Nominating a Pennsylvania Byway

Considerations For Designation

The requirements are:

• Quality requirements include: archaeological, cultural, historical, natural, and recreational. You can have one or few or all of them. For additional information, view our qualities fact sheet.
• Outdoor advertising restriction requirements, if applicable: Outdoor advertising is prohibited along many nationally designated byways and state-designated byways with the class or road designation. To determine if outdoor advertising must be restricted, Visit our Byways Maps page and click on a county on the map to view its corresponding detailed Federal Aid Primary (FAP) or National Highway System (NHS) designation. If the route is outlined in green, it's an FAP road. If is outlined in red, it's an NHS road. In either case, a local ordinance is required from each municipality along the corridor. The ordinance must specify how the placement of new signs, displays, or devices will be prohibited on the byway in conformance with 23 U.S.C. 131(s).
• Local support requirements: Pennsylvania byways must be nominated by a government entity, and all the municipalities and the counties through which the byway passes must pass and/or receive resolutions and letters of support for the designation.

How To Nominate A Byway

Any government entity can nominate a local, state, or federally roadway or roadway segment for state byway consideration, provided that the owner of the roadway is in agreement with the nomination. If the roadway is not a state-maintained highway, the local government or federal agency that owns the highway must first designate the route as a Scenic Byway. Concurrence from PennDOT would designate the route a Pennsylvania Byway. However, the first step in the process is for the sponsor to complete the PA Byways interest form.

Step 1: Expression Of Interest Form And Submittal

The first step in the process is for the sponsor to complete the PA Byways interest form. The interest form must be electronically submitted to PennDOT. Prior to submission, it is strongly encouraged to download a copy and use as a worksheet. A copy of the interest form is available by clicking on the Byways Interest Form Worksheet within the PennDOT Pennsylvania Byways Program webpage. An interest form tutorial is also located on the byways website. The PA Byways interest form submittal process is listed below:

 

Step 2: Application Preparation

Prior to filling out the application, an interest form would have been completed and reviewed by the Pennsylvania Byways Coordinator by providing a decision that enough information was provided in order to go to the next step, submission of a Pennsylvania Byways Application. The application and the attachments must be submitted electronically by one local governmental entity. Before completing the electronic application, you can download a copy of the form by clicking on the Byways Application Worksheet within the PennDOT Pennsylvania Byways Program webpage. It is strongly suggested that you print out this form and ensure you have all of the required information available to you prior to filling out the application. An application form tutorial is also located on the byways website. Below is the state application process as well as the requirements needed to complete and submit an application.

 

Application Requirements

The application needs to include the following:

• Initiated by: Application (state application) or legislative act (road was originally designated by state legislation).
• Indicate legislative act number, if applicable
• Provide a proposed byway name.
• Government and byway leader contact information.
• County or counties through which the proposed byway travels through.
• The name and location of the road, beginning and ending terminus, and approximate byway length.
• A list of resources along the route that support the qualit(ies).
• List of additional resources along the corridor.
• Identify the corridor boundaries on a county map and the location of the required qualit(ies).
• Provide a strategy for maintaining and enhancing the qualit(ies) for which the byway will be designated.
• A description of how the byway would complement other regional economic development strategies or long range plan(s) and how it relates to the county(ies) comprehensive plan(s).
• Resolutions of support from the governing bodies along the proposed byway from the count(ies) and the municipalit(ies) Note: Resolutions must include a statement indicating the municipalit(ies) intent to uphold the designation.
• A letter of support from the local Metropolitan Planning Organization and/or the Rural Planning Organization.
• A letter of support from the local Tourism Promotion Agency(ies).
• A letter of support from the area legislator for the proposed area municipalit(ies) and count(ies) along the proposed byway.
• Letters of support from applicable regional planning agencies (Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Rural Planning Organization) and Tourism Promotion Agencies.
• A letter of support from the area legislator for the proposed area.
• If the Byway is on the Interstate system, Federal-Aid Primary (FAP) System or National Highway System (NHS), the application must specify how the erection of new signs, displays or devices will be prohibited on the byway in conformance with 23 U.S. Code Section 131(s).
• Authorized signatory from the nominating agency.