Title 73, TOWNSHIPS

If, after the filing of a petition under this chapter, the board of commissioners fails to hold a required hearing, an aggrieved party may file a mandamus action in the court of common pleas requesting that a hearing be held.

The board of commissioners and the board of commissioners' agents and employees may enter upon any land or property to maintain markers and monuments as the board of commissioners deems necessary in carrying out the board of commissioners' powers and duties under this chapter.

The board of commissioners may provide for the construction and maintenance of bike paths for the protection or convenience of the traveling public.

(a) Creation, relocation or alteration of parks.--The board of commissioners may contract with the Commonwealth, a county or a municipal corporation owning and operating parks inside the township to establish, relocate, alter or vacate public streets inside or contiguous to those…

(a) Land acquired by township.--Any township may, singly or jointly with another municipality, acquire, by purchase or by the right of eminent domain, lands or easements along or adjacent to any township street that may be necessary to eliminate dangerous curves, widen streets or…

(a) Board powers after damages.--When the board of commissioners constructs, changes, widens, relocates, vacates or alters any portion of a public street under the board of commissioners' supervision, and can agree with the property owners affected by the change as to damages, th…

A township may improve streets, portions of streets or a particular width or additional widths of streets, with or without the assistance or contribution of the Federal Government, the Commonwealth, the county or a corporation occupying the thoroughfare, and may assess and collec…

(a) Maintenance.--The board of commissioners or its agents and employees may enter any lands or enclosures and cut, open, maintain and repair drains or ditches through the property when necessary to carry the water from the streets. (b) Summary offense.--A person who damages or d…

(a) Modifications to obstacle permitted.--In order to provide for easy and convenient traveling upon the public streets or highways, the board of commissioners may cut, alter or remove trees, shrubbery, underbrush, refuse or obstructions within the legal width of a public street …

(a) Entrance on private property for snow fence.--A township may enter upon private property adjacent to a public street or highway and place on the private property a snow fence to within a limit of 100 feet from the right-of-way line of the public street or highway in order to …

The board of commissioners may provide for and regulate the naming of streets and highways. When the naming of a street or highway will affect signage maintained by the Department of Transportation, the board of commissioners shall notify the department.

The board of commissioners may provide street lights and ornamental lighting and make regulations for the protection of lighting. The board may assess the costs of street lighting and ornamental lighting in accordance with Chapter 63 (relating to assessments for public improvemen…

(a) Unlawful sign modification or destruction.--It shall be unlawful for a person to willfully destroy, remove, injure or deface a sign legally erected upon or near a public street, highway or bridge by the board of commissioners, or legally erected with the consent of the board …

(a) Rail crossings above and below.--Every township constructing a street across a railroad shall construct the street above or below the grade of the railroad, unless permitted by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to construct the street at grade. (b) New construction.-…

No railroad or street railway shall be constructed upon a township street, nor shall a railroad or street railway crossings, driveway connections, gas pipes, water pipes, electric conduits or other piping be laid upon or in, nor shall a telephone, telegraph or electric light or p…

(a) Improvement.--Whenever the owners of the majority of the assessed valuation of real property within a township desire a principal street within the township to be improved and maintained at the joint expense of the county and township, the owners may petition the board of com…

(a) Boundary streets.--When a street, other than a State or county road, is created or located along, on or over boundaries between a township and any other municipal corporation, the creation, location, construction, maintenance and repair of the street shall be the joint respon…

(a) Municipal corporation contracts.--A township may enter into a contract with a municipal corporation to provide for the grading, curbing, draining and paving of a street that constitutes the dividing line between the township and the municipal corporation. (b) Alterations and …

(a) General rule.--If a street, more than one-half the width of which is within the limits of the township, divides the township from any other municipal corporation, the street may be improved by the township in the same manner as if the street were entirely located within the l…

If a street, entirely within the limits of a township, divides the township from any other municipal corporation, the property on the side of the street, within or outside the township, that abuts the street and benefits from the improvement may, for a depth of 150 feet from the …

(a) Construction generally.--A township may erect and construct or acquire by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, a bridge and the piers, abutments and approaches for the bridge, to be used, improved and maintained as a street whether the bridge is wholly or partly within the to…

(a) Maintained as township structure.--A bridge shall be maintained as a township structure, and the township may contract with any party interested, except the county, for the maintenance of the bridge. (b) Unrecorded county bridge.--If a bridge, or part of a bridge, has been bu…

(a) Intergovernmental cooperation permitted.--If a bridge crosses the boundary line of a township and another municipal corporation, the township may enter into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement in accordance with 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 23 Subch. A (relating to intergovernmental…

Townships may, by ordinance, lay out and establish sidewalks, curbs, gutters and surface water drains along any street and, with the consent of the Secretary of Transportation, along any State highway, and, with the consent of the county commissioners, along any county road. Town…

The width of a sidewalk shall be fixed by the board of commissioners either by ordinance or resolution.

(a) General rule.--Townships may, upon notice as provided by ordinance, require owners of property abutting on a street, including State highways and county roads, to construct, grade, pave, curb, repave and recurb the sidewalks along the property under regulations and specificat…

(a) General rule.--The owners of property abutting any street, including State highways and county roads, shall keep the sidewalk, together with any portion of the property paved along such a street and used as a sidewalk or public walk, in good order and repair, and, at all time…

(a) General rule.--A township may make emergency repairs to sidewalks within the township's corporate limits if an officer or designated individual representing the department or committee in charge of repairs to sidewalks upon inspection determines that a substantial and immedia…

(a) Establishment and construction.--Townships may establish and construct a system of sanitary sewers and drainage, locating the system, as far as practicable, in the right-of-way of the street in a street. The system may be for the service and use of properties on both sides of…

(a) General rule.--A township may, by ordinance, require a property owner to connect with and use a sanitary sewer system established or constructed by the township, joint sanitary sewer board or a municipal authority serving the township if the property abuts on or adjoins any s…

No sanitary sewer system shall be constructed under this chapter unless an ordinance of the board of commissioners authorizing the construction is published once in a newspaper of general circulation under section 1107 (relating to legal advertising).

Where it is reasonably impracticable, in the judgment of the board of commissioners, in any part of the sanitary sewer system to carry sanitary sewers along the lines of public streets or highways, the board of commissioners may locate and construct as much of the sanitary sewers…

The board of commissioners may acquire by eminent domain or enter into contracts with other municipal corporations, corporations or persons for the acquisition of lands or facilities for the location, construction, maintenance, use and operation of sanitary sewer systems and trea…

The cost of construction of a system of sanitary sewers or drains, constructed by the authority of this subchapter, may be charged upon the properties benefited, improved or accommodated to the extent of the benefits, or may be paid for wholly or partially by general taxation. An…

(a) General rule.--When a sanitary sewer system is constructed by a township for the accommodation of a certain portion of the township, the board of commissioners may designate the territory accommodated into a sewer district or divide the portion into several sewer districts. (…

Assessments, whether based according to benefits conferred or by the front foot basis, and assessment awards, if any, shall be calculated under Chapter 63 (relating to assessments for public improvements).

(a) General rule.--A township may, by ordinance, acquire ownership of a community sewage collection or disposal system by purchase, the exercise of eminent domain under 26 Pa.C.S. (relating to eminent domain) or by gift from the owner or owners. (b) Eminent domain.--In eminent do…

(a) General rule.--In a case where, under the authority of section 6101 (relating to power to establish and construct sewers and drains and require connections and sewer rentals), a system of sewage and drainage covering a township in whole or in part shall be approved and author…

Townships may construct sanitary sewers and drains in any street or highway, or through or on or over private property. The costs, damages and expenses of the construction of sanitary sewers or drains may be paid for wholly or partially by general taxation, or may be assessed upo…

(a) General rule.--A township may construct a sanitary sewer and drain in or under any State or county highway within the township boundaries. (b) Consent.-- (1) For the construction of a sanitary sewer in or under a county highway, the consent of the county commissioners of the …

(a) General rule.--If a township desires to connect with the existing sanitary sewer of an adjacent municipal corporation or municipal authority for either sewage collection or treatment purposes, the entities may enter into an agreement for this purpose. If no agreement has been…

(a) General rule.--Under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 23 Subch. A (relating to intergovernmental cooperation), a township may contract with another municipal corporation providing for the joint construction or maintenance of sanitary sewer systems and for joint construction onto existing sanit…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Front foot." The term includes, but is not limited to, front linear foot, lot, parcel, dwelling unit or square foot. "P…

(a) Authority.--Unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, a township is authorized to assess all or any portion of the costs of a public improvement against any properties that are benefited by the public improvement. (b) Payment of costs.--Unless otherwise provided in this …

(a) Ordinance.--If the board of commissioners elects to exercise the power to make assessments for a given public improvement as authorized in section 6302 (relating to authority to assess), the board of commissioners shall, by ordinance and in conformity with this chapter, estab…

The board of commissioners may petition the court of common pleas for the appointment of viewers to assess the total cost of an improvement in accordance with this chapter. The viewers shall assess the total cost of the improvement, or as much of the cost as is reasonable, upon t…