purpose shall be to investigate traffic calming requests in residential neighborhoods and make recommendations to the Board regarding the appropriate course of action, if any. For specific purposes, guidelines, and membership outlined for the NTAC, see Article
VIII of this chapter.
PENNSYLVANIA'S TRAFFIC CALMING HANDBOOK
A publication issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
("PennDOT") providing guidance for the evaluation, implementation,
and installation of traffic calming measures currently in effect and
as may be updated or modified from time to time. The current version
in effect is Publication No. 383 dated January 2001.
TRAFFIC CALMING
A means or method of reducing motor vehicle speeds on public
roadways.
TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURE ("TCM")
A physical feature installed on or constructed within a public roadway for the purposes of traffic calming. Only those physical features detailed within PennDOT Publication No. 383, Chapters
5 and 6, shall be considered "traffic calming measures."
It is the policy of the Township to consider and, where warranted
and practical, install TCMs on streets in accordance with the procedures
and criteria listed in the Criteria and Procedure Sections of this
article.
The Board of Supervisors may, on its own initiative, upon request
from the Police Department or Township Administration, upon recommendation
of the Neighborhood Traffic Advisory Committee, or upon written application
from residents or affected business owners, consider and implement
traffic calming measures where such measures are warranted and practical.
The following criteria have been established as means to determine
the roadways eligible for selection and where consideration of TCMs
are most appropriate, effective, and practical, and the Board of Supervisors
and Neighborhood Traffic Advisory Committee shall consider the listed
criteria at all relevant times. The criteria listed herein are advisory
only. The Board of Supervisors shall have absolute discretion whether
to implement TCMs in any location. Likewise, the Police Department
shall not be compelled to take any action regarding TCMs absent dual
consideration and approval of the Board of Supervisors.
A. TCMs will only be considered on Township-owned roadways meeting some
or all of the following:
(1) A local residential street.
(2) A collector street with predominantly residential land uses.
(3) A street with a legally posted speed limit no greater than 35 miles
per hour (MPH).
(4) The minimum length of the street, or portion thereof measured from
the nearest intersecting street, shall be at least 1,000 feet.
(5) The average vehicle speed (based upon the 85th percentile of the
speeds recorded during the traffic count referenced above) shall not
be less than 10 MPH over the legally posted speed limit.
B. Emergency vehicle access, school bus routes, and routine street maintenance
will be carefully considered in evaluating TCMs. Certain TCMs will
not be implemented on major emergency response routes or busing routes.
C. No TCMs will be installed on state, county, or privately owned roadways.
D. High concentrations of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, such as
those near schools, parks and recreational areas, churches and business
districts will be carefully considered in evaluating TCMs.
E. The volume of traffic of a given Township roadway shall be considered,
which may be determined by an automated traffic count conducted by
the Falls Township Police Department.
F. The Police Department may analyze the number of accidents on the
affected roadways over the most recent three-year period to ascertain
the extent to which excessive or unsafe speeds were the major contributing
factor.