Public Works
The Moon Township Department of Public Works is responsible for the maintenance of all township owned roads, properties and buildings. Approximately 14 road employees, a Public Works Facilities Manager and a Public Works Operations Manager make up the road department. The Department of Public Works saves Moon Township thousands of dollars annually in construction and maintenance costs by offering a number of services in-house. Public Works is responsible for all of the township’s signage, the maintenance of all township-owned roads including filling pot holes, sealing cracks and simple paving. Additionally, Public Works is responsible for salting and plowing township-owned roads during cold-weather months. The department owns several vehicles which allow them to provide a variety of services to Moon Township residents.
Annual Projects
Composting Program
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Public Works offers a yard waste composting program for residents each spring and fall. Watch for dates and times to be posted on moontwp.com, on Facebook, in the township’s monthly email newsletter, in the quarterly Moon Township Messenger magazine and on the MCA-TV message board. Residents are welcome to drop off yard waste including tree limbs, leaves and plant matter to be composted at the Downes Fire Station located near the intersection of Beaver Grade Road and Ewing Road. Brush should not exceed six feet in length and four inches in diameter and should not be bundled or tied.
Moon Township encourages residents to try composting at home. Composting food and yard waste diverts organic waste from the landfill and creates a rich soil additive for landscaping projects. A home composting guide is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website at depweb.state.pa.us.
Litter Clean-Up
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Public Works coordinates all litter clean-up and Adopt-A-Highway projects in Moon Township. Organizations wishing to participate in such programs must fill out an application and sign a release form. Upon approval, they will choose a clean-up date and the Public Works Department will provide gloves and orange vests.
Public Works will also remove the collected trash from the roadways being cleaned. Contact the Township Administration Building at 412-262-1700 for more information.
Resurfacing Projects
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Public Works is responsible for Moon Township’s Annual Road Paving Program including regular road maintenance and road inspections. They take care of any simple pothole or resurfacing project that needs attention and maintain inlet work for stormwater management by adjusting and rebuilding these inlets as needed throughout the year. Each year a contract is awarded for the road paving program, but Public Works employees help make the process easier by filling in potholes and cracks before the roads are paved. Public Works take care of township streets while the remaining streets are contracted out.
Pot Hole Patrol
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Throughout winter, Public Works crews regularly monitor township roads for potholes and make repairs on a rolling basis. To report a pothole on a township-owned roadway, call the Township Administration Office at 412-262-1700. Keep in mind that Moon Township Public Works does not patch potholes on private, county or state roads. Pothole repairs remain a regular maintenance duty handled by the county or state throughout the winter.
Road Kill
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Public Works properly disposes of any road kill found on township, county and state roads located within Moon’s borders. Hunters and non-hunters must keep away from injured or stray animals to avoid the risk of coming in contact with rabies. Many wild animals carry the rabies disease but do not show it and live a happy and normal life. If you have a road-kill concern contact the Moon Township Police at 412-262-5000 or the Southwest Regional Game Office at 724-238-9523, 724-238-9524, or 724-238-5639.
Signage
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Public Works has its own sign shop that is Penn Dot compliant. Employees make the signage and reuse and refurbish old signs by recycling the old sign blanks and resurfacing them; this includes street signs, Adopt-a-Highway signs, speed limit signs and several others.
Traffic Signals
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There are 24 traffic signals throughout the community owned by the Township of Moon. All signals are maintained by the Public Works Department through the tax dollars of residents and businesses. These traffic signals each have an indicator within the blacktop or overhead the signal that let the electronic traffic controller know there is a vehicle waiting to get through the light. “Stop Here on Red” signs that are parallel to the white stop bar on the road let the operator of the vehicle know where they should be positioned while waiting at a traffic signal. Within a car length of the white stop bar is a traffic loop that detects a vehicle; drivers must stop right before the stop bar to signal the electronic controller they are there. If a driver pulls up too close to the stop bar, or drives past it, the electronic controller does not detect the vehicle resulting in a delay in traffic signal change.
When there is a power outage, disruption of electrical service or malfunction of the traffic light follow these guidelines.
- Flashing Red: Stop at the traffic light, yield, and proceed
- Flashing Yellow: Slow down and proceed with caution
- Completely Out: Treat the traffic light as a four-way stop sign
Street Sweeping
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Among the Department of Public Works’ fleet of vehicles is a street sweeper truck. Each spring, Public Works employees sweep the cinders and other winter remnants from all township-owned roads. Following heavy storm events, township sweepers are put into service to clean washout from intersections on the streets and clean out all stormwater catch basins throughout the township.
Township Facilities
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The Department of Public Works employs one person who is responsible for basic maintenance issues in all township-owned buildings. Public Works employees also take part in a number of construction projects within township-owned facilities saving taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.
Vehicle Maintenance
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Vehicle maintenance is another responsibility of the Public Works Department that saves Moon Township thousands of dollars annually. Employees of the Public Works Department perform routine and specialized maintenance work on police department vehicles, township-owned trucks and cars, and vehicles used for road work and construction projects.
Yard Waste Pick-Up
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In the fall, Public Works offers yard waste pick up and leaf drop-off. The schedule follows resident’s regular garbage collection, simply place leaves at the curb by 8 a.m. on pickup day. Residents are asked to put leaves in bio-degradable paper bags, no plastic bags or boxes will be accepted. Bio-degradable paper bags can be purchased at any home improvement store.
Tree Limb Drop-Off
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The Public Works Department offers tree limb dropoff year round at Downes Fire Station located near the intersection of Beaver Grade Road and Ewing Road between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tree branches should not exceed six feet in length and four inches in diameter and should not be bundled or tied. Residents dropping off waste or picking up compost or wood chips outside of these hours are asked to notify Public Works by calling 412.262.1700.
moontwp.com/greeninitiatives.html
Snow Removal
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The Department of Public Works prepares for winter by ordering salt and getting their vehicles ready to take care of snow removal and winter maintenance throughout the Township. In the event of snowfall, Public Works crews will be on the roads to salt and plow by 4:30 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends.
Winter Weather Reminders
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- Moon Township residents, property owners, and business owners are reminded of the following Township regulations and commendations for the winter weather season.
- Drivers should have good tires on their vehicle, know how to brake in slippery conditions, and be aware of changing road conditions. Peak traffic problems are between 4 and 8 a.m. and between 4 and 8 p.m.
- Cars are not permitted on Township roads during a snow event or between 2 and 6 a.m. any day of the week, year round. Vehicles may be ticketed or towed that do not obey this ordinance.
- Do not plow or shovel snow from driveways, parking lots, or sidewalks onto the street; this is a violation of State law and Township ordinance.
- Remove portable basketball hoops, hockey nets, and any other obstructions from public roadways, cul-de-sacs, and Township right-of ways.
- Trim trees so that branches do not extend beyond the curb.
- Do not allow children to build snow forts or play in packed snow along the edge of the road or cul-de-sacs.
- Although maintained by the Municipal Authority, as a safety measure for the Township, clear snow on and around fire hydrants in the event of snowfall.
- To help reduce the amount of snow that will be pushed back into your driveway during snow plow operations, when shoveling driveways pile snow near the road on the right side of the driveway (when facing the street).
- Residents who live in neighborhoods with sidewalks are required to clear snow from the sidewalks in front of their home.
- Place garbage cans and recycling bins back in the driveway entrance to avoid spillage. Questions pertaining to garbage collection should be addressed to the Municipal Authority at 412-264-4300.
- Do not shovel snow in a manner that blocks the view of oncoming traffic for motorists.
Snowplow Safety
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Snowplows maintain safe roads for drivers, but residents must also do their part to help keep the roads safe for snowplows. According to PennDOT there is never a safe time to pass a snowplow; however, if you decide to pass a snowplow, drivers should use extreme caution and be aware that every truck has blind spots. It is important to always maintain a safe distance and stopping distance when following a plow. Never allow children to play in snow-covered streets or in the mounds of snow left by snowplows, it is extremely difficult for snowplow drivers to see them.
Mailbox Damage – Township and PennDOT Policies
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In all cases, Moon Township Public Works tries to avoid damage to anyone’s property. Mailboxes are placed in the Township’s legal right-of-way; Moon Township is not liable for damage to them caused by snow removal operations. Moon Township repairs or replaces only mailboxes and/or posts that are actually stuck by the plow blades or damaged by impact from the plow truck itself. Usually, a paint mark or truck tire tracks supply evidence of a mailbox strike. Moon Township does not repair or replace mailboxes and/or posts that fall from the force of plowed snow. Mailboxes and supporting post must be installed to withstand the rigors of snow removal, including the force of snow pushed from the street onto the road edge. Please contact the Moon Township Administration Office at 412-262-1700 if you have a plow damaged mailbox and a representative from the Public Works Department will investigate.
PennDOT allows property owners to place mailboxes within the limits of the legal right-of-way; because mailboxes are within the right-of-way, damages are the responsibility of the property owner. To help avoid damage, be sure your mailbox has a strong support and use reflective tape or other material to make it easier to see during storms or dark hours. View PennDOT’s winter services guide including information on installing a cantilevered mailbox support at www.dot.state.pa.us.
Yard Damage
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The goal of the Public Works Department during plowing operations is to clear the roadway of snow from curb to curb (mailbox to mailbox), this includes all the cul-de-sacs in the Township. During this operation, plow drivers push the snow up onto the grassy area behind the curb. At times there may be some yard damage done to these areas. If this occurs, we ask that residents report the incident to the Township Administration Office at 412-262-1700. Public Works crews will roll the sod back, if possible, and when the snow melts and in the spring crews will make a permanent repair. This request also applies to any asphalt or concrete curbs along the roadways or parking lots maintained by the Township.
Additional Projects
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- Township owned retention pond maintenance
- Right-of-way vegetation management by mow trimming
- Basic right-of-way tree trimming
- Grass cutting at township green space areas
- Maintain various beautifications at interchanges
- Township facilities building and grounds maintenance
- Line painting for intersection/crosswalk/line striping
- Maintain all traffic signals at all intersections within the township
- Coordinate with Duquesne Light the maintenance of the street signs
- Maintain and inspect all Pennsylvania One Calls within the township
- Issue Highway Occupant permits, Road Opening permits, and inspect for Safety Complaints and Overweight Truck permits
Watch for program dates to be posted on the news section of this website, as well as Facebook, the Moon Township Messenger quarterly magazine, and the township's monthly e-newsletter.