Montgomery City Zoning Code
§ 16-5.14
Streets, Curbs and Sidewalks.
[Ord. #85-482, S 514; Ord. #88-584, S IV S-U; Ord. #89-628, SS 7-9; Ord. #90-652, S 6; Ord. #91-709, S 1; Ord. #92-760, S 2; Ord. #01-1050, S 8; Ord. #03-1104, S 1; Ord. #07-1258, S 2; amended 4-18-2024 by Ord. No. 24-1723; 8-15-2024 by Ord. No. 24-1736]
a.
Streets.
1.
All developments shall be served by paved streets in accordance with the approved subdivision and/or site plan. The arrangement of such streets not shown on the Master Plan or Official Map, as adopted by the Township, shall be such as to provide for the appropriate extension of such streets and conform with the topography as far as practicable. Local streets shall be planned so as to discourage through traffic.
2.
When a new development adjoins land susceptible of being subdivided or developed, suitable provisions shall be made for access to adjoining lands.
3.
Grade, Slope and center line Radius.
(a)
Longitudinal grades on all streets shall not exceed 8% and shall be no less than 1%. Maximum grades within intersections shall be 3% for a distance of 150 feet from the intersection.
(b)
All changes in grade where the algebraic difference in grade is 1% or greater shall be connected by a vertical curve having a length of at least 50 feet for each 2% difference in grade, or portion thereof, and providing minimum sight distances of 350 feet for local streets, 500 feet for any collector street and 800 feet for an arterial street.
(c)
A road shall have a minimum cross-slope of 2% and a maximum cross-slope of 4% unless the road is super-elevated in which case the road shall be designed in accordance with the ITE Manual.
(d)
Except for streets within those portions of planned developments to be developed with multiple-family housing, the minimum center line radius on horizontal curves shall be 180 feet for local and minor collector streets, 500 feet for collector and major collector streets, and 1,000 feet for arterial streets. However, in the case of local and minor collector streets where, because of the shape of the tract being subdivided or because of topgraphical conditions, it is not feasible to adhere to the minimum radius of 180 feet, the minimum pavement must be widened as the radius decreases in order to accommodate the widened path of a turning vehicle:
Radius | Added Pavement Width (Symmetrically) |
|---|---|
180+' | 0' |
150-179' | 2' |
125-149' | 3' |
100-124' | 4' |
80-100' | 5' |
For streets within those portions of planned developments to be developed with multiple family housing, the minimum center line radius on horizontal curves may be reduced to 80 feet, provided that no parking is permitted on either side of the street and provided further that the Township Engineer, after consultation with the Fire Prevention Bureau, is satisfied that adequate maneuvering of emergency vehicles can be accommodated. |
4.
In the event that a development adjoins or excludes existing streets that do not conform to widths as shown on the adopted Master Plan or Official Map or the street width requirements of this chapter, additional land along either or both sides of the street, sufficient to conform to the right-of-way requirements, shall be dedicated for the location, installation, repair and maintenance of streets, drainage facilities, utilities and other facilities customarily located on street rights-of-way. The necessary deeds of ownership shall be furnished and the dedication shall be expressed as follows: "Street right-of-way granted for the purposes provided for and expressed in the Land Development Ordinance of Montgomery Township." If the development is along one side only, 1/2 of the required extra width shall be dedicated and shall be improved, including excavation, base course and surfacing, in accordance with the approved application.
5.
In all developments, the minimum public street right-of-way shall be measured from lot line to lot line and shall be in accordance with the following schedule, but in no case shall a new street that is a continuation of an existing street be continued at a width less than the existing street although a greater width may be required in accordance with the following schedule and the Cross-Section Of Roads included in the Traffic Circulation Plan Element portion of the Township Master Plan:
Roadway Category | R-O-W Width (1) | Traffic No. | Lanes Width | Shoulder Width Within Cartway | Width Outside Cartway On Each Side(3) | Width of Cartway(1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Route 206 | 66' | To remain as currently improved except as required at intersections | |||||
Service Road | 70' | 2 | @ | 12' | 6'(2) | 7' — 15'(4) | 48'(5)(6) |
Residential Boulevard | 66' | 2 | @ | 15' | — | 10' | 46'(6)(7) |
Major Collector | 60' | 2 | @ | 12' | 8'(2) | 10' | 40'(6) |
Minor Collector | 54' | 2 | @ | 12' | 5'(8) | 10' | 34'(6) |
Scenic Collector | 50' | 2 | @ | 12' | 3'(2) | 10' | 30'(6)(9) |
Rural Collector | 50' | 2 | @ | 10' | 5'(8) | 10' | 30'(6) |
Suburban Local(10) | 50'(11) | 2 | @ | 15' | — | 10' | 30'(12) |
Rural Local(13) | 50' | 2 | @ | 12' | 3'(8) | 10' | 30'(6) |
Alley(14) | 20'(15) | 2 | @ | 10' | — | — | 20'(16) |
FOOTNOTES: | |
|---|---|
(1) | Right-of-way width and/or width of cartway may be required to be more within and approaching intersections. |
(2) | Shoulder area shall be paved. |
(3) | Shall be grass stabilized topsoil, minimum 4 inches thick, unless otherwise specifically approved by the Township Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, as the case may be. |
(4) | 15-foot area includes 6 foot pathway. |
(5) | Includes 12-foot grassed and treed median strip for left-hand turn slots. |
(6) | No on-street parking permitted. |
(7) | Includes 4-foot shrubbed median strip and 2 6-foot pathways. |
(8) | Shoulder areas shall not be paved except as may be required by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, as the case may be, for proper surface water drainage, intersection traffic movements, and road geometry through curves. When not required to be paved, the shoulder area, or portion(s) thereof, shall be approved by the Township Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, as the case may be, to remain in its natural vegetative state, be cleared for sight distance safety purposes, be improved for drainage purposes, and/or be cleared, graded and appropriately stabilized with an all-weather surface for traffic movements and the parking of disabled vehicles. |
(9) | Existing center line of roadway to be maintained; should individual circumstances make it necessary to shift the center line, then the extent and location of the shift should be undertaken so as to encroach upon patriarch trees and other significant vegetation. |
(10) | Streets within a Planned Residential Development not otherwise specified on the Traffic Circulation Plan Element of the Township Master Plan shall ordinarily be considered Suburban Local streets, except for the major streets within the development expected to carry relatively significant volumes of traffic; such major streets shall meet the standards herein for Residential Boulevard, Major Collector or Minor Collector streets as appropriate and approved by the Board. |
(11) | Except that for Suburban Local streets within a Planned Residential Development (i.e., streets which are not indicated on the Traffic Circulation Plan Element of the Township Master Plan and/or which do not provide for through traffic movement through the planned development), the right-of-way shall be considered coterminous with the required cartway, provided an easement of 10 feet in width is provided either on both sides of the cartway or in other appropriate locations as may be specifically approved by the Planning Board for the placement of curbs, sidewalks, utilities, drainage and landscaping. |
(12) | Except in specific instances within a non-clustered subdivision of single-family detached dwelling lots or within a Residential Cluster or within a Planned Residential Development or within the APT/TH District where a pavement width of 28 feet to 30 feet may be appropriate and may be approved by the Planning Board based upon adequate information that the eventual street network in the area will not necessitate a wider cartway. |
On-street parking shall be permitted as follows: | |
Within any development where the pavement width is 30 feet, parking is permitted on both sides of the street. | |
Where the pavement width is between 26 feet and 28 feet for two-way traffic flow, no parking is permitted on the street. Where the pavement width is between 23 feet and 26 feet for one-way traffic flow, parking is permitted only on 1 side. Where the pavement width is between 21 feet and 23 feet for one-way traffic flow, no parking is permitted on the street. | |
Within the R-1 and R-2 Districts, where the pavement width has been reduced to less than 30 feet in non-clustered developments of detached single-family dwellings, no on-street parking shall be permitted and the minimum front yard setback shall be 75 feet in all cases. | |
Within a Residential Cluster, where the pavement width has been reduced to less than 30 feet, no on-street parking shall be permitted and designated off-street guest parking spaces shall be provided at the ratio of 1/2 space per residential lot. | |
Within a Planned Development or within the APT/TH District, where the pavement width has been reduced to less than 30 feet, no on-street parking shall be permitted. | |
Mountable Belgian block curbing may be required on 1 or both sides of the street as determined appropriate by the Planning Board after consultation with the Fire Prevention Bureau, considering both the necessity of emergency vehicular access and the practical ability to provide a transition between vertical and mountable curbing. | |
(13) | Applies only to street approved as part of a Rural Residential Development in accordance with Subsection 16-5.17 of this chapter. |
(14) | No parking is permitted on an alley. Alleys must be straight, through streets having a maximum length of 250 feet and must intersect with a local street on each end. |
(15) | For alleys the rights-of-way shall be considered coterminous with the required cartway (width between gutters). |
(16) | Where traffic is restricted to one-way, the width between gutters may be reduced to 17 feet. |
6.
Street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles as possible and in no case shall be less than 80°. Approaches to all intersections involving collector or arterial roads shall follow a straight line, or a curve with a radius of not less than 700 feet, for at least 100 feet. No more than two streets shall meet or intersect at any one point and the center lines of both intersecting streets shall pass through a common point.
Any development abutting an existing street classified as an arterial or collector shall be permitted only one new street connecting with the same side of the existing street, except where the frontage is sufficient, more than one street may intersect the arterial or collector street provided the streets shall not intersect with the same side of the existing street at intervals of less than 800 feet. The block corners of intersections shall be rounded at the curbline with the street having the highest radius requirement as outlined below determining the minimum standards for all curblines:
Arterials — 40 feet;
Collectors — 35 feet; and
Local Streets — 25 feet.
7.
A tangent of at least 100 feet long shall be introduced between reverse curves on arterial or collector streets. When connecting street lines deflect from each other at any one point, they shall be connected by a curve with a radius conforming to standard engineering practice as contained in the Transportation and Traffic Engineering Handbook, ITE, latest edition.
8.
Culs-de-sac shall be no more than 1,250 feet in length but, in any case, shall provide access to no more than 25 dwelling units where such access is to single-family detached dwellings only, or to no more than 80 dwelling units where access is to other than single family detached dwellings. A turn-around shall be provided at the end of the cul-de-sac with a radius of 50 feet on the curbline plus a utility and planting strip of 10 feet around the entire cul-de-sac. The center point for the radius shall be the center line of the associated street or, if offset, offset to a point where the radius becomes tangent to the right curbline of the associated street (See diagram following Zoning Map).
9.
No street shall have a name which will duplicate or so nearly duplicate the name of an existing street name that confusion results. The continuation of an existing street name shall have the same name. Curvilinear streets shall change their name only at street intersections. The Board reserves the right to approve or name streets within a proposed development.
10.
The pavement width of streets and the quality of subsurfacing and base materials shall adhere to the minimum standards set forth by the County or State Engineers when said paving concerns roads under their jurisdiction and where such standards exist. Concerning streets under the jurisdiction of the Township, the following standards shall apply:
(a)
All construction shall be in accordance with the Standard Construction and Detail Sheets, as promulgated by the Township Engineer and adopted by the Township in accordance with law and the New Jersey State Highway Standards and Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (1983) and any amendments thereto.
(b)
On all public and private streets, the subbase course shall be a minimum of four inches compacted thickness of quarry process stone, type 5, Class A applied over the compacted subgrade.
(c)
On all local Township roads, the base course shall be four inches of Bituminous Concrete mixtures (Mix No. 1-2), constructed in two layers each of not less than two inches of compacted thickness.
(d)
On all collector Township roads, the base course shall be five inches of Bituminous Concrete Mixtures (Mix No. 1-2), constructed in two layers each of not less than 2 1/2 inches of compacted thickness.
(e)
On all arterial Township roads, the base course shall be six inches of Bituminous Concrete Mixtures (Mix No. 1-2), constructed in two layers each of not less than three inches of compacted thickness.
(f)
The surface course for all Township roads shall consist of two inches of Bituminous Concrete Mixtures (Mix No. 1-5), applied according to State Highway specifications.
(g)
Where subgrade conditions are yielding or otherwise unsatisfactory in the opinion of the Township Engineer, all unsuitable material shall be removed, and suitable material shall be applied to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer.
11.
No privately owned above ground or below ground improvement, including but not limited to landscaping and lawn sprinkler systems, may be installed within the street right-of-way, except mailboxes in accordance with Post Office regulations, without the expressed written approval of the Montgomery Township Engineer.
b.
Curbs. Curbing, either Belgian block, granite or concrete, shall be installed at all street intersections; where storm water velocities exceed the erosion velocities specified in the New Jersey Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control standards; for traffic channelization and control; for public safety reasons; and/or bordering streets or other areas where on-street parking is permitted and/or is likely to occur. Curbing on all Township roads shall be Belgian block and mountable curbing is preferred. All curbing shall be laid in the manner approved by the Township or other appropriate governmental authority. All curb construction shall be in accordance with the Standard Construction and Detail Sheets, as promulgated by the Township Engineer and adopted by the Township in accordance with law. Depressed curb ramps for the handicapped shall be installed at all radii in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey.
c.
Sidewalks and Pedestrian-Bikeway Corridors.
1.
Sidewalks (and related aprons) and pedestrian-bikeway corridors shall be required by the reviewing municipal agency, and shall be constructed by the developer, in accordance with the following criteria:
(a)
Existing sidewalks shall be extended throughout all areas of the Township when the roads upon which they are located are extended;
(b)
Sidewalks within all residential developments shall be provided on site in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:21-4.5 of the New Jersey Residential Site Improvement Standards.
(c)
Sidewalks within all nonresidential development shall be provided on-site for safe pedestrian movement between parking areas and entrances to the principal building(s) and between the principal building(s) and any existing, required or proposed sidewalk along a street;
(d)
Except for all local, rural collector and scenic collector roads in the MR District, sidewalks shall be provided along all existing streets upon which all residential and nonresidential developments abut, unless specifically waived in certain locations by the reviewing municipal agency based upon good cause shown by the applicant, such as, but not limited to, the existence or proposal of alternate linkages for pedestrian movement and/or where other improvements are proposed to better facilitate the movement of people between the development and adjacent lands;
(e)
Sidewalk linkages shall be provided throughout all areas of the Township between existing, approved and/or proposed sidewalks and between sidewalks within a development and existing and/or proposed pedestrian-bikeway corridors, whether on-tract or off-tract, and where necessary, the reviewing municipal agency shall require an off-tract improvement in accordance with Subsection 16-9.3 to provide for such sidewalk linkages;
(f)
Where sidewalks are not to be provided, the reviewing municipal agency may require the installation of a paved area at both corners of the intersection for pedestrian waiting off-street, particularly for a school bus; and
(g)
Pedestrian-bikeway corridors shall be provided throughout the Township in accordance with the adopted Pedestrian-Bikeway Corridor Plan.
2.
Sidewalks may be located in the traditional manner between the proposed edge of pavement and right-of-way line of the street or, in the alternative, the reviewing municipal agency may require that the sidewalks be set back further from the proposed edge of pavement and be constructed in a meandering pattern. In such instances, the sidewalks ordinarily will be located both within the street right-of-way and an additional five feet of the ten-foot strip of land adjacent the street right-of-way otherwise provided for the location of underground utilities and known as the "utility easement." Sidewalk easements may overlap the utility easement but should be avoided where possible. Sidewalk easements shall abut and run parallel with the right-of-way, and extend a minimum of two feet beyond the sidewalk. Private improvements shall not be permitted within the sidewalk easement.
When the sidewalks are required to be constructed in a meandering pattern, the underground utilities will be located within the five-foot portion of the ten-foot utility easement furthest from the street center line. The meandering sidewalk will be located within the remainder of the utility easement and the street right-of-way between the cartway and the utility easement.
Street trees near sidewalks shall conform to the design guidelines and requirements of § 14-3.
3.
Sidewalks, aprons, and sidewalks at aprons shall be concrete and shall be constructed in accordance with the Standard Construction and Detail Sheets as promulgated by the Township Engineer in accordance with law.
Sidewalks shall be at least four feet wide and shall be appropriately reinforced. Sidewalks shall be constructed of 4,000 psi air-entrained concrete four inches to six inches thick on a gravel bed of clean stone at least four inches thick. Expansion joints shall be constructed every 20 feet and shall extend the full depth and width of the concrete. Construction joints shall be located every five feet. Additionally, where subgrade is yielding or otherwise unsatisfactory in the opinion of the Township Engineer, all unsuitable material shall be removed and suitable material shall be applied until the subgrade is nonyielding to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer.
4.
In the case of planned developments and/or in the case of pedestrian-bikeway corridors where concrete sidewalks are not possible to construct because of environmental constraints, stone pathways may be permitted instead at the discretion of the reviewing municipal agency based upon testimony by the applicant. Stone pathways shall be at least four feet wide and shall be in accordance with the Standard Construction and Detail Sheets as promulgated by the Township Engineer in accordance with law. Additionally, where subgrade is yielding or otherwise unsatisfactory in the opinion of the Township Engineer, all unsuitable material shall be removed and suitable material shall be applied until the subgrade is nonyielding to the satisfaction of the Township Engineer.