Roads Department
 

Contact Information
Dennis Rickert, Roadmaster
Roads Department
425 Wells Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: (215) 348-9915
Fax: (215) 348-8729

back to top

Mission

To maintain public right-of-ways as necessary to promote the health, safety and welfare of the traveling public and Doylestown Township residents.

back to top

History

The Road Department is the oldest Township department and fines its origins rooted in the earliest form of governmental endeavors to keep "cow paths" or routes of passages now known as right-of-ways, passable.  The designation of Roadmaster or "public overseer of road repair", was recognized early on as one of the first public needs of a community as farm life gave way to the industrial age.  As elected officials and volunteer residents could no longer handle the workload of a growing township road system, the Roadmaster position became a paid position and was charged with maintaining the the "right-of-ways" supported by a road tax.  As demand for safe, year-round, passable right-of-ways grew, the Township expanded the Road Department staff to a crew of six with a fleet of modern up-to-date road equipment.

back to top

Duties & Responsibilities

The Road Department maintains over seventy-six miles of two-lane blacktopped road surfaces, which meander over the township's 16.5 square mile area.   There are thousands of feet of underground storm pipe, inlets, curbing and surface swales.  Repairs and replacement of road signs, traffic lights, guide rails, culverts, patching and road restoration are every day road department tasks.  Seasonal tasks, such as vegetation removal, mowing, sweeping, ice and snow removal add to the road department maintenance demands.  On any given day, accidents, weather conditions, and unforeseen problems may change the direction of the Road Department daily tasks and/or bring them out after hours in response to emergencies related to the safety of the traveling public.

Seasonally, the department changes their efforts.  The winter months bring a need to be prepared for ice and snow removal.  Late winter and early spring brings a demand to seal road surface cracks, repair potholes and to complete vegetation pruning.  Summer months allow for construction projects such as bridge restoration or installation of drainage systems.  And, late summer and early fall allow for completing road re-surfacing projects.

back to top

Maintenance of Roadways

Snow & Ice Removal
The Road Department plows and salts seventy-six miles of Township roads during inclement weather, including 110 cul-de-sacs.  These cul-de-sacs present a challenge to the Department because 25 miles of main highway can be plowed in the time it takes to clear only 5 miles of cul-de-sacs.  The variability of weather can also challenge the Department.  Salt spreaders are sent out at the onset of each snow storm and are followed by the snow plows after approximately 2 inches have accumulated on Township roadways.  Major roadways within the Township are first plowed until the snow abates.  The crews then begin to clear the secondary streets and continue until all streets are cleared.  Cul-de-sacs are the last to be plowed due to the limited use and time needed to clear them. 

In a typical winter 800 tons of salt is required for approximately eight major storms.  The winter of 1993-94 required 2,000 tons of salt to alleviate the effects of sixteen major storms.

Road Repair 
(To report potholes on Township roads, call (215) 348-9915)
The Road Department is responsible for all asphalt patching and pothole repairs on Township roads.  The Township is not responsible for fixing potholes on State roadways or private parking lots.  The Township is not responsible for private roadways in new developments until such time as they are dedicated to the Township.

Each year the Department resurfaces various streets within the Township.  The funding for this work comes from the annual Public Works budget.  Roads are selected based on various criteria and needs, including surface conditions, traffic volume, condition of underground utilities, condition of abutting infrastructure, such as curbing and drainage swales.

Road Repair on STATE ROADS
There are 33 miles of State roads within Doylestown Township.  All are maintained by PennDOT.  If you encounter a pothole, or your clear sight distance is obstructed by overgrown vegetation, please contact PennDOT's Doylestown office at (215)345-6060.  The following roadways are PennDOT right-of-ways:

back to top

Types of Paving Done Within Doylestown Township

Major Patching
Due to base deterioration, large portions of the roadway are cutout or milled out and replaced with new asphalt base.  Generally, these are areas deteriorated by frost conditions and are known as "blowouts".   At a later time this area is resurfaced with a wearing course.

Overlays
Used where base is in good condition, but surface-wearing course is deteriorated.  Leveling courses may be applied and drainage problems corrected whereupon a wearing course of blacktop is applied.

Crack Sealing
Cracks are sealed with asphalt sealant, generally preparatory to some type of a wearing surface treatment.

Cold Surfacing (Micro-surfacing)
A surface treatment applied 1/2" or less in thickness, utilizing a water based oil and aggregate slurry applied over the entire roadway.  This treatment is generally used where roads have a good solid super structure but the surface is in need of minor restoration to maintain safe driving conditions.  Milling of deteriorated areas and leveling for drainage may be done prior to this treatment.

Oil and Chip
This treatment is used on many of the Township's roadways. especially the older and more deteriorated road surfaces.  The process allows for and application of oil and chip over the entire surface in order to provide a sealed surface and thus reduce the amount of water penetration into the roadway base.  It allows for sealing of minor surface cracks, especially during the summer months when high temperatures cause it to become soft and pliable.

Traffic Markings & Signs
The Road Department is responsible for the installation and application of all municipal street signs and traffic markings on township right-of-ways.  The Department installs the signs and markings in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Rules and Regulations.

Vegetation Control
The Road Department annually prunes and trims overgrown vegetation along its right-of-ways in order to maintain sight distances at corners, clear corridors on straight-aways, and to allow sunlight to penetrate to the roadway to affect a dry road surface.  A side benefit of this vegetation control program is a need for less ice melt or as shaded road surfaces are eliminated.

back to top