Roads Ordinance (StrV) - Road Classes, Terms a) Cantonal Roads (Art. 6 StrG) (STRV)

1. High-Performance Roads (HPR) are roads reserved for motor vehicle traffic that serve a superior network function. They channel large traffic flows and connect interregional and regional areas.

2. Main Traffic Roads (MTR) serve mixed traffic. They connect regions, regional centers, and larger settlement areas and have interregional, regional, and inter-local significance within the road network. Together with High-Performance Roads, they form the superior road network.

3. Regional Connection Roads (RCR) and Local Connection Roads (LCR) serve mixed traffic. RCR connect individual towns and settlement areas within a region. LCR establish local connections within towns and settlement areas. Outside populated areas, they supplement and refine the superior road network. Within populated areas, they also assume collection and access functions.

1. Collector Roads (CR) are roads within populated areas with local significance in the municipal road network. They gather traffic from access roads and direct it to roads of the same type or to cantonal roads. They ensure local connections between different neighborhoods of a locality or individual parts of the municipality.

2. Municipalities can classify collector roads into

a) traffic-oriented Main Collector Roads (MCR);

b) settlement-oriented Neighborhood Collector Roads (NCR).

3. Collector roads are open to general motor vehicle traffic.

1. Access Roads (AR) are roads within populated areas with local significance in the municipal road network. They provide access to individual plots or buildings both inside and outside construction zones and direct traffic to collector roads.

2. Municipalities may classify the Access Roads into

a) Neighborhood Access Roads (NAR);

b) Access Streets (AS);

c) Access Paths (AP).

3. NAR service larger settlement areas (up to 250 residential units or equivalent traffic volume). AS are intended for smaller areas with low traffic density (up to 75 residential units or equivalent traffic volume). Both are generally open to general motor vehicle traffic.

4. AP service remaining areas, individual plots, or buildings (up to 10 residential units within construction zones or up to 5 residential units outside construction zones or equivalent traffic volume). Access Paths are generally not open to general motor vehicle traffic.

1. Agricultural and Forestry Access Roads (AFR) are roads located outside populated areas. They serve the purpose of providing access to properties or areas outside of construction zones or connecting larger agriculturally and forestry utilized areas with populated regions.

2. The AFR include minor access roads outside of construction zones as well as the roads designated for agriculture and forestry.

3. They are generally not open to regular motor vehicle traffic.

1. Public Paths (including Stairs) (W) are located away from public roads and are not intended for motor vehicle traffic. They are generally open to pedestrian traffic.

2. The public paths may be overlaid by footpath, hiking, and cycling networks.

1. The road directories of the canton and municipalities must contain at least the following information

a) Route designation or street name;

b) Road classification;

c) Ownership details;

d) Length of the road section;

e) Road plan (overview plan).

2. The canton and municipalities shall continuously update their directories.

3. The cantonal and municipal roads, as well as public roads in private ownership, shall be graphically documented and updated in the road plan with their components.

4. The road plan shall be published in electronic form within the geoinformation system. The Department of Construction and Economic Affairs shall prescribe a data model and regulate the presentation.

1. The following must be entered into the land register as independent properties

a) Cantonal and municipal roads;

b) Sidewalks, pedestrian and cycle paths along cantonal roads;

c) Existing or planned roads owned by private owners, which are to be acquired by the municipality.

1. Temporary traffic restrictions and orders due to construction and maintenance work must be reported to the cantonal police in advance.

2. The signage for temporary traffic restrictions and orders due to increased public use shall be arranged by the applicants in accordance with the instructions of the cantonal police.

1. Traffic Restrictions and Orders within the Meaning of Art. 3 Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Road Traffic Act, which are indicated by regulatory or priority signals or by other signals with a regulatory character, must be issued by the competent authority in accordance with Art. 15 of the Road Traffic Act and published in the official publication medium with instructions on legal remedies. The publication period is 20 days.

2. During the publication period, an objection may be filed in writing with the issuing authority. The objection must include a specific and substantiated request.

3. The right to file an objection is determined by Art. 32 of the Administrative Procedure Act.

1. Applications for permits and concessions pursuant to Articles 17-19 of the Act must generally be submitted to the competent authority with the required documentation one month before the planned use of a public road.

2. If the use requiring a permit or concession affects multiple municipalities, the application must be submitted to the municipality most affected by the planned use.

3. The competent authority decides on the application, including the assessment of fees, in agreement with the relevant authorities of the other affected municipalities.

4. If the planned use requires a building permit, the building permit procedure shall be the definitive lead procedure.

1. The traffic plan specifically sets out the measures for securing traffic, the necessary detours, the regulation services, and the management of parking spaces.

1. Owners of utility lines are required to maintain a register of their utility lines.

2. The utility line register provides information about the location and type of lines and manholes.

3. The owners of utility lines must provide the utility line register to road owners free of charge and, if available, in digital form.

1. Construction of a new road is considered a new development.

2. Improvement is defined as the expansion and substantial enhancement of an existing road through widening, creation of sidewalks, pedestrian or bicycle paths, and similar actions, road relocation that does not create an additional connection, as well as the reduction of the road.

3. Complete renewal refers to the replacement of existing road sections and components for the purpose of adapting the road to technical requirements such as improving the standard profile, increasing load-bearing capacity, renewing drainage, and constructing (walkable) shoulders.

1. The cantonal agency for non-motorized traffic is the Civil Engineering Office.

1. The usable roadway width of cantonal roads is at least

a) for high-performance roads: 7.50 m;

b) for main traffic roads: 6.50 m;

c) for regional connecting roads: 6.00 m;

d) for local connecting roads: 5.50 m.

2. For existing roads with low traffic volumes, the minimum widths may be reduced provided that traffic safety is ensured.

3. Furthermore, road construction is carried out according to the recognized principles of road construction technology, particularly the standards of the Swiss Association of Road Specialists.

4. Deviation from the recognized principles of road construction technology is permissible in terms of simpler and more cost-effective standards if circumstances allow.

1. If a municipal regulation or a special use plan does not specify any technical provisions (roadway width, number of lanes, number of sidewalks, maximum gradient, etc.), road construction shall follow the recognized standards of road engineering, particularly the norms of the Swiss Association of Road and Traffic Experts.

2. Additionally, Article 16 applies mutatis mutandis.

1. Insofar as the signaling is not regulated by the federal legislation on road traffic, the standards of the Swiss Association of Road and Traffic Experts and the enforcement aids of the federal government must be observed.

1. Concerning road drainage and the treatment of road wastewater, the guidelines of the Swiss Association of Professionals for Water Protection and Wastewater Treatment as well as the Federal Office for the Environment must be observed.

1. Regarding lighting, the standards of the Swiss Association of Road and Traffic Experts and the Swiss Lighting Society must be observed.

1. The Publication and Notification Procedure is conducted by the Civil Engineering Office for cantonal roads, and by the competent municipal authority for municipal roads and public roads owned by private individuals.

1. Negotiations with the landowners regarding the acquisition of rights, compensations, adjustments, and similar matters are conducted by the Civil Engineering Office for cantonal roads, and by the respective municipal authority for municipal roads.

2. At the time of claiming the rights, 70 percent of the purchase price is to be paid, provided that the price is determined. The final settlement occurs after demarcation and official registration adjustments.

1. Construction and Maintenance of Artificial Enclosures Along Roads: Walls, Fences, and Similar Structures Not Part of the Road System Are the Responsibility of Adjacent Property Owners.

2. Enclosures Must Be Executed in Such a Manner and With Such Materials That They Do Not Endanger Traffic Safety. Fences Must Be Constructed to Allow the Passage of Snow.

1. Retaining walls under private maintenance along roads may be replaced by an embankment with the consent of the property owner.

2. If this significantly eases the maintenance obligation, the persons responsible for maintenance may be required to contribute. The construction of the embankment should not impose any burdens on the public community.

1. To enforce Article 54 of the Act, the competent authority shall set a reasonable deadline for the adjoining property owner to restore the legal condition, accompanied by the threat of substitute performance at the expense of the obligated party.

2. In the event of immediate danger, the competent authority is entitled to restore the legal condition immediately, either by itself or through third parties.

1. Access and exit routes at parking spaces for motor vehicles alongside public roads must be constructed in such a way that traffic safety is continuously ensured.

2. For parking spaces alongside cantonal roads, a turning area away from the road must be created, provided this is reasonable for the applicant.

1. Non-building permit-required new enclosures and retaining walls may be built directly along sidewalks, pedestrian paths, and bicycle paths within urban areas, provided that the competent authority has been notified in advance and does not reject the project within 20 days of receipt of the notification.

2. Hedges may be planted within urban areas closer than one meter to sidewalks, pedestrian paths, and bicycle paths, provided they can be kept trimmed.

3. Article 65, paragraph 2 of the law shall remain reserved in any case.

1. Plants Along Roads Must Be Trimmed Back By The End of October Each Year.

2. Through publication in the official gazettes, the competent authorities can timely remind the public of the obligation to keep the traffic space profile of roads clear. They will point out that, after a period of four weeks from the publication, the necessary work will be carried out at the expense of those obligated by the maintenance service of the affected municipalities or by third parties, in the event of non-compliance.

1. Entrances and road junctions must generally be surfaced sufficiently to prevent gravel from being dragged or washed onto the road.

2. The relevant standards of the Swiss Association of Road Professionals are decisive for the construction of entrances, access paths, and road junctions. Exceptions may be permitted in special cases.

3. Doors and gates of enclosures and buildings must be installed in such a way that no public land is utilized when opened.

4. Entrances and road junctions must serve all properties that, from the perspective of road traffic, are optimally accessed via them. Exceptions are only permitted if an optimal access is otherwise not possible.

1. Municipalities are obligated to make partial payments for work already performed.

1. The perimeter procedure is conducted by the Department of Construction and Economic Affairs for cantonal roads, and by the competent municipal authority for municipal roads.

2. The competent municipal authority may appoint a perimeter commission for the perimeter procedure. The commission consists of the chairperson and at least two other members.

1. The competent authority shall prepare the perimeter contribution plan.

2. The perimeter contribution plan shall contain

a) a perimeter delimitation plan (perimeter plan);

b) the cost estimate of the construction project;

c) the liable properties with their eligible area (perimeter area);

d) the shares of the property owners (total and per property);

e) the share of the municipality;

f) any shares of third parties.

1. The Perimeter Boundary Plan includes

a) Property boundary, property number (Parcel No.), existing buildings, surrounding streets with names and classification, scale, date, north direction;

b) Marking of the perimeter object (start and end);

c) Boundary of the properties included in the perimeter.

1. The Amount of the Special Benefit for Individual Properties is Calculated According to the Area and Benefit Principle Systematically by the Following Formula

Perimeter Area x Usage Factor x Correction Factor = Perimeter Points (in Percent)

1. If a property exhibits multiple types of usage, the perimeter area shall be divided according to each usage zone and type of usage.

2. For properties within the building zones, the division of the perimeter area is carried out according to usage zones, while for properties outside the building zones, it is done according to different types of usage such as meadow, forest, residence, farm buildings, etc.

3. Not included in the countable property area are other public roads and the road area of the planned road (perimeter object).

1. For perimeter areas within building zones, the following guidelines apply unless otherwise specified in the municipal building regulations

Perimeter Area: Utilization Factor

W1: Residential Zone Single-story: 0.350

W2: Residential Zone Two-story: 0.400

OE: Zone for Public Buildings and Facilities: 0.500

WG2: Residential-Commercial Zone Two-story: 0.500

W3: Residential Zone Three-story: 0.600

WG3: Residential-Commercial Zone Three-story: 0.650

G3: Commercial Zone Three-story: 0.700

W4: Residential Zone Four-story: 0.700

WG4: Residential-Commercial Zone Four-story: 0.750

G4: Commercial Zone Four-story: 0.800

I4: Industrial Zone Four-story: 0.800

G5: Commercial Zone Five-story: 0.850

I5: Industrial Zone Five-story: 0.900

IE: Intensive Recreation Zone: 0.500-0.900

KZ: Health Resort Zone: 0.500-1.000

K: Core Zone: 0.800-1.000

GRi: Green Zone (dependent on type of use): 0.200-0.500

2. For perimeter areas outside of building zones, the following guidelines apply unless otherwise specified in the municipal building regulations

Perimeter Area: Utilization Factor

Meadowland (undeveloped, normal use): 0.010

Extensively used land (e.g., Poor Meadows, Litter Meadow etc.): 0.003-0.005

Intensively used land (e.g., Orchards): 0.015

Forest (normal management): 0.005

Forest (extensive use; e.g., difficult accessibility): 0.003

Other municipal area (depending on location and use): 0.010-0.100

Other municipal area (unproductive land): 0.000-0.005

Residential Houses in Agricultural Zones (Farmhouses): 0.400

Economic Buildings (Barn, Garage, Shed): 0.400

Other constructions depending on intensity of use: 0.350-1.000

3. If there is a lack of a utilization figure in the municipal building regulations, or if the actual use of a property does not conform to the building regulations, the actual use (actual condition) generally takes precedence.

1. The adjustment factor shall take into account the location of the plot subject to contribution in relation to the perimeter object, particularly concerning alternative developments, degree of development, and length of use.

2. If a plot is undeveloped, does not have alternative development, and the entire length of the road is used, the adjustment factor is 1.

1. The obligated property owners are informed of the contribution plan through written notification during the public planning procedure.

1. An objection to the perimeter contribution plan can be submitted in writing to the competent authority within 30 days. The objection must include a specific and reasoned request.

2. An appeal against the objection decision made by the competent municipal authority can be lodged with the Department of Construction and Economic Affairs.

3. Legal protection is otherwise governed by the Administrative Procedure Act[13].

1. Upon completion of the construction work, the competent authority shall determine, based on the construction cost statement, the contributions attributable to each individual property owner and the payment deadline.

2. The contribution assessment and the payment deadline shall be communicated to the contributing parties in writing.

3. An objection can be filed in writing to the competent authority against the contribution assessment, but not against the percentage allocation of costs to the contributing parties, within 30 days. Furthermore, Article 39 applies.

4. The perimeter contributions shall accrue interest after the payment deadline has passed. The filing of a legal remedy does not suspend the accrual of interest.

1. Upon completion of the main construction works, reasonable partial payments of up to 80 percent of the contributions presumably attributable to the property owners may be demanded.

2. Contributions may be deferred with reasonable interest for up to ten years, but in the case of properties in the building zones, only for important reasons.

1. The competent authority may apply for the statutory mortgage to be registered in the land register. If contributions are deferred, it is obliged to do so.

1. Property owners may be retroactively obligated to contribute if they receive a special benefit within 15 years of the construction of the road.

2. Retroactive contributions are utilized for the construction and maintenance of the respective road.

1. Vehicles, trailers, and similar items parked on public roads that obstruct or endanger road construction and maintenance, other public works, or authorized uses according to Article 17 of the law, may be removed by the Civil Engineering Office, the competent municipal authority, or the Cantonal Police at the owner's expense and risk, or have them removed by third parties.

2. Except in urgent cases, the owner must be notified in an appropriate manner beforehand, and the removal must be threatened with a reasonable deadline.

1. This Regulation shall enter into force on February 1, 2010.