[Adopted 11-1-1951 by Ord. No. 205, approved 11-1-1951 (Ch. 134,
Art. IV, of the 1975 Code)]
Sidewalks are hereby established on all highways
and alleys of the Borough of Bridgeport.
The widths of the sidewalks in said Borough
are hereby established as follows:
A.
On all highways 60 feet or more in width, sidewalks shall be not less than the minimum width specified in § 495-59. Borough Council may, in its sole discretion, permit deviations from the requisite sidewalk widths upon written request to Council specifying the need for such deviation.
[Amended 11-25-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-008, approved 11-25-2014]
B.
On all other highways, sidewalks shall be not less than the minimum width specified in § 495-59. Borough Council may, in its sole discretion, permit deviations from the requisite sidewalk widths upon written request to Council specifying the need for such deviation.
[Amended 11-25-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-008, approved 11-25-2014]
C.
On alleys, sidewalks shall be not less than 2 1/2
feet in width.
D.
The width of the sidewalk designated herein shall
be exclusive of the curb.
E.
The slope or grade from the property line to the curb
shall be not less than 1/4 inch to the foot and not more than 1/2
inch to the foot.
All pavements shall be constructed or laid so
that the center line of the pavements shall coincide with the center
line of the space allotted to the sidewalk.
[Amended 11-25-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-008, approved 11-25-2014]
Grass plots shall be permitted where the widths
of sidewalks are at least or more than the minimum width and such
grass plots shall not exceed six feet in width. Grass plots shall
be between the footwalk and curbline. The surface of the grass plots
shall be firm and on a level with the sidewalk and curb, shall be
safe for the use of pedestrians and shall not be wired or roped or
otherwise obstructed or maintained so as to endanger person or property.
Porches or steps, or porches and steps, shall
not extend into any highway to a greater extent than 33% of the distance
between the outside of the curbline and the property line.
[Amended 10-24-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-010, approved 10-24-2017]
All curbs shall be built and maintained at the expense of the
owner of the abutting premises and shall be kept in good repair and
safe condition, free of any obstruction. The curb shall be six inches
in width and shall be located between the outer edge of the sidewalk
and the driveway for vehicles.
No constructions or materials or trees other
than those above-mentioned shall be built or placed in or over any
street, highway or alley, unless the same is authorized by the Borough
Council, and then only when such constructions or materials or trees
are thoroughly safeguarded and used so as to prevent any injury or
damage to person or property.
All constructions or materials or trees and
all porches and steps now or hereafter built, placed or maintained
contrary to this article are hereby declared unlawful and declared
to be nuisances and to be abatable as such.
Trees, poles and pipes now or hereafter placed
or maintained in the sidewalk limitations, as herein provided, shall
be so placed or maintained as to prevent injury to person or property
and shall be removed, changed or trimmed whenever the Council decides
that it is for the best interest of the Borough.
All sidewalks shall be built and maintained
at the expense of the owner of the abutting premises and shall be
kept in thorough repair and in safe condition, free of snow or ice
or any other obstruction.
Sidewalks shall be built upon 30 days' notice
to the owner and shall be repaired upon 10 days' notice.
The Council may, on 24 hours' notice, cause
emergency repairs to be made to the sidewalks where the Street Commissioner
of the Borough of Bridgeport deems it necessary.
No motor vehicles shall be permitted to drive
upon or be parked on a sidewalk for repairs or for any other purpose;
provided, however, that, if the owner of the property in question
wishes a coal truck to enter upon his sidewalk for the purpose of
unloading coal and the owner applies to the Street Commissioner in
writing for a permit, the Street Commissioner shall issue such permit
in writing; in which event the entry of the coal truck upon the sidewalk
of the applying property owner for unloading coal shall not be a violation
of this chapter.
The Borough Council shall, each year, advertise
for bids for laying sidewalks and curbs in the highways of the Borough.
The Council shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder,
reserving the right to reject any and all bids. The Council may, however,
authorize the work to be done by Borough employees, for either the
laying or repairing of sidewalks and curbs, especially for emergency
purposes. The contractor shall furnish bond in the sum and with such
security as Council may authorize and approve.
The use of any materials for new sidewalks and
curbs other than those herein specified is hereby forbidden.
The materials to be used in all sidewalks and
curbs and the method of constructing same shall comply with the following
specifications:
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Specifications for Concrete
Curb and Sidewalk Construction
Concrete Curb
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Plain cement concrete curb shall be not less
than 18 inches in depth, six inches wide on the top and eight inches
wide at the bottom. The top surface shall be finished with a slope
of 1/4 inch per foot toward the gutter or face of the curb, and the
upper outside edge shall be finished to a radius of one inch. The
front face shall be battered and the back shall be vertical.
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General Note
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MATERIALS
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M-1. All materials shall be subject to an inspection
of the Engineer or other Borough officials having charge of the work
and to tests herein outlined. Any material failing to pass the required
tests shall at once be removed from the work. Failure to condemn materials
on preliminary inspection shall not be grounds for acceptance if future
defects are found.
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Cement
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M-2. All cement used shall be high-grade American
portland of the best quality, fresh and free from lumps. No cement
shall be used which has partially set in the bags. Cement shall be
stored so as to permit easy access for inspection and identification,
in a suitable watertight structure which will protect the cement from
dampness.
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M-2-1. All cement which is not satisfactory
shall be immediately removed from the work. A bag of cement shall
contain 94 pounds net. A sufficient quantity of cement shall be on
hand at all times to allow for seven-day tests, if required. In testing
cement, the rules adopted by the American Society for Testing Materials
shall be followed.
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Sand or Fine Aggregate for Concrete
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M-3. For concrete, river or pit sand may be
used. It shall be the best quality, clean, hard, durable, coarse sand,
free from dirt, loam, organic acids, vegetable or other deleterious
matter. It shall not contain more than 3% by volume of clay or loam
and, when dry, shall pass a screen having four meshes to the linear
inch; not more than 20% shall pass a screen having 50 meshes per linear
inch; and not more than 5% shall pass a screen having 100 meshes per
linear inch.
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M-3-1. When sand is mixed with portland cement
in the proportion of one part cement to three parts of sand by weight,
according to the standard method of making one-to-three mortar briquettes,
the resulting mortar, at the age of seven days and 28 days, shall
have a tensile strength at least equal to the strength of mortar made
of portland cement and standard Ottawa sand in corresponding proportions
and of the same consistency.
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Stone or Coarse Aggregate for Concrete
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M-4. The coarse aggregate for concrete shall
consist of crushed traprock or crushed washed gravel, free from soft,
thin, elongated pieces, disintegrated stone, dust, dirt, vegetable
or other deleterious matter. It shall be uniformly graded and shall
pass a screen having a circular opening of one inch in diameter and
shall be retained on a screen having a circular opening of 1/4 inch
in diameter.
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M-4-1. For coarse aggregate in concrete used
in sidewalks, limestone conforming to the requirements specified in
Section M-4 may be used.
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Joint Filler
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M-5. Joint filler shall consist of prepared
strips of fiber matrix and bitumen containing not more than 25% of
inert material, having a thickness of 1/2 inch.
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CONSTRUCTION
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Concrete
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C-1. The concrete shall be composed of a one-to-two-to-three-and-one-half
mix: one part cement, two parts fine aggregate and 3 1/2 parts
of coarse aggregate.
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Measuring
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C-1-1. All materials shall be measured accurately
by volume; the cement shall be measured as packed by the manufacturer.
A sack containing not less than 94 pounds shall be considered as one
cubic foot. Measurement of aggregates shall be based on dry-rodded
material.
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Mixing
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C-1-2. The concrete shall be mixed in quantities
required for immediate use, and any which has developed initial set
or which is not in place within 30 minutes after the water has been
added shall not be used. No concrete shall be mixed or placed while
the air temperature is at or below 32° F. Each and every batch
shall be mixed for not less than 1 1/2 minutes, and the drum
shall be entirely emptied of its contents before the next succeeding
batch is received.
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Lines and Grades
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C-1-3. Concrete curb shall be laid to line and
grade as shown on the plan or as furnished by the Borough Engineer.
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Expansion Joints
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C-1-4. Concrete curb shall be constructed in
uniform lengths or blocks of 10 feet each, lengths being separated
during construction by a template 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch in thickness.
These templates shall be removed after the concrete has developed
initial set. A prepared expansion joint, conforming to that specified
in Section M-5 of the Material Specifications, 1/2 inch thick shall
be placed between the lengths at intervals of 50 feet.
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Forms
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C-1-5. Outside forms for concrete curb shall
be of wood or metal for the full depth of the concrete, straight,
free from warp and of sufficient strength where staked to resist the
pressure of wet concrete without springing. If of wood, they shall
be two-inch plank; if of metal, they shall be of an approved type.
Plank shall be surfaced for the full face of the curbing.
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Placing Concrete and Finishing
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C-1-6. The foundation shall be formed at the
required depth below the grade of the curb, in accordance with the
dimensions given. All soft and spongy or other unsuitable materials
shall be removed from the subgrade, and the foundation shall be completed
thoroughly and finished to a uniform surface. The forms for the face
of the curb shall be removed within 24 hours after the concrete has
been placed. Honeycombed places and other minor defects shall be filled
with mortar composed of one part cement and two parts sand, which
shall be applied with a wooden float. The top and face of the curb
shall be finished while the concrete is still green by wetting a brick
or block of wood and rubbing the surface until smooth, after which
it shall be rubbed again using a thin grout of one part cement and
one part sand, instead of water, until a uniform color is produced.
Plastering will not be permitted.
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Backfilling
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C-1-7. After the concrete has set sufficiently,
the space on the back of the curb shall be backfilled with suitable
material, which shall be thoroughly compacted.
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Curing and Protecting
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C-1-8. The finished work shall be protected
from the sun, rain and trespassers for not less than seven days after
the forms have been removed. In hot, dry weather, frequent applications
of water shall be made during this period.
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Cement Concrete Sidewalk
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C-2. Concrete sidewalks shall be constructed
in accordance with the following specifications.
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Cement Fine and Coarse Aggregate
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C-2-1. Cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate
shall conform respectively to Sections M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4 and M-4-1
of the Materials Specifications.
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Concrete
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C-2-2. The concrete shall be composed of a one-to-two-to-three-
and-one-half mix: one part cement, two parts fine aggregate and 3 1/2
parts coarse aggregate. Measurements of aggregate shall be based on
dry-rodded material.
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Sidewalks
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C-2-3. The bed for the cement concrete sidewalks
shall be thoroughly compacted by tamping and when so compacted shall
be uniformly four inches below the finished surface. On this foundation
shall be constructed a four-inch, one-course cement concrete pavement.
Joints shall be made every four feet and a space of 1/4 inch to 1/2
inch left between blocks at every tenth joint and filled with prepared
joint as specified in Section M-5 of the Materials Specifications.
All joints shall be at right angles to the lines of the walk and perpendicular
to the surface of the walk. In all other respects the specifications
for concrete curb shall govern.
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Curing and Protecting
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C-2-4. The finished walk shall be protected
from the sun, rain and trespassers for not less than two days after
the forms have been removed. In hot, dry weather, frequent applications
of water should be made during this period.
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The following are specifications for driveways:
A.
Concrete: to meet Borough standard specifications
for curb and sidewalk construction one-to-two-to-three-and-one-half
mix.
B.
Walk: plain concrete, four feet wide, four inches
or more thick. Blocks, cut at four-foot intervals to form a dummy
joint. Expansion joint, one-fourth-inch joint every 24 feet, also
at fixed structures. Slope, 3/8 inch per foot toward curb. Grass area,
one-inch slope per foot toward curb. Walks to be carried at grade
across drives using six-inch reinforced concrete, 1/2 inch bars spaced
10 inches both ways, or forty-two-pound mesh reinforcing or seven-inch
plain concrete, six-by-eight-by-eighteen-inches plain concrete.
C.
Drive: to be brought to grade of walk and depressed
curb. Curb to be carried across all drives one inch above gutter grade.
Curb to be lowered across driveways and not cut down. Maximum length
of depressed curb is 35 feet. In business sections, ramp from curb
shall not extend for a greater distance than 1/3 of the distance from
the curb to the property line. There shall be a safety island with
a minimum length of 10 feet between drives. No drives shall be constructed
across radius corners. When a drive is to be constructed prior to
walk construction, the grade of the drive must conform to the walk
grade.
Nothing in this article shall be so construed
so as to prevent any owner or owners of property from personally laying
curbs and sidewalks or repairing the same in front of their properties,
provided that they comply with the terms of this article and other
ordinances of the Borough applicable thereto.
The grading, paving and repaving and repairing
of all sidewalks on the highways and alleys of the Borough of Bridgeport
and the constructing and repairing of the curbs at the edge of the
sidewalks shall be done by the owner or owners of the lot or lots
fronting thereon.
On neglect or refusal of the owner or owners
of the lot or lots as aforesaid to grade, repave, pave or repair any
sidewalk or to set, place, construct or repair any curb after 30 days'
notice so to do, the Council of the Borough of Bridgeport, through
its designated officials, shall cause the same to be done and shall
collect from such owner or owners of the lot or lots the cost thereof
and 10% additional, together with all charges and expenses, and shall
file a municipal lien therefor against such lot or lots.
[Amended 8-12-1975 by Ord. No. 419, approved
8-15-1975]
All curbs not laid in conformity with the provisions of this article and the established grade of the street on which they are constructed are hereby declared to be nuisances and must be taken up and relaid according to the provisions of this article within 30 days after notice to the owner or owners so to do by the Borough. Upon failure of said owner or owners thereof to regrade, recurb and repave said sidewalks within the time stipulated, they shall be liable to the penalty provided in § 485-27 of this article. Said Borough shall cause the sidewalk to be regraded, recurbed and repaved in the manner herein and hereby required, and the said Borough shall collect the cost thereof together with all charges and expenses from the owner or owners of the lot or lots as aforesaid, according to law and this article.
No pavement or curb heretofore laid with material
or materials not hereinbefore prescribed shall be permitted to be
repaired, but whenever any such pavement or curb becomes, in the opinion
of the said Borough, in bad condition, notice shall be served upon
the owner or owners of the lot or lots fronting thereon to repave
the sidewalk or reset the curb with the material as herein provided,
and upon his, her or their failure so to do after 30 days' notice,
said Borough shall cause the same to be done and shall collect from
such owner or owners of the lot or lots the cost thereof and 10% additional,
together with all charges and expenses, and shall file a municipal
lien therefor against such lot or lots.
[Amended 8-12-1975 by Ord. No. 419, approved
8-15-1975; 3-14-1989 by Ord. No. 507, approved 3-14-1989]
Any person who shall be convicted of a violation
of any of the provisions of this article before any Magisterial District
Judge shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 and costs
of prosecution or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not
to exceed 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The continuation
of such violation for each successive day shall constitute a separate
offense, and the person or persons allowing or permitting the continuation
of the violation may be punished as provided above for such separate
offense.
